Pixtus - Photography Forum, Photographers, Photo Tips

Magician · **The War on Photography -** 07-27-2009, 07:22 PM

Have you been hassled, harassed or confronted by law enforcement officials or security personnel for photographing in a public place? Have you been prohibited from photographing in a public place? Have law enforcement officials confiscated your camera or memory card?

If so, please e-mail the details to Gordon Haire at grayhaire@yahoo.com. I am compiling as much information as possible for a freelance feature story on Photographers and The Post 9/11 Police State Mentality.

johnastovall · 07-27-2009, 08:21 PM

Nope, but I know all the cops in my small town, along with other levels of law enforcement. I go walking out at 4am shooting and it's never a problem.

JohnT · 07-27-2009, 08:55 PM

Same here. I shoot all over the place and have never run into a hassle. I guess I look harmless.

Imagebuffet · 07-27-2009, 09:24 PM

I have. My hands hurt too much from typing to detail right now, but I've described the encounter, before.

C!LLY · 07-27-2009, 09:42 PM

I did when I was on a high school trip to Tampa, but that was in 98. Apparently a 5'3", 115lb high school girl with a camera, in down town Tampa is suspicious enough to harrass and threaten to arrest for taking pics of a friend in front of the Court House.

DEMDeepEllumMusic · 07-27-2009, 10:27 PM

THis topic has been covered many times on the forumn, mostly in the PJ section but some in the open.

texkam · 07-27-2009, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Tampa is suspicious enough to harrass and threaten to arrest for taking pics of a friend in front of the Court House.

In Marfa TX they let you shoot outside the Court House, inside the Court House, even in the courtroom. :)

Magician · 01:52 AM

http://carlosmiller.com/2009/07/28/t...-against-them/

Imagebuffet · 07-28-2009, 02:43 AM

My only run-in with police regarding my photography (that I recall right now) came about 5 years ago (I could look up the date more precisely). I walked from my apartment to the post office, about a 1/2 mile. When I got to the post office and completed my business, I decided to shoot a panorama of a vacant field that was next to the post office. I stood on a small mound of dirt that was above the sidewalk and shot my photos of the vacant field. I noticed a man in a pickup truck in a driveway on the other side of the field stop and regard me for a few seconds before driving away.

I walked back towards my apartment, but when I came close, I was approached by a police cruiser. He was driving slowly, but we were in a school zone, so I expected that he would drive slowly. Then, he stopped his vehicle near me, got out of the vehicle and called to me to stop. I did, and he said that someone had made a complaint that I was photographing the bank building on the corner. He asked me if I had done so. I had to think carefully for several seconds before I remembered that there is a bank located on the other side of that vacant field, and it probably was visible in a few frames.

We had more discussion, but my hands hurt to type. He asked me if I lived in the area. I pointed to the buildings that were about 100 feet ahead of my path.

The officer asked for my ID. I just happened to have my wallet with my driver's license in it. He took my driver's license and told me to stay there. I watched him read my license over his radio. After waiting for a while, another police cruiser arrived and stopped by us. Traffic slowly passed us.

Eventually, the officer returned my license to me, and I continued walking to my apartment.

Murph · 06:37 AM

O-Kay! If I stop you, I AM going to ask for ID. How else can I tell to whom I am really speaking? Plus you might be a wanted person. Plus I have to report any contact, and tell dispatch who I am out with for safety reasons. Okay, some cops have gotten over zealous, but be polite, be polite, be polite. DO NOT BE AN @SSHOLE. Most cops have stopped you because SOMEONE ELSE COMPLAINED. When a complaint comes in, WE HAVE TO AT LEAST RESPOND TO IT. SO chill out. I get so tired of "Its the cops fault", walk a mile in their shoes, and see how you look at things. And, to paraphrase Paul Harvey: "Get the REST of the story" before you jump to conclusions. The article you posted was IMHO just yellow journalism, no better than that posted by the National Enquirer or other tabloid.

