I am doing a 365 project with a theme of family because i really wanted to "get into" photography and my wife was having a baby this year. I have just had a discussion with people about the possible problems of posting photos of children online. I hadn't had any problems with this before but am now wondering what other people think. I had obviously given this thought but had come to the conclusion that this site felt a self place to share but i am not naive and know that it is still very much a public forum. I had decided that actually the risk of anything serious happening as a result was so minuscule that i wasn't going to let it change or affect my posting ( i post personal images and topics).
This is quite an emotive topic for me so please be nice but please let me know what you think.
The pictures you are posting are great George, really I wouldn't worry- or maybe I am naive? This site doesn't feel like Facebook and seems pretty safe to me too. :) I hope You're all getting on fine, I see loads of photos of kids here and can't see any risk.
@ingrid2101 thanks ingrid thats how i feel. The people i was talking too sacred me a little about people stalking you and not using names or places (both of which i have done!) In reality though these are not things that have bothered me as you are more likely to be hurt by the people you know than strangers! think i just read too much into it as am tired and emotional at moment!
You are right. This is a public forum and downloading, copy and pasting, and sharing the links, are all allowed. Some people are very adamant about not showing pictures of their kids, others don't seem to mind. There are creepy people in this world and maybe even on this site. There is no way to know what people will do with a picture. I've seen some posts from just a handful of people who have had issues but it's really the minority.
For what it's worth, the internet has opened doors that maybe should have never been open but it's done and we deal with the consequences as they come. I wish I had a better answer but you can browse through the pictures and see what others are posting. If you want to share them with the public, then you can do that here. If you only want to share them with family and friends, maybe FB would be a better choice or Flickr.
I think it is a personal choice ~ it is a sad world we live in where we cannot share / feel at risk of sharing personal photographs ... I post shots of my grandkids ... are their risks? not physically but as with any online community you can never be 100% risk free from 'weirdo's' ... what this risk is only you can decide ... I am happy to post my photos of the grandkids here and I hope you chose to continue to post yours
I take photos of my own kids and post them on here. I am well aware of the dangers of posting online so I do not put up photos with obvious locations and I make sure my kids are never nude or anything that could be used inappropraietly by other people. If other peoples kids are in my shots I do not post them unless I have permission.
I did wonder, you have a massive amount to be contending with- it's an emotional time for you, and you're right to put your children's safety first. It's hard for me to give a balanced opinion as we have such a low crime rate here and don't really worry the same. Take it easy :)
I have never had any issues with posting shots of my beautiful grand daughters, and have not thought twice about it, yes, there are weirdos on the internet, but are my grandchildren at risk? more than likely not... there are more weirdos in my local community that I would be more concerned about. It is a personal preference and you just have to do what your heart tells you..Good luck!
Hi George.
I post pictures of my children here. I don't use their names just their initials - not sure why guess I wanted a bit of anonymity for them, - and I'm a little careful what I post - e.g. I don't post pictures of them in the bath. The whole family really enjoys the project and likes choosing and looking at photos (ours and others). If they ever asked me not to include photos of them I would stop. Like you I think that any risks are minuscule, in fact I can't think of any, but I'm interested to see what others think.
Just in case you don't know. All these pictures can be googled. Just google your name and see what comes up. Even if you don't give information here, those pictures will be linked back to you. Something to think about.
I took all my kids photos off Facebook as like you George I was told some awful things and felt very unsafe and as if I was almost putting them in harms way. This site feels very different and I feel reassured that it is populated by like minded people who are simply here to enjoy the art of photography and share their talents and wonderful photos. I will post photos of my children but I am more wary of exactly what I post and also wouldnt put up any nude photos of them and will be careful about what info I share. However, that said I wouldn't worry too much. Your photos are lovely and a representation of what is important to you. Difficult times with a new baby and everything not being as straightforward as you would want; new job if I remember rightly also. Give yourself a break and enjoy your project as you have been doing. X
@andrina thank you. this is really not something that has caused me any issues before, and i have thought about it, but maybe things just getting on top of me a bit tonight. better go to bed!
@gwhit123
Children are such a blessing. I think its great you love your family enough to do that, its a real nice token . I think it would be a great keepsake to do a book off when you are done your year.
