Update on photography in public places

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...hotographers-and-antiterror-laws-1834626.html

 

Will be interesting to see if the situation improves now.

 

Maybe we should print it out and carry it with us at all times - like an Identity Card!

 

You are assuming that some of these numpties can read.

 

I think I might carry a copy just in case. I try not to video on stations anyway, but there are the odd occasions.......

FC

 

Back in the summer I run into two of the problems concerning street photographic, firstly I was on waterloo bridge taken Pic,s with my Bronica beast, and like I fool decided to use my tripod, well thats open game in the minds of the Cosssy, two arrived and informed me that it was against he law to take pictures of the bridge...Hmmmm
when i said I was not taken pictures of the bridge, but of the river traffic, I was further imformed that was also against the law. So I asked what law was that?
Lots of Hmmm and arrring and low and behold they qouted section 44. then much to the horror out of my bag come the docement which detailed all the info about section 43 and 44 which can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/publications/home-office-circulars/circulars-2009/012-2009/
Having been buggered on that one, they then decided my tripod was an obstruction.

The second event was I was in the high street taken Pic, of the guildhall clock etc, when this women started screaming at me, shouting I was a pervert, taken pic of her kids, luckly I was using my Digial camera, and offered to show her what I had taken, but she had lost it big time, and i was dying to take a life shot of her, but was not brave enough, but luckly two nice police women come to my rescue, checked out the pics I had on the camera, they tried to explain to the lady that I had not taken pic of her kids.. but she would have none of it, indeed was making a complete pratt of herself much to the admusment to the bystanders that had gathered. As a society, I really think we are being beaten into a sick society by the power of the media.

 

I think I'd have been tempted to tell the woman that I only photograph things of beauty, and that her kids didn't fall into that category.

 

British hysteria about everyone being a terrorist or a paedophile, or both, until proved otherwise has reawoken my interest in going to Europe with my camera, whenever I get the opportunity.

Viva Ryan Air - they have made it possible to get away from this silliness! But now Brown wants to stop cheap air fares in the name of stopping global warming - as much chance of that as King Knut had of stopping the tide from coming in! Like most Danes, he was a sensible guy just showing that there were limits to government power. Our government needs to relearn that lesson.

Sorry if this is too OT.

John

 

There are a number of places where photography is prohibited which I have found out. A lot of the land around Canary Wharf and Docklands in London is Privately Owned and so you need a permit to take photos. Have been approached by security and asked to leave but a permit is available (this was a few years ago). The other place I found was near Chelsea Harbour next to Battersea Rail Bridge. On the East side of the bridge is private land even though it is part of the Thames Path (I think) and I was sent away from there by security.. even through I was not taking photos of the Building or Harbour, just the bridge. It is funny how you can take a few steps off their land and take a photo of their building and its ok. I am sure they do it on purpose to train photographers. I have also been stopped by police for standing with my camera on a footpath (waiting for a train to pass), checked my details to make sure I was not a terrorist! I must of looked guilty or something!

 

Well there is revolt against the problem we recently had a mobflash outside of Scotland yard, which caused some bemusement to the police as every one was just strolling around taking pictures of anything and everything, which is our right, then there was a flashmob at canary wharf and surrounds, which totally confused the security, as they did not know what to do.

The latest worring trend is that National trust are claiming copyright and intellectual rights to all images of propety and land owned by them, if the picture is taken on there land or propety, however if taken from the highway, including bridleways and footpaths. of course that a public place so they are stuffed.

http://photographernotaterrorist.org/ is the website which is arranging the Mobflashes.

Remember the problem might well come to a railway near to you, as only last year they were trying to ban train spotters from the Platforms at railway stations.

 

All I have to say to that is.....yay

Remember the problem might well come to a railway near to you, as only last year they were trying to ban train spotters from the Platforms at railway stations.

Would they rather we trespassed onto the trackbed then?

 

I think they would rather you did not trespass anywhere on railway property..........

I always ask the staff on duty if I can take pictures and on two occasions have had the security man standing alongside me with his camera!

 

Firstly, that's because much of the London docklands were stolen from the public and handed over to the London Docklands Development Corporation by Thatcher's government in 1981. There were many protests at the time as the LDDC was given wide-ranging powers with no democratic control. When the LDDC was gradually wound up, control was handed to the developers or to those who occupied the land. This was despite assurances being given that at the end of the development programme the rights of the local authorities would be reinstated.

Secondly, in contemporary Britain if you labour under the misapprehension that the police are the servants of the people, you are a terrorist. Don't you realise that you are supposed to do what you are told by every little idiot that happens to wear a uniform?

Merry Christmas
Alan

 

Steve Bell cartoons in the Guardian this week:




to be continued ...

Richard

 

Nice one, just about sums these idiots up and the Government expect us to give them public support

 

Cartoons from the Guardian; that's your credibility down to zero with 90% of this forum's members!

 

Today's cartoon:


Why is the train going "Boggler, boggler"?
Here are some suggestions.

Richard

 

I think Steve Bell has done a brilliant job. He's made people laugh and got across the idea that various police powers have been used without consideration.

Whatever you say the Guardian is read by media, government and industry leaders. Or at least extracts are taken for management or ministerial briefing packs. I wouldn't mind betting that these cartoons have got the problem into ministerial attention much more than articles in enthusiast magazines or on any discussion forum.

Regards, Neil

PS Big brother isn't watching you, he got bored and is watching some dodgy pay to view tv channel .....

 

I daresay that civil liberty groups like Liberty / NCCL have had a boost to recruitment because of this government's authoritarian attitude. I've certainly got a bit more prickly in recent years!

Probably now on Big Brother's suspect list!

John

 

I'm sure that we are all on the Big Brother/GCHQ list for contributing - or even reading this thread.

Such is New Labour