Funny thing happened to me while shooting...

[Angus]

The fact is in the UK you have the right to photograph, film or videotape anything that happens in a public place.

Provided you aren't causing a nuisance, or doing/planning anything illegel such as a terrorist activity.

I'd guess the over-zealous PC was thinking you were some pro or anit hunt personage.

As for the Concorde incident, that is totally out of order.

Last time I got into an argument with a policeman I whipped out a large SLR and photographed him giving me the finger...then I asked him his number and he quickly changed his attitude.

[matt5791]

Hi, sorry to hear your unfortunate clash with the law, i too got challenge 3wks ago in oxford st, luckily he was a little more knowlegable. My worst ever case was last year, hired 300mm lens for my arri 16st, concorde taking off, orange sunset, location was heathrow parimeter fence, loads of people there, only me with a larger camera. Concorde steaming down the runway and suddenly a blurry object in front of the lens. Yes despite 100-200 people with cameras/video cameras, airport police decided i was a threat, and stop me from filming by putting his hand in front of the lens just as concorde was coming at me. No one could beleive it, as soon as concorde disappeared so did the police. My only regret, not taking his number, but i was still picking my jaw up from the floor. The bloke was a complete ***********. Still have the shot, too painfull to watch though, still makes my blood boil.

This has really distressed me.

Matt

[leighp]

Paul,,

I was in the cadets in my Youth nd whilst at an airbase for a week we were briefed not to photo or talk about a Nimrod aircraft at the base, All hush hush.

The same Nimrod was on the main TV news the week later ... go figure.

I was also at RAF Bruggen in Germany for a week. They have some 'known' spys camping out at the end of the runway (outside the fence). There was nout they could do about them,. but we were still not allowed to photo certain things.

I think the airforce people that get uptight about this sort of thing forget that teh planes do leave the base quite visibly very often

All mad I tell ya....

[matt5791]

I remember driving past this MOD base and on the perimeter fence there was a sighn saying "No photography, filming or Sketching"

I love the sketching bit

Matt

[Section8]

I have read this thread with some interest. I have been out of the photo hobby for many years and am just now starting to get re-aquainted with it.

Your experences are interesting(?) because there are a lot of situations that we put ourselves into to get a shot. We do not think we might look very suspicious to law enforcement personnel, particularly nowadays.

I guess the only thing I would say about this is - if you are going to challege the police, no matter whether you feel your in the right or not, no matter if some lawyer or civil rights group or your own constitution SAYS you are right - be prepared for things to get ugly.

The world has certainly changed - like it or not and the people in authority have one thing that you do not have - the law is on their side.

Mike

[gianni1]

I see the problem: Standing in the middle of the Parliament Street, you got off lightly!

..... So i went into middle of Parliament Street and started to shoot.... ...8<... ......Now he started to get totally enought from me. He looked his pal on the side of the road (we where still in middle of the street) then he looked me and said get away from here RIGHT NOW...
.....

In London it's an offence to block the steet without a permit. It's also an offence to use a tripod! If you film someone hand held (your talent) and an assistant with outstretched hand says "please wait a second while we get the shoot", that's obstruction, breach of the peace, public disorder, etc.. and you'll get arrested.

Amateur Photographer, a few issues back, reported on a 70 year old snapper who got arrested, thrown into the slammer for 4 hours and confiscated his film. Prevented from making a phone call, inspectors went to his house, surprised his wife by searching their home and computer for photos and files of naked kids. Sombody reported him for pointing the camera at kids playing in the fountain at Trafalgar Square, and was accused of being a pedaeophile.

Gianni

[Angus]

There's no doubt that the authorities and the general public are more hysterical about photography than in the past....just try practicing "street photography"....as you say, photograph kids and you're instantly assumed to be a paedophile. These days if you take out a decent camera in the street people instantly want to know what you're up to.

Of course obstructing people is going to be an offense, and yes anything that puts people at any inconvenience (such as you describe) is technically causing an obstruction. The tripod is only illegal if it's in people's way...obviously on most central London streets it would be because they're so damned busy.

Oddly enough I've found aircraft (civil, not military) to be some of the easiest things to film. I've been open about what I am doing which probably helps...but I have filmed during flight, on the tarmac from the outside of the plane getting close-ups, pretty much anywhere apart from the security sections of the airport which have always been no-photo areas.

Mind you....the fact that I'm 6'4 tall and built like the proverbial outhouse might have something to do with the fact that nobody challanges me.

[Juno]

They just have no clue that people are using these cameras in this day and age.

[Juno]

i'd turn into an even worse asshole too i'm sure

But of course you would!

[ericMartinJarvies]

ignorance. common sense and enforcement of a law is not something that is taught to policemen. in fact, the entire hiring/screening proces through to the training and implimentation process of said law enforement officials is downright sloppy and almost non existant. TEACHING people is something that has dwindled out of the protective work ethic. now it is a question of imposing punishment at just the thought of something considered in violation of the law.

presidents and leaders in policed nations lie to their citizens and instill fear and doubt, as to propogate hatrid against the in fashion enemy of the time/administration. after all, money has already been conquered, and so it is merely a question of volume at that point, thus power becomes the real motivation and rule for which various mongrals manuveur and position themselves so that they maintain more and more of it, one day hoping to have it all. pointing fingers and casting judgement upon those who think and act differantly then what is currently considered acceptable or in vogue.

but the only people to blame for poor policed nations are those people living in them, assuming we are talking of one's that are supposedly of democratic form. for i am just one person, what differance can i make? the system will continue being the system no matter what i do. this is the mindset of most human beings, becuase it is much easier to maintain a position wherein one can blame the system, instead of being held personally accountable for it. to stand for what is right will cost a human being every last cent, and will further indebt him to the very sociaty for which he defends or challanges. this is the cycle or the rut that stagnates a person's desire to go out and make change upon a system, it is the very end to what was only imagined as a beginning/solution.

so pick up that super8 camera and shoot some happening now/today, becuase one day, at the rate things are going, that will no longer be possible, and such films will only serve as reference and testiment to how things once were ... or rather, how things had started to become.

eric

[astro_tiki]

For those of us in the States, the "Photographer's Right" guide is a good resource to fall back on when confronted by security or law enforcement while filming. It was written by an intellectual property lawyer here in Portland:

Your Rights and Remedies When Stopped or Confronted for Photography
http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

I've found that if you challenge security guards when they ask you to stop filming, they'll always back off and leave you alone. The most important thing is to never surrender your film and/or camera. They're your private property and if law enforcement wants it, they'll need to get a warrant.

Ned
Portland, OR