I love your point about being motivated by compassion. I think that's my problem with [the photographer]'s attidude - some people can be really proprietary. Just having a camera and the law at your disposal doesn't mean you should take whatever photos you want.

And: some people don't say NO to being photographed, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're okay with it - they just might not be okay with saying no. It makes me think of vito_excalibur's post about hugging, and how my reaction was basically, "Okay, I'm going to screw up and hug people because that's my nature. My job is to try and read body language better, but also to be the kind of person that it's okay to say no to."

Going with your gut - reading people, getting out of your head and into someone else's, being compassionate - that's the real trick to so many of these interactions. It's a difficult skill for people to acquire, and it's one that always develops.