----- Original Message -----
From: "Galen A Grimes" <gag5@xxxxxxx>
To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students"
<photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 8:36 AM
Subject: Upcoming Trip
I'm planning a trip to London in April and I was wondering if anyone can
give me both 1) possible warnings about wandering around London snapping
photos of everything I see, and 2) any suggestions on things to photograph
outside of the usual (i.e., Buckingham Palace, etc.).
The first is so that I don't accidentally make the same mistake I made 2
years ago in Italy when I tried to photograph what I thought was an unusual
scene of a police officer on a Segway. The rather irate officer came over
and, in a steady stream of what seemed like Italian expletives, made me
delete the photo of him. Does anyone know of anything in London that I am
not supposed to photograph?
Also, I may also have a chance to take the train into Paris for the day so
the same request is made for the City of Lights.
http://photographernotaterrorist.org/
http://www.met.police.uk/about/photography.htm
Photography and Section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 :
Officers have the power to stop and search a person who they reasonably
suspect to be a terrorist. ...Officers have the power to view digital images
contained in mobile telephones or cameras carried by a person searched under
S43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to discover whether the images constitute
evidence that the person is involved in terrorism. Officers also have the
power to seize and retain any article found during the search which the
officer reasonably suspects may constitute evidence that the person is a
terrorist. This includes any mobile telephone or camera containing such
evidence
I can relate a story a past aquaintance of mine told me, where he - disabled
and on a crutch - described how while photographing old buildings and
architecture he found himself face down on the street with police yelling at
him before taking his camera and lugging him off to a call for a number of
hours. Eventually he was interviewed and they offered to release him minus
the photos on his camera.. or he could make a complaint. As he was due to
leave the country the next day he was advised that under some section of the
act, by making a complaint he could be held for a further 72 hours while the
complaint was investigated...
He declined the option to complain and left London sore and more than a
little angry.. I believe it was some nosy individual who reported him to
police for being suspicious (ie, standing still taking pictures)
What rights one may have and how these rights pan out under the
circumstances one may find themselves in may be quite different.
I have no personal experience with photography in the UK but here in Oz I
make a point of carrying information brochures about the laws and
regulations regarding photography in public and of children, another
near-tabboo scenario - just in the off chance I face an irate, self
righteous clown (whether a private individual or a security officer of some
sort) who thinks I should be locked up for having a camera. I've been
subjected to harassment in the past and sometimes it comes out of nowhere -
the people who anoint themselves guardians of society seem to think
badgering and harassing people is a perfectly acceptable way of dealing with
whatever they don't like ... like those people who feel it their moral
obligation to position their car in front of anyone who may be speeding 'to
slow them down' .
From what I hear it's enough of an issue in the UK to make one at least a
little wary, but I guess if you are aware enough of how you may be perceived
by those around you, you can modify your behaviour to ensure there's no
mistake you are a touring photographer there to make pretty pictures of what
you see.
(wanders up to security guard outside the local post office .. "hi there,
I'm a visiting photographer from Normalsville and I saw this beautiful
building and I'm going to take some pictures of it for an exhibition of my
travells but I was reading in this publication from The Met that there's
some issues with photographing certain buildings.. is this a millitary
installation? 'cause I don't want to break the law or anything by
photographing an embassy or anything security related.. it's just a post
office, right? oh great! I was going to do a long exposure so people go
all streaky and ghost like, here.. like this picture on my phone I took
while I was in New York.. it's all artsy and such, but people buy those
sorts of things.. just to explain why i'll be setting up a tripod. I'll be
out of your hair soon enough, you have a great day "
furtive photographers slinking about will be more of a target than friendly
people who introduce themselves and let people know what they're doing.
