What On Earth ?

[Lensmeister]

Well I have to share this with you all.
Sunday evening while my wife was in the local store getting some food, I retrieved my camera from the boot of my car and then started taking some night photos, light trails etc. As I was reviewing I git a tap on the window and there next to my car was the police. He asked me to wind down the window, and asked what I was doing. Taking photos was the acruate reply. He asked me of what to which I replied anything. He asked for some ID so I gave him my driving liesence, he said he was going to check me out. and promptly reversed behind my car.

Now. If I was by a school, or a miltary building or something like a police station I could understand this.

He returned and said all was ok. He apparently is part of the Anit Terrorist squad. He said that I didn't fit the profile of a terrorist (what does one look like?) but was suspicious why someone had a caera poking out of the car. I might like to add here I had my two children in the backseat.

So all was well and off I went.

This now makes me pretty concerned about the situation.

Will anyone with a camera be challenged taking photos in the street ?

Without sounding racist what does the profile of a terrorist mean ?

Will tourists in central London be stopped by police photographing Downing Street ?

Well another story in the life of the Lensmeister.

[shannonl]

that has happend to me allso.i was set up in a downtown area when a cop pulled over got out of the car and asked wat i was doing .told him i was takeing photos. he grabbd my tripod (i was shooting a 8x10 view camera)pulled it to him and asked for my id. he checked it and it was fine. i asked wat was going on and why he moved my setup.(took me allong time to set that shot up compleet with tilts and a shift on the camers). he said thay have to check evryone that looks suspicuss or have a suspecus device. i guess my 8x10 view camera looks like a device. annyway he looked inside the bellows and then said sorry for ruining my shot. he was nice about it but in the time we were talking i missed the lighting so i moved on.

[rommelvon]

This has happened to me also, I was taking some photo's on the river here a bit back, I had my German Shepherd with me, as I was focusing on a blue heron, my dog started growling, and up from the woods came 2 fully armed counter terrorism guys, they asked what I was doing on the river, I replied taking pictures, now granted there is a military ocean ammo depot across the river, but I was on state land and there are no signs saying no trespassing, they were very nice abut the whole deal, and I didn't argue since they had fully loaded m4 carbines, I guess paranoid is the way of the world these days.

[Mark Feldstein]

Don't get caught taking photographs of things like the Golden Gate Bridge or BART rapid transit trains here in San Francisco. And whatever you do, DON'T use a tripod because that makes the cops assume you must be a professional terrorist as opposed to an amateur one that does blurred photos, I guess.
Take it light.
Mark

[rommelvon]

lmao...yea, I hear the terrorist love manfrottos

[johndoug]

After I took this I was told the police would be waiting for me at the next stop.

I never did see the cops at the next stop. (it was 2:30am) and freezing

After watching me take 10 or so like this from all around the memorial I was told "NO TRIPODS"

Taken after midnight with not to many people around

[JohnC]

"No Tripod" rule is pretty standard in any city. You need a permit and proof of liability insurance if you set up a tripod in many (most?) places.

[rommelvon]

Yea, if I'm in town shooting, I usually carry my monopod, but if I have to have a tripod I'll carry one, I actually was told "no photography" at the Airport here a few weeks back, and I can understand to a point about security, but some things are just outta hand

[Colby]

Hi Mark--Welcome to the Camel. Now what about all that great advice you gave me recently about best places to shoot the Golden Gate Bridge, didn’t realize you were turning me into a potential terrorist. Thanks again, I had a great trip.
See you in your pictures
Colby

[ItalianBostonian]

This happend to me also. I was in a park overlooking the Boston Habor and a Massport Cop (they are in control of Logan Airport and all the land around it) came up to me and asked if the pictures I was taking are for my personal use, I said yes and he said ok and left me alone.

[Sidebyte]

Well fellow Camel's, in light of the continued bombings of railway stations, etc. in many cities in Europe, 9/11 in the U.S., continual bombings where I live in Colombia, you had better get used to the survaillance and checks by authorities. I get checked often here but just shrug it off. If you in fact are doing nothing illegal, you have nothing to fear from the authorities. I'm more than willing to give up a few supposed liberties to be saved from getting mi arse blown off by some maniac.

[Jose]

The rule of no tripods is ridiculous; does this mean that surveyors are also prohibited for using them?

[JohnC]

Not if they have a permit and liability insurance.

[Jose]

Most of us have some kind of liability insurance thru the home insurance umbrella and there are no requirements in most states to have a permit to exercise a profession other than paying for a general business license (not for the use of a tripod. The point is that we photographers (amateurs or professsionals) are more seen at as another source of revenue. It just like going to a public museum and being charged for taking pictures (tripod or not tripod). Enjoy your photographic freedoms while they last...

[JohnC]

New York City has required a free permit for as long back as I can remember (mid 70s at least, probably earlier) for setting up lights and/or tripods on the street. This isn't anything new.

[Lensmeister]

Maybe we should get a sticky Thread (or a downloadable pdf) together listing all the places/cities/rules/events that REQUIRED a permit and how to go about getting one.

Just a thought.

[peterst6906]

A couple of useful links for those in the US:

http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm (a good one to print and carry in your bag)
http://www.photopermit.org/ (a bit of discussion)
http://www.photoattorney.com/ (more professional info and even a book you can buy)

In Oz (well NSW to be precise, but the info should apply to the rest of the country, except maybe Queensland because everyone is weird up there):
http://4020.net/words/photorights.shtml

In the UK:
http://www.sirimo.co.uk/ukpr.php

Regards,

Peter

[SidinUSA]

Most interesting. Many thanks for bringing it up.

[karaya]

After 9/11, here in the States there were gobs of reports of photographers being hounded by police and security when seen using a camera for a building photo. You almost ran the risk of a full cavity search if you pulled out your camera! Many were told of "new laws" or Homeland Security regulations that prevented such photography, which for the record is completely false. There are absolutely no regulations from Homeland Security or new laws that prevent photography of publicly visible buildings.

However, the hysteria seems to have settled down in the last couple of years and my research has shown a decline in such reports.

It's interesting read the examples here whereby photographers using very conspicuous cameras are "suspect". Wouldn't seem logical that a terrorist would try to be less conspicuous... like a camera phone?

Ray