The Photographer's Right in US and UK

[Panos Kazanelis]

Your Rights When You Are Stopped or Confronted for Photography
"The right to take photographs is under assault now more than ever. People are being stopped, harassed, and even intimidated into handing over their personal property simply because they were taking photographs of subjects that made other people uncomfortable. Recent examples have included photographing industrial plants, bridges, and bus stations. For the most part, attempts to restrict photography are based on misguided fears about the supposed dangers that unrestricted photography presents to society..."
...more here...
http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

...and for the UK...
http://www.sirimo.co.uk/media/UKPhotographersRights.pdf

 

[jgrove]

Thank you for those links. Very helpful.

 

[The chemist]

Excellent link!
Out of curiosity how many of you have tested the waters? I have heard many people leaving a photoscene due to police etc. where they were doing nothing wrong.

Has anyone kept shooting after being told to stop(when you are clearly in the right) did you have to explain your rights??

 

[Panos Kazanelis]

Well, I was involved in a project for the Olympics 2004 in Athens called "Athens 24" and it was about the life before, during and after the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. It was pretty much street photography, but also included scenes of the Stadiums and Venues. I was stopped a few times NOT prom police but from the special Olympic Guard (these guys ate raw meet for breakfast) and was asked what was I doing. I always said in a nicely way that I was shooting photos and if there was an official prohibition of not doing so, then I would stop. Otherwise I would consider their "interest" as harassment... ;-)

Well, only ONE time I was asked to leave a venue -in a polite way- and they were right since I was in a semi-restricted area.

What surprised me was the fact that THEY KNEW they shouldn'd harass people... but they also had to be EXTREMELY carefull...

 

[Don N]

There was an article on Boing Boing last week about someone who was harassed while trying to photograph a building in downtown San Francisco. Someone who saw the original post decided to organize a shoot-in at the building last Saturday. You can read about it here: http://www.boingboing.net/2005/07/30/pix_from_todays_phot.html

Don

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[Vernon t]

Here's mine !!!!!!!!!!!

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1014&message=13159346



Click the links above to read a account of my cynical account of my experience as I snapped this shot from far far out of their way. Not a good day...
...but I was not about to argue out there on their turf.
Even with my 100% humble, cooperation I was detained for a good while.
Make no mistake..."he" was in charge.
Some good debates have come of this already.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

I try my best to read subtle cues in human behavior.

There is something in this man's body language that says
"I've noticed you have a camera. I would like to visit with you."

Innumerable debates surround photographers rights, or often, lack thereof.

I happened across an accident that was rather bad.


In a field, next to a battered and tumbled car, was an ejected sheet-covered body with six police officers standing circumferentially around it.

Adjacent to them were two emergency medical technicians looking helplessly the other way. Inquiring of them, I as physician, could be of no help to the deceased.

What a scene...what a shot...thought I.


I very carefully parked far out of the way and walked in the ditch on the far side of the highway from the scene.

It just so happened that as I snapped a couple of shots this nice man took note of my presence, hence the shot.

He was firmly and sternly professional in his demeanor and asked me to leave immediately.

I surely live by the rule that the man with the badge is always right and, should I disagree, there and then is rarely the time to challenge his authority.

I was asked to delete the shots of the accident, which as a man of honor I did. Had I had a spectacularly great shot I might not have been so honorable. This one was too good to delete.

I can and should debate my rights to shoot photos safely from a public right-of-way but there and then was, I feel sure, not the time.

After what seemed an excessive amount of time with his partner sitting in his car staring at my driver's license talking to some ,presumably, higher authority I was released.

The responsible citizen in me feels good to have to cooperated with law enforcement personnel.

Had I not cooperated I have no doubt my time spent with them would have been a great deal more interesting.

I was called in and reported as "amateur photographer on scene" (a. P.O.S. ?)

As "a. P.O.S" the paranoid part of me suspects I may be being cross referenced by the Department of Homeland Security. This post may be under scrutiny as I type.