new thread
Hi Hairy People,
In having some spare time this weekend (I'm usually away at work on weekends), I decided to go through my iphoto library to delete any old pics I no longer need to keep, and then came across these pics of longhairs that I took at the Haight Street Fair back in 2004... WOW, I almost forgot about those!!
No worries, I have NO plans whatsoever of deleting these gems; but just thought this was as good a time as any to share them here.
My apologies over the fact that I only know how to post one pic at a time (and PLEASE don't bother trying to "teach" me how right now, as I'm VERY "technology-challenged", especially when asked to read long-winded, computer-terminology-packed details of how "easy" it is)!
Anyway, starting with this photo I took of a total stranger to me, here are an amazing bunch of outstanding-looking longhairs from a day spent at that street fair, taken 5 and a half years ago....
Enjoy!!
- Ken in San Francisco
Here's a pic I took just off Haight St. near Ashbury -- I swear it looks just like it did back in the 1960s!
I found this longhaired family to be hands-down ADORABLE... All I had to do was ASK: "May I take your picture?" They had no problem whatsoever stopping and smiling for my camera -- that's hippies for you!!
- Ken
Here's a good-looking longhair that looked friendly enough to approach at the street fair. I remember asking him, "May I take your picture? I'm photographing longhairs at the Fair today." He immediately grinned from ear-to-ear; but then I noticed a woman that didn't look quite as enthusiastic standing right nearby him...
"Oh!" I said as I was trying to assess the situation, "Is this your girlfriend? - And would she like to be in the picture, too?"
He happily put his arm around her and the 2 of them posed and smiled for the camera... Well [ahemmmm...], at least ONE of them smiled for the camera!
- Ken (pic taken June of '04)
It's rather strange when I think back about that day at the street fair... I'm not "normally" a guy who walks up to total strangers in order to ask to take their picture -- I'm usually not QUITE that "ballsie!" But, I guess I was just in one of those moods that day....
In any case, when I spotted a longhair trying to sell his CDs up ahead a bit, I decided he'd probably also be a safe bet to approach to ask if I could snap his pic.
"No problem!" he said, "Go right ahead!"
I held my camera up to my eye, then noticed something wrong...
"Ummmm, I hate to say this, but: with your hair-tie holding your ponytail back, it looks like you have short hair, instead of long..."
"Oh!" he exclaimed, and then immediately without me having to say anything more about the topic, he took his hair-tie out and shook his hair all about to loosen it. "Is that better?"
"GREAT, thanks!!", I replied, -- and then took 3 pics of him holding up his CDs, this shot being the best out of the three shots.
- Ken (again, taken in June of 2004)
The guy in this particular pic seemed a bit shy at first, yet still definitely willing to be photographed (otherwise i would NOT have taken the pic).... I think he has hands-down FANTASTIC long hair!!!
- Ken
In this 2nd pic, I have no clue who the woman is that's to the right of this guy.... I think she's just trying to sell something. (She probably thought I was somebody "important", like from a newspaper or some place - LOL - I sure fooled her!!)
Of course, please also realize that I have NO CLUE WHO THE GUY IS, EITHER!!!
Again, as I mentioned earlier, unless otherwise stated, all of these photos are of total strangers to me -- people who just happened to be at the Haight Street Fair that day in June of '04. A street fair is a public place, -- and in all of these pics, I asked the person(s) being photographed their permission to take their pic, FIRST.
I also am not selling these pics -- they are just "ordinary" pics, for the same kind of looking at as if in a newspaper or magazine... So, ENJOY!!
- Ken
This is a beautiful shot.
I should put it in a folder and call it "REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT THINK OF TRIMMING YOUR HAIR" LOL
Then again, I've always been a bit envious of those with golden locks, because they tend to always look better and shinier than having dark hair.
Indeed well said!
One of the lines I used that day to approach people about taking their pic was to say something like the following sentence:
"I'm taking pictures of longhairs today, would you mind me taking yours?"
in 98% of the cases when I asked like this, the response was ALWAYS positive (of course I think it helped a great deal that they could obviously see that I was a longhair also myself!)...
