This bug got me in trouble

[JamesB]

well sorta.

I will putting gas in my trailblazer when I looked up and saw this guy just hanging out. so I grab my camera, put the 105mm lens on and take a few shots. I see someone walking up to me out of the corner of my eye.

It was a police officer. He had one hand on his weapon and was approaching me very cautiously. He ask me what im taking a picture of and I just point to this grass hopper. He looked and looked and finally saw it.

He said oh, I thought you were taking a photo of the over pass. And I said, no just a bug. and he and his partner in a cruiser went back to their car and parked in front of the gas station.

James

[TxKent]

Wow... wicked DOF. Too bad you didn't have on your "Photographer, not a Terrorist" shirt, or your official TPF photographer badge. :D

[Night Owl]

Where were you? Perhaps I know him. (the cop, not the bug)

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by JamesB

He said oh, I thought you were taking a photo of the over pass. And I said, no just a bug. and he and his partner in a cruiser went back to their car and parked in front of the gas station.

James

Is it now illegal to photograph an overpass?? I think you ran into a paranoid cop.

[MarcoFromHouston]

Originally Posted by Night Owl

Where were you? Perhaps I know him. (the cop, not the bug)

[brad]

Originally Posted by bondarnes

Is it now illegal to photograph an overpass?? I think you ran into a paranoid cop.

Given what law enforcement has apparently been told recently, its no wonder they are paranoid.

Great bug shot.. as someone else already said... wicked DOF.

[ZacCarter]

and what have they been told?

[brad]

They have been told by our "intelligence" there is a credible threat of another September 11 scale attack somewhere in the US before the end of the year.

[rph]

A few weeks ago, a tape was found of a "graduating class" of suicide bombers. In their individual "jihadi" statements, they mentioned hitting targets in Great Britain and the US. Great Britain was hit right after the tape was found. Things were already a bit tense, but that made them more so, since it made an attack here seem even more likely.

[tjavery]

Very nice shot, James. The part that's nicely in focus is so crisp! What 105mm is that? Is that a Sigma?

I wonder how the cop would have responded if you told him that you were shooting the overpass?

[ecommerce813]

Nice shot. I wonder too, is it illegal to take pictures of an overpass/bridge/landmark/building from a public area?

[ttusa]

Ha, ha! This reminds me when I was at Cullinan Park (kind of before the gates opened). This lady officer whose hair was spiked and about a half an inch short was very gruff. I explained that I was looking for flowers and insects to photograph. She kept quizzing me about what that Object was-my tripod... I guess she thought I was just a harmless nerd so things were fine...

[jeffkohn]

What I don't understand is how law enforcement and the general public have gotten it in their head that SLR's and tripods are crucial tools for terrorists. This notion strikes me as more than a little absurd, and seems to be a case of being vigilant about the wrong thing just because it's better to be doing something rather than doing nothign and feeling helpless.

I'd really like to hear people who have security concerns about SLR's answer some of these questions

- Wouldn't a 17x zoom point-n-shoot be a more effective and discreet tool for a terrorist (or pedophile) who wants to avoid drawing attention to himself?

- Do you have any idea how much data and how many pictures are already available on the web for pretty much everything under the sun? Ever seen Google Earth or the new photos in Google Maps?

- Has there ever been a case where high-end camera equipment was shown to be an enabling factor in a terrorist plot?

[brad]

Those are all details and entirely beside the point.

We must be vigilant.

That is, if by vigilant you mean paranoid of normal activities while still turning a blind eye to the really scary things


Now.. back to the bug.

[fran reisner]

The bug is a katydid. Great shot.