How to deal with Police when out photographing (& Photographers Rights)

[Mark L]

Next time I'll point out they should have had a sign.

At the very least they should have got you to sign a release form since they're making money from the photos of you.
And it's not even the police doing this any more. Bloody privatisation.

[Hamster]

At the very least they should have got you to sign a release form since they're making money from the photos of you.
And it's not even the police doing this any more. Bloody privatisation.

Good point! Although I may have to switch to an open face helmet to have a go at that one.

[Kym]

Here we go agian... In the UK

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03...r_public_road/

[bobt]

Here we go agian... In the UK

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03...r_public_road/

Small minded prats ....... give a man a uniform or "authority" and they instantly regress into power mad Richard Craniums.

I went into a shopping complex last week to photograph a really interesting display by the door. First I took photos from the doorway and no-one minded. The moment I crossed the threshold a guard told me I couldn't take photos. I stepped back one pace, and all was well with him. Idiot.

[ameerat42]

You should have said the magic words to him, Bob:
"Mumbo-Jumbo".

That usually goes down well - with a little explanatory preface like:
"Ah whadda lodda..."

A bit of arm-waving helps carry the meaning across, too.

[spootz01]

I went into a shopping complex last week to photograph a really interesting display by the door. First I took photos from the doorway and no-one minded. The moment I crossed the threshold a guard told me I couldn't take photos. I stepped back one pace, and all was well with him. Idiot.

As much as I hate to I must play devils advocate in this case. The security guard is 100% correct. Outside of the shopping centre is public property and no one can tell you not to take photos. Inside the shopping centre is private property and therefore ownership (the security guard by extension) can reserve the right to prohibit photography as has happened here.

[I @ M]

As much as I hate to I must play devils advocate in this case. The security guard is 100% correct. Outside of the shopping centre is public property and no one can tell you not to take photos. Inside the shopping centre is private property and therefore ownership (the security guard by extension) can reserve the right to prohibit photography as has happened here.

Without us knowing the full property boundaries of the mentioned shopping centre it is a little ill advised to say that anyone is 100% correct in this particular situation.
We even have a forum rule covering legal advice ------

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[bobt]

As much as I hate to I must play devils advocate in this case. The security guard is 100% correct. Outside of the shopping centre is public property and no one can tell you not to take photos. Inside the shopping centre is private property and therefore ownership (the security guard by extension) can reserve the right to prohibit photography as has happened here.

Yeah ... I know he was legally right, but the common sense approach just wasn't happening. The difference of a couple of inches might be within his realm to police, but considering I bridged more than that gap with a turn of the lens made it a pretty ridiculous distinction. There was another guard there as well, and even he commented to the first guy that he was being a tad picky!

As it happened, there were two identical displays - one at either end of the mall. So I took a couple of shots from one end, and then walked down to the other end where the guards were elsewhere engaged.

Sometimes common sense takes a holiday I think ......

Anyway ... I got the shot i wanted - nothing spectacular - just something that I rather liked when I saw it.

small_IMG_6866.jpg

[Cricket]

I think a great number of photographers been accosted by Security Guards in the name of National Security. I was taking this photograph of the Caltex Oil Refinery at Lytton, Port of Brisbane for some images for industrial and I got accosted by the security guard there telling me I was not permitted to take photographs of the refinery even though I too was on a public road which ran to the car park for the Fort Lytton National Park. I was nowhere near the restricted area, was a good 200mtrs away. He ran the length of the road to accost me and I thought he was going to have a heart attack. I managed to keep my photos but the guy did make me feel like a terrorist and was quite aggressive. I think we all need to understand that we have given up a lot of our freedoms for knee jerk reactions under the guise of National Security. BTW I am a grey haired old grannie and really look like a terrorist ................NOT

security guard.jpg

[bobt]

I am a grey haired old grannie and really look like a terrorist ................NOT

Ahhhhh ... never underestimate the fear we grey haired terrorist look-alikes instill in the young. I too have been looked upon not simply as a terrorist but as a potential child molester and general purpose criminal!

They take one look at us and think "This person has clearly reached their use-by date and is likely to blow themselves up in one final act of desperation, and why not - if we looked that old we would also lose the will to live!"

We old, grey haired people are also dangerous because we are so invisible. No-one notices us, so we are well equipped to sneak into oil refineries and blow things up.

[arthurking83]

Small minded prats ....... give a man a uniform or "authority" and they instantly regress into power mad Richard Craniums.

I went into a shopping complex last week to photograph a really interesting display by the door. First I took photos from the doorway and no-one minded. The moment I crossed the threshold a guard told me I couldn't take photos. I stepped back one pace, and all was well with him. Idiot.

And almost certainly(with ~101% confidence) 1000 other patrons were happily snapping away with their iPhones and he was oblivious to this fact!

999 of them were the actual terrorists scoping out the place .. but the important point was that he stopped you taking photos of mannequins and did his job properly!


Guards remind me of an old 90's musical band ... can't really remember their name all that well(grey hair y'know!) .. maybe Simple Minds



♫ Slow change may pull us apart
When the light gets into your heart, baby

Don't you, forget about me
Don't, don't, don't, don't
Don't you, forget about me ♫

[ricktas]

As much as I hate to I must play devils advocate in this case. The security guard is 100% correct. Outside of the shopping centre is public property and no one can tell you not to take photos. Inside the shopping centre is private property and therefore ownership (the security guard by extension) can reserve the right to prohibit photography as has happened here.