Here's a shot of a young longhair with a GREAT smile!!
- Ken (taken in June of '04)
OK, unlike most of the other photos that are of total strangers that were just willing to smile for my camera on the street, in this case, these are two guys that I know quite well!
Here's Bill and Larry standing in front of a bubble machine at the same Haight St. Fair -- probably my favorite pic i've ever taken of the 2 of them!
You can tell that this pic of Bill was taken a few years ago, because his beard is a hell of a lot shorter in this pic than it is now!!
- Ken
I think the photo above is the one you posted, but it failed to show up. I agree, it's a great shot, Ken!
When going to hippie events, a guy of course should always consider picking flowers along the road for his hair! Flowers wilt quickly amidst your mane, so you want to pick them just before you arrive. The valerian flowers you see in my hair grow all over the place here in late spring in various shades of red, pink, and lavender, and these I saw along Ashbury Street a few blocks south of Haight were just the right color to go with my shirt. Hey, it's not groovy to not be color-coordinated!
Bill
Here's a shot of the 5 of us local longhairs that met that particular June day in 2004, taken just outside of the restaurant...
Hmmmm... that blonde guy in the middle looks a little strange... he looks a little familiar; but who in the hell IS he???
Let's just let the mystery continue (LOL)....
This is just so neat Ken. Sure wish there was a brunch group where I live. Had to get my crayolas out for this one. :-)
Justin~
When I decided to approach these two dudes standing around together, For some reason I decided to use a different opening line when asking them if they'd mind if I took their picture:
"Im a tourist from Ohio" (a total lie, by the way -- I've not only lived in San Francisco for well over 30 years; I also am originally from Illinois, NOT Ohio!), "I was wondering if I could take your picture, since I'm trying to photograph all the longhairs here in San Francisco -- may I?"
"Sure, go right ahead, dude!"
I took a couple of shots, then thanked them and started to walk away...
"Hey, wait a minute!" the blonde guy on the left said as he lowered his eyebrows, starting to look suddenly very serious, "You aren't REALLY a tourist from Ohio, are you??"
"No, but it was a good opening line, though, wasn't it?"
They laughed -- and then I decided it might be a good idea to smile and walk away quickly... (LOL) Ah, mischief (in this case, I'd say on BOTH sides)!!
- Ken (from the Haight St. Fair in June of '04)
haha they might have read the board and recognized you from there??
Great collection Ken;
In these days of identity thief and other evil deeds, folks are very sensitive about having their photos taken. I've been too shy to ask guys if I can take their photo....always been afraid that it would sound like a come-on line. Your direct approach certainly works well.
Thanks for Sharing
Walter
When you look like a hippie and live in San Francisco, you get used to being photographed. This is the most popular town on the planet with tourists, and lots of tourists coming here want hippie shots. You get photographed quite frequently when by yourself; if you are with one or more other hippies, you will get photographed even more.
About ten percent of the time, people ask first. Mostly they just take the picture. I've been photographed more times than I can remember, but these times stick in my head the most:
1. I was at the vista point north of the Golden Gate Bridge with another hippie-looking guy. There is a sweeping view of the entire city and port there. We had been hiking several miles, and we were sitting on a wall with our shoes off, airing out our feet. The city view is unchanging and we see it all the time, so we were facing all the tourists so we could watch them as we rested. Suddenly two boys about age 12 came up and asked to take our picture. We said "Sure!" and they handed their camera to a third member of their party and jumped into the picture, making peace signs. We later realized they not only got two BAREFOOT hippies, but the entire skyline of San Francisco was also in the background of their picture.
2. I was walking along a street by myself with nothing next to me but a fence. Two guys were driving by in a pickup truck, they slowed down, the guy not driving rolled down his window, he took my picture, and then they sped off. It felt like being the target of a drive-by shooting. Well, it was a shooting, but fortunately it was with a camera.
take a picture of him with me!"
Yeah, you get used to it here. People are apt to take your picture anywhere.
Bill
Bill !!
Thanks for sharing the stories and a very special Thanks for Sharing your wedding photos...