And furthermore I have been stopped by THE COPS for taking photos out on a back country road. I think they called for the ugly guy with the really day-glo neon white legs, not the camera. Answer the questions politely, don't be confrontational, and for Pete's sake, don't start screaming about your "RIGHTS TO PHOTOGRAPH! IT'S A FREE *@#$& COUNTRY, AND YOU ARE HARRASSING ME!!!!!!!" At that point I can almost 100% guarantee you that the discussion will start to go down hill. How do you know WHY the cop was dispatched? DO you know the burglary rate, or crime rate of the area you are in at the time?

Sure all cops are not saints, nice people, understanding of photographers rights, but nice gets you further than being an @sshole.

Moderators can we combine all these "Cops are evil to photographers" into a single sticky thread so people can vent?

Davidtxs · 07-28-2009, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murph

O-Kay! If I stop you, I AM going to ask for ID. How else can I tell to whom I am really speaking? Plus you might be a wanted person. Plus I have to report any contact, and tell dispatch who I am out with for safety reasons. Okay, some cops have gotten over zealous, but be polite, be polite, be polite. DO NOT BE AN @SSHOLE. Most cops have stopped you because SOMEONE ELSE COMPLAINED. When a complaint comes in, WE HAVE TO AT LEAST RESPOND TO IT. SO chill out. I get so tired of "Its the cops fault", walk a mile in their shoes, and see how you look at things. And, to paraphrase Paul Harvey: "Get the REST of the story" before you jump to conclusions. The article you posted was IMHO just yellow journalism, no better than that posted by the National Enquirer or other tabloid.

And furthermore I have been stopped by THE COPS for taking photos out on a back country road. I think they called for the ugly guy with the really day-glo neon white legs, not the camera. Answer the questions politely, don't be confrontational, and for Pete's sake, don't start screaming about your "RIGHTS TO PHOTOGRAPH! IT'S A FREE *@#$& COUNTRY, AND YOU ARE HARRASSING ME!!!!!!!" At that point I can almost 100% guarantee you that the discussion will start to go down hill. How do you know WHY the cop was dispatched? DO you know the burglary rate, or crime rate of the area you are in at the time?

Sure all cops are not saints, nice people, understanding of photographers rights, but nice gets you further than being an @sshole.

Moderators can we combine all these "Cops are evil to photographers" into a single sticky thread so people can vent?

DITTO It is a different world Post 911

zebulus · 07-28-2009, 07:21 AM

I have.

Magician · 08:17 AM

9/11 did not change the constitution. You do not have probable cause to stop me. A citizen reporting that I am taking photos is not probable cause to believe that I am committing a crime. You have no right to detain me and ask for my ID.

Photography is not against the law.

Yes, I will be an a-hole if you treat me like a criminal for carrying a camera.

The War on Photography sticky is a very good Idea. I searched back two years on the PJ forum and didn't find this topic. I remember a hot and heavy discussion on the subject back in 2006 or 2005 when I lived in the Dallas area.

I have been in your shoes.

ggeen · 07-28-2009, 08:16 AM

Muph, will you please tell that to Prof. Gates!?! I bet Sgt. Crowley would appreciate it.

By the way, I pretty much agree with you. When the police are called, at MINIMUM they are going to ask for ID and check it for wants and warrants. It is their job, deal with it politely. It is OK to ask questions back, but don't expect answers. The officers are under no obligation to release that information.

As for Richard's story. Their is nothing titillating there. It is probably more balance than the New York Times. Richard stated the facts with a few assumptions.

Quote:

he said that someone had made a complaint that I was photographing the bank building on the corner.

The police officer volunteered some information. Someone had made a complaint.

Stealth007s · 07-28-2009, 08:18 AM

I had a "run in" but it was on Fort Hood. I was photographing the new sign that is at the Bernie Beck Gate. It was 5am and sort of suspicious I guess. The MPs approached me and asked what I was doing and I explained to them and let them look through the pictures I did take. Being on a military installation, it is a totally different world. We cannot do that kind of thing without a photo pass (which I got after the fact).