Not entirely correct. Outdoor land can be privately owned. Even some roads and footpaths are private property. You need to know you are standing on public land when you take your photo.

[I @ M]

I've been known to terrorize a few subjects yet I don't have grey hair. Actually, I don't have any hair so maybe that is the problem.

[The dingo]

I've only ever come across a few situations where I need to advocate for my own rights or explain the law or defend myself.
Security guards are under-trained and, once in uniform, they want to tell everyone what to do.
I am almost always polite until they want to tell me what they will do or what they want me to do. Then I hand them a copy of the Arts-Law Society print-out on The Rights of the Street Photographer.

I respect the police for doing their job. What concerns me is that suspicion and complaint come before rights. Unless there is a distinct suspicion of an offence I WILL HAPPILY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING THEY ASK OF ME.

Usually, the police come to their senses when they know they are faced with a person who is knowledgeable and forthright.

I am a firm believer that we are given laws to follow. I do that with the utmost integrity and care.

I also expect that others will support me in following the laws of the land.

The first assumption is that I am following the law. Thats the starting point. I am innocent until a crime has been committed and I am proven guilty in a court of law, not in a public place because someone didn't like what I was doing and is ignorant of the laws surrounding my activity. It would be far better for the police to approach the complainant and explain that I am within my rights to do what I am doing.

Thought crime is not yet enforceable. 1984 has well passed.

In other countries, this principle doesn't necessarily apply. Treat carefully in any communist or arab country, any part of south-east Asia, most of the US, Tesco's Car Park and at Stockport railway station. Its not the law you need to concern yourself with; its the drunks.

Only this very day did I have a bloke let his dog shit on my front lawn and refuse to clean it up. I took a photo and told him I would report him to the council. He told me I had no right to take his picture. Yeah, right!

[The dingo]

I am reminded of a situation when I was taking pictures of my grand daughter playing in a fountain in a public space. My wife was with me also taking pictures. There were other children in the area.
A bloke sided up to me and told me I had to stop taking pictures of his kids. I explained to him what I was doing but he insisted on looking at the shots. I refused and told him of my rights. He wouldn't have a bar of it and began getting aggressive.
The amusing thing was that my wife was continuing to take shots while I got harrassed by the irate parent. She had a smile on her face, knowing I was getting the brunt of it.

When I pointed this out the aggressor, he calmly said "she's a woman. "she's not going to perv on my kids like you are". At that point, my wife burst into laughter and screamed out.
"Get the pervert out of here", pointing at me.

Such is the life of a bloke with a camera.

[ameerat42]

What amazes me is that such whackoes can speak
I mean, it fell apart with "She's a woman..."

[Plays With Light]

I am almost always polite until they want to tell me what they will do or what they want me to do. Then I hand them a copy of the Arts-Law Society print-out on The Rights of the Street Photographer.

Thanks for mentioning this, Tom, I just downloaded a copy to my phone and have it already scrolled down to the part about photographing buildings so I can show it quickly, as that's what I get pestered about from time to time by security guards. Must be the shaved head and facial piercings that draws attention to me, dunno why!

It's located here if others want a copy too.

[The dingo]

Thanks for mentioning this, Tom, I just downloaded a copy to my phone and have it already scrolled down to the part about photographing buildings so I can show it quickly, as that's what I get pestered about from time to time by security guards. Must be the shaved head and facial piercings that draws attention to me, dunno why!

It's located here if others want a copy too.

My pleasure Alex. My appearance has had the boot heads following me from time to time. Most days I look like a drug runner or a pimp, depending on my mood. I walk with a stick for support. When a kid asks me what the stick is for I tell them it's for beating up small children who ask me questions. And all this is done without a single piercing, tattoo or shaved head.

[Hamster]

Only this very day did I have a bloke let his dog shit on my front lawn and refuse to clean it up. I took a photo and told him I would report him to the council. He told me I had no right to take his picture. Yeah, right!

I take it you've got his name and address and can provide that to the council too, plus evidence it was his dog that did it in photo form....etc etc. Can see that getting you very far.

Now if you had a handy bag you could pick up the shit yourself. Once it is contained in your hand it's your choice whether you fold the bag over the shit, and place the whole thing in the bin.....or ask said dog owner if he would like to consider changing his opinion on clearing up after his dog, while holding said shit in a "custard pie flinging" kind of stance. Be prepared for this to degenerate rapidly.

[The dingo]

I take it you've got his name and address and can provide that to the council too, plus evidence it was his dog that did it in photo form....etc etc. Can see that getting you very far.

Now if you had a handy bag you could pick up the shit yourself. Once it is contained in your hand it's your choice whether you fold the bag over the shit, and place the whole thing in the bin.....or ask said dog owner if he would like to consider changing his opinion on clearing up after his dog, while holding said shit in a "custard pie flinging" kind of stance. Be prepared for this to degenerate rapidly.

Gee, hamster, you're expecting a bit from me. I don't do dog doo. It gets hosed off and into the street drain. hat's a close as I get.

I also confronted him with my 'dog defender' stick. I've had it for 10 years and it is well used. Some blood stains add character.

Personally, I don't get dogs at all. Why anyone would have such a critter in their possession utterly dumbfounds me. The whole dog/human relationship is bazaar. I'd get it more if we ate them. Companionship? What's that about? Isn't that what other humans are for? Protection? From what? Other dogs? No! 12000 incidents of dog bites in 2016 should tell us something. They don't like us.
Get a goldfish. They won't remember you from day to day and you don't need to take them for a walk so they can shit on my lawn or bark at my window at 3am.