Walter
Thanks for the note! They really should have backdated that marriage license about 31 years, but that option wasn't offered. Let's just say we had a very long engagement. [grin]
It was a hoot in the newlywed line at the County Clerk's office, when a male-female couple next to us in line learned we had really been a couple for 31 years and began to ask us for pointers!
We may be down in your neck of the sagebrush sometime before it gets hot, looking for old longhaired desert rats. We'll be in touch.
Bill
1-Classic!
2-Exactly...drive by shooting...yuck!
3-Ahahahahaha!
I don't get the hippie thing so much...but...
Being a longhair out in the public eye...as I was for some years as a vintage streetcar motorman[1], I WAS a public figure, so I had every expectation of being photographed without permission...and yes, I played up to that. Letting my hair down at the drop of a whisper behind me...yep.
Outside of that, it is usually up...but when it is down, yes, I expect people to take pictures, and they do...but I will say that if they ask, they get a much better picture. I did notice a couple times guys maneuvering to get "streetshots"...when I volunteered to stop and pose, they lost interest...their whole interest was the "forbidden" streetshot. Ewwww!
[1] Supervising that line now...I miss driving, but I don't miss the stress.
Great photos Ken! Agreed that long blond hair does look great... always makes me think of a Viking many centuries ago. What can I say I like Thor from Marvel comics.
Great photos Ken, and
what a way to start the new year in KNOWING that at present long hair is making a bit of a comeback. At last the pendulum seems to be swinging the other way. Where I live it is sure different here now than 5 years ago where 90% practically were ALL Buzz-cuts. Ratio is much lower now with at least longer hair outnumbering the "buzz." And now quite a few with mid-back length! :-)
Thanks again for sharing these photos. Inspiration for all.
Justin~
Hi Ken,thanks for sharing those cool pics from the past.Don't feel bad about having to list them individually as I'm stuck in the same rut here:)lol.Definately save those pics and you should back them up just in case the old computer takes a powder.Heavens to Betsy should you loose all those awesome longhairs.YIKES!Looks like a great event to attend as I like the idea of so many hairy guys all clumped up in one confined area.Hope your having a great weekend off from work too my friend:)
Mark
I'll promise not to try and teach you how to post more than one
photo If you promise not to teach me country and western dancing.
LOL
Deal?
Great pic.
Kevin
Hey, it's a deal, no problem Kevin!
I learned a long time ago that it's only good to teach partner dancing to people who genuinely WANT to learn it...
After all, once the Swing music starts, it's way more fun to show off in front of non-dancers, than it is to see students I taught a while ago eventually get so good that they start looking better than me (LOL)!!
- Ken
LOL
Come to Canada!!!
Many of our men, young and old are sporting long hair. Sure it's not the 60's hair generation, but we are a "Cold" (Trapped really) people...and frankly, like the vikings we need it!!!
Overall, it's popular here for some people. Although I have been asked on numerous occasions, this very evening when I plan on stopping.
My reply
Ill stop growing when you stop breathing...
I guess thats not the thing to say to bar security ;)
But we chuckled.
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preferring to show their mane from the back but not show their face. I snapped this January 2nd at the Ashby BART station. His hair is superb and worthy to go in my personal longhair photos collection.
Scott
High!
I did so in the past too... but never published such images on the Internet! The other way round, I myself also would like being asked before when being photographed!
But nevertheless, this guy indeed has awesome hair... a Native American?
See you in Khyberspace!
Yadgar
Now playing: Radhe Radhe (Kula Shaker)
Publishing photo's of people on the internet for the purpose of promoting a product or some other marketing thing would be quite inappropriate. However with the myspace, facebook thing going and people putting up pics of family outings etc. people in the background inevitably will be in the frame. Likewise in a tourist area you'll be in someones pics or as Bill photographed specifically.
If a person gets weirded out about their pic being taken and possibly being on the internet my advice to them is to put a bag over their head when out in public. I read Michael Jackson used to make his kids wear masks when they were out in public, of course Michael Jackson was the poster child for weird.
