'Are Photographers Really a Threat?'

[johnastovall]

An excellent essay by Bruce Schneier.

"What is it with photographers these days? Are they really all terrorists, or does everyone just think they are? Since 9/11, there has been an increasing war on photography. Photographers have been harrassed, questioned, detained, arrested or worse, and declared to be unwelcome. We've been repeatedly told to watch out for photographers, especially suspicious ones. Clearly any terrorist is going to first photograph his target, so vigilance is required.
Except that it's nonsense. The 9/11 terrorists didn't photograph anything. Nor did the London transport bombers, the Madrid subway bombers, or the liquid bombers arrested in 2006. Timothy McVeigh didn't photograph the Oklahoma City Federal Building. The Unabomber didn't photograph anything; neither did shoe-bomber Richard Reid. Photographs aren't being found amongst the papers of Palestinian suicide bombers. The IRA wasn't known for its photography. Even those manufactured terrorist plots that the US government likes to talk about -- the Ft. Dix terrorists, the JFK airport bombers, the Miami 7, the Lackawanna 6 -- no photography.
Given that real terrorists, and even wannabe terrorists, don't seem to photograph anything, why is it such pervasive conventional wisdom that terrorists photograph their targets? Why are our fears so great that we have no choice but to be suspicious of any photographer?
Because it's a movie-plot threat."


Full article here

[ppcass]

Well said.

[brad]

He lost me at "manufactured terrorist plots" but he does have a point.

[Imagebuffet]

I was once stopped and questioned by police because someone reported that I had been photographing a bank building that was located on the other side of a vacant field from where I was standing. I had to think for a few seconds just to remember that there was a bank building over there.

[Ahh!]

You seem suspicious to me!

[ka5txl]

Note to self, Don't wear camo gear when I go to photograph airplanes at the DFW observation park

[Cajungaltx]

Note to self: Buy tshirt, I am not a terrorist, I am a photographer.

Cajungaltx added 0 Minutes and 26 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Originally Posted by ka5txl

Note to self, Don't wear camo gear when I go to photograph airplanes at the DFW observation park

Larry - My husband said: Camo's okay, just as long as it says: US ARMY on the front. ;)

[David_3]

'Are Photographers Really a Threat?'

They are to me. Every time I hang around a bunch of photographers, I end up spending money on new equipment.

[AllenAyres]

I was harrassed in NYC a couple times for photographing buildings - not by police, but by 'ordinary' people unfamiliar with the law.

[brad]

Originally Posted by Cajungaltx

Note to self: Buy tshirt, I am not a terrorist, I am a photographer.

Heh, I actually made one a long time ago.. I think its still on my CafePress store.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Yeah were a threat because we can capture history as it happens.

But back to the topic, well said John and with camera phones out there now it only takes 2 seconds to shoot a target with one and get the pics out to all of your accomplices while a guy with a 35mm set up will have to get to a hot spot and put the photos on a laptop and then transmit them etc.

Really people are clueless.

[Gator_Nutz]

During Scott Kelby's Photowalk here in Houston last year I was stopped by a security guard when trying to photograph one of the tall skyscrapers in that area. He did not tell me why I could not, he just told me I could not and to leave immediately.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by Gator_Nutz

During Scott Kelby's Photowalk here in Houston last year I was stopped by a security guard when trying to photograph one of the tall skyscrapers in that area. He did not tell me why I could not, he just told me I could not and to leave immediately.

Unless standing on private property, I would have pulled out my copy of The Photographer's Rights and said nicely, "I know my rights."

[David_3]

Originally Posted by JohnT

Unless standing on private property, I would have pulled out my copy of The Photographer's Rights and said nicely, "I know my rights."

That sounds great in theory, but you can't possibly think a rent-a-cop would give any credence a set of "rights" you printed off of the internet, can you? He's going to do whatever his boss told him to do. If he's not a reasonable person (which he isn't, or he would have ASKED about your photography, instead of just telling you to stop), there's really only a few options. You can leave, or tell him to %#$-off, or you can call a real cop and hope he is sympathetic to your cause. Frankly, I'd just leave. Yeah, I know I'd be giving up my rights, blah, blah, blah, etc. But getting in a pissing contest with some idiot isn't going to change anything, and I'm not about to waste two hours of my life dealing with some moron, when I could be taking pictures elsewhere.


YMMV

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by David_3

That sounds great in theory, but you can't possibly think a rent-a-cop would give any credence a set of "rights" you printed off of the internet, can you? He's going to do whatever his boss told him to do. If he's not a reasonable person (which he isn't, or he would have ASKED about your photography, instead of just telling you to stop), there's really only a few options. You can leave, or tell him to %#$-off, or you can call a real cop and hope he is sympathetic to your cause. Frankly, I'd just leave. Yeah, I know I'd be giving up my rights, blah, blah, blah, etc. But getting in a pissing contest with some idiot isn't going to change anything, and I'm not about to waste two hours of my life dealing with some moron, when I could be taking pictures elsewhere.


YMMV

Never mind. :-)