I do post pics of my kids occasionally but I don't post their full names, only initials, my full name doesn't appear anywhere (their surname is different to mine anyway) and I don't give specific locations for where they go to school or where we live. That said, I don't really worry too much about it. I think the risks are fairly small. It will be different when they are old enough to be posting their own stuff on Facebook etc. Social media that they get involved in will pose a bigger risk to them and managing that will be a matter of educating them about the dangers of putting too much information (and incriminating photos!) on the internet.
I think it stinks that we have to have this conversation, but the world is a scary place and anything online stays online. Sharing is a beautiful experience but it can also become a nightmare. I don't like that the minority ruin it for the majority. I'm with Terry, teach your children young not to share everything online, pity we have to be so cautious. I would be more worried about what your children do online.
I post pics of my son, but I dont do anything exposed or bathtub shots without coverage. I also limit how often I post him. As others have said above, I don't post his name or where we live. It's diffucult because I am so proud of my child and want to share but dont want to do anything that may harm him.
I've been posting photos of my kids and granddaughter on here for over two years with no trouble at all. The only people who actually visit this site are people who are doing their own projects, and I've never met anyone on here who made me feel leery or even the slightest bit nervous. 365 is much different from Facebook. It just feels like a really safe and nurturing community to me. I even post where I took the photos and have met up with several people from this project in person.
I photograph mostly landcapes, wildlife with some candid family photos every so often. At the end of year one, when I looked back over the whole year's photos, my favorites were the ones of my family. I was so glad to have those photos because honestly, I never would have taken them without this project. But I also feel it's important for you to follow your heart and do what is best for you. Good luck with your decision and with your family.
Hi again, George. I just stopped by your page to make sure I didn't give you bad advice and I think you are safe posting your family photos. I can't even tell what country you live in, let alone anything specific enough to be a worry. You have a beautiful family! Enjoy them and take lots of photos. You'll never be sorry you did.
Hi George, I've taken a look at your shots and I think it would be a shame not to share them. Your children are not identifiable in them and neither are you. I may be odd but I'm tired from bring politically correct and I believe that if we let our fear of oddballs govern our lives then we allow them to win.
@sugarmuser@terryvet92 yeah in the cold light of day im not overly worried. Felt a bit crappy last night. Totally agree its when they get older and using internet on own is more scary but good education and open communication is tbe way forward.
@cheribug thanks cheryl. I agree that actually the statastics always show its people you know that you need to be worried about. Happy thought isnt it! Thank you for taking the time to respond
I used to do some writing on a website and went through a bit of a quandry like this when I hit #6 most read. It was largely fiction but spattered with a few factual things, just the way I write. It occured to me that anyone reading that could figure out who and where I am, thanks to google maps they could find my house. Then I thought about it and it isn't very different from being a published writer, something about it being only online makes it feel different.
I have no conclusion, you have to do what makes you confortable but especially given the international nature of this site, well is anyone really going to book a flight from Rome to come stalk you?
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For what it's worth, the internet has opened doors that maybe should have never been open but it's done and we deal with the consequences as they come. I wish I had a better answer but you can browse through the pictures and see what others are posting. If you want to share them with the public, then you can do that here. If you only want to share them with family and friends, maybe FB would be a better choice or Flickr.
I take photos of my own kids and post them on here. I am well aware of the dangers of posting online so I do not put up photos with obvious locations and I make sure my kids are never nude or anything that could be used inappropraietly by other people. If other peoples kids are in my shots I do not post them unless I have permission.
I post pictures of my children here. I don't use their names just their initials - not sure why guess I wanted a bit of anonymity for them, - and I'm a little careful what I post - e.g. I don't post pictures of them in the bath. The whole family really enjoys the project and likes choosing and looking at photos (ours and others). If they ever asked me not to include photos of them I would stop. Like you I think that any risks are minuscule, in fact I can't think of any, but I'm interested to see what others think.
Children are such a blessing. I think its great you love your family enough to do that, its a real nice token . I think it would be a great keepsake to do a book off when you are done your year.
I photograph mostly landcapes, wildlife with some candid family photos every so often. At the end of year one, when I looked back over the whole year's photos, my favorites were the ones of my family. I was so glad to have those photos because honestly, I never would have taken them without this project. But I also feel it's important for you to follow your heart and do what is best for you. Good luck with your decision and with your family.
I have no conclusion, you have to do what makes you confortable but especially given the international nature of this site, well is anyone really going to book a flight from Rome to come stalk you?