When at Ren Faires if I'm photographing someones mane from the back I don't hesitate and don't ask as you can't see their face. If I want a pic from the front I'll ask.
Kevin
To me, it is one thing if incidental people/people in the background are photographed and appear in images posted to the internet, but it is quite another if a person is the subject of the image, and that image is posted specifically to show the subject.
I consider it common courtesy to ask someone if I may take their photograph (front/back/whatever) if they are the subject, and to respect their wishes (I also offer to send copies). There are any number of reasons why a person may not want their picture taken...and I don't think people should have to put a bag over their heads (or wear head to toe black cloth or whatever) to avoid perceived harassment or invasion of privacy.
Taking pictures not for posting to the internet/sharing...that doesn't bother me so much. But taking pictures for posting to the internet? Be it a supportive or neutral site...or a negative or fetish site, I think I should at least be asked if the picture can be taken.
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not showing his face. With the face not visible, this guy is not identifiable. < font color = #FFA500>There are many longhairs in Berkeley CA. There are probably at least 20 there that would look similar from the back. If I took one from the front, I would ask permission for sure. I am reasonably sure that I have been photographed from the back many times. Even in the San Francisco Bay Area which is a longhair mecca, I stand out with knee length hair.
Also, I am reasonably sure he is Native American.
Scott
Hello Everyone,
I also like to photograph longhairs, it started 10 years ago when I had my first digital Camera, a Kodak DC-240, and I did take a few candid shots at drum jams, street fairs and other events. It was an age when people weren't so touchy about their picture being found on the web.
This day and age, people are being made paranoid about employers using face-recognition search engines to find out if the clean-cut guy being interviewed by him, had long hair before, has participated in controversial activities, like gay marches, ren fairs, naked bike rides, solstice parades, etc...
This mentality, will be such that, eventually, everyone will only end up posting baby pictures, doggy pictures and other boring stuff on social sites and blogs. The web will become so boring, that ISP's will shut down due to lack of interest (on top of the fact, that all news, and media content will be behind a pay wall).
To make the world more interesting, people should not be afraid to open up, and don't be scared to post pictures of yourself in non-conventional meetings and events.
Here is a picture(Dated october 10, 1998), that, employers will use to judge me as a gun nut, bent on killing, whereas, this was a silly picture, I had taken, while traveling in France. Using items from someone's attic, I created myself a persona of an elephant hunter from the late 19th century to early 20th century.
Have a nice day,
Georges
When you meet a longhair packing a rifle on a lonely road...
This is one instance when you don't photograph a longhair without permission.
Bill
Right on :)
However I don't mind having my picture taken, I have had my picture taken without permission on the metro in Montreal, I smiled, it was a couple of tourists from asia :)
Georges
It's gonna happen if you are unique enough. It's good to think beforehand about what you'll do. This is my experience as to what works best...
If they say nothing to you, just pretend they don't exist. Don't look at them, don't give them the pleasure of getting a photo enhanced with a smile or other expression that would give them a better photo.
If they do speak to you, keep conversation to a minimum. What they likely want is for you to look happy and perhaps for you to do something to set up the shot. If you look like a hippie, they really like peace signs. If you look like a biker, ask if they'd like you to be by or on your bike. Ken was "setting up his shot" when he asked one of the longhairs to take out his hair tie.
Don't talk too much. They inevitably have a simple-minded impression concerning you, and just about anything you say will shatter that - the proverbial "too much information".
Oh, and don't waste your time asking them to e-mail you a copy. This will be an awkward moment that spoils the spontaneity of the encounter, and you will very seldom get an e-mailed copy anyway.
As for the legalities, "right of privacy" is the main concern with photographing people. The major limits imposed by that are that the photo can't be used in any commercial way, and it can't be used to subject you to ridicule. Other than that, if you are in a public place, you are generally fair game. In other words, if you don't want to be photographed looking a certain way, then don't go out looking that way.
"Public place" and "private place" do not refer to the ownership of the property. They refer to one's reasonable expectation of privacy. A toilet room in a governmental building is thus a "private place" and the mall of a shopping center is thus a "public place", despite their ownership being public and private, respectively.
Bill