They have a gun and handcuffs, so I don't feel that being an unarmed person of interest is any time to get self-righteous.
I just don't have problems with people in those situations. If someone asks me what I'm doing, I look them in the eye, and answer their question in a civilized and polite manner. Most often, the courteous and polite attitude is enough to defray any further action. If they ask me to move along, I do.
Just because they have a badge and gun doesn't mean they can intimidate people for no good reason.
How is some poor cop, that is just trying to do his or her job, supposed to discern between the innocent photographer just trying to take some pictures and this;
As a non U.S. citizen and I would never ever take a camera with me on trips to the states. My first fear would be ending up in a situation like this. Me being a black tourist with a camera in hand and a non-u.s. citizen. You could'nt pay me enough to photograph anything.
When I visit, I go straight to the malls and restaurants. If it was'nt for the shopping, I would'nt visit. Period!!!
I however would not visit europe, because I fear the same level of harassment and the shopping is'nt good there :)
Shopping in Europe - the continent, anyway - is better than in the states, and very little hassle for photogs compared to the US or the UK. :-)
I'm sure it is an exception, but a shopkeeper in Paris about a week ago asked me to delete a photo I took of his storefront - he said it wasn't "authorized". I have no idea what that means, but I deleted the photo anyway to mollify him, it wasn't a big deal. But I have never had that happen in the states.
As a non U.S. citizen and I would never ever take a camera with me on trips to the states. My first fear would be ending up in a situation like this. Me being a black tourist with a camera in hand and a non-u.s. citizen. You could'nt pay me enough to photograph anything.
When I visit, I go straight to the malls and restaurants. If it was'nt for the shopping, I would'nt visit. Period!!!
I however would not visit europe, because I fear the same level of harassment and the shopping is'nt good there :)
Originally posted by Melethia:
Shopping in Europe - the continent, anyway - is better than in the states, and very little hassle for photogs compared to the US or the UK. :-)
Originally posted by rich:
I'm sure it is an exception, but a shopkeeper in Paris about a week ago asked me to delete a photo I took of his storefront - he said it wasn't "authorized". I have no idea what that means, but I deleted the photo anyway to mollify him, it wasn't a big deal. But I have never had that happen in the states.
Most national chains like Hollister, American Eagle, Target, Victoria's Secret, Penney's, and the like are quite adamant about not taking pictures of their displays.
They spend a lot of money on marketing & setup, and the possibility that a competitor would hire a spy photographer is very real.
Since most of their stores are on private property, i.e, shopping malls, you pretty much have to respect their wishes.
As a non U.S. citizen and I would never ever take a camera with me on trips to the states. My first fear would be ending up in a situation like this. Me being a black tourist with a camera in hand and a non-u.s. citizen. You could'nt pay me enough to photograph anything.
When I visit, I go straight to the malls and restaurants. If it was'nt for the shopping, I would'nt visit. Period!!!
I however would not visit europe, because I fear the same level of harassment and the shopping is'nt good there :)
Originally posted by Melethia:
Shopping in Europe - the continent, anyway - is better than in the states, and very little hassle for photogs compared to the US or the UK. :-)
Originally posted by rich:
I'm sure it is an exception, but a shopkeeper in Paris about a week ago asked me to delete a photo I took of his storefront - he said it wasn't "authorized". I have no idea what that means, but I deleted the photo anyway to mollify him, it wasn't a big deal. But I have never had that happen in the states.
Most national chains like Hollister, American Eagle, Target, Victoria's Secret, Penney's, and the like are quite adamant about not taking pictures of their displays.
They spend a lot of money on marketing & setup, and the possibility that a competitor would hire a spy photographer is very real.
Since most of their stores are on private property, i.e, shopping malls, you pretty much have to respect their wishes.
This was a public street, not a mall - Champs-Élysées. The store easily could have been a chain but it certainly was not their property where I was standing.
This was a public street, not a mall - Champs-Élysées. The store easily could have been a chain but it certainly was not their property where I was standing.
Then I'd say that you were a decent and considerate photographer that made a good impression on the storekeeper.
This was a public street, not a mall - Champs-Élysées. The store easily could have been a chain but it certainly was not their property where I was standing.
Then I'd say that you were a decent and considerate photographer that made a good impression on the storekeeper.
It might also help the cause if we were versed into the laws governing this type of activities in France. It might come as a shock to some, but in the Province of Quebec, one could be sued for displaying a photo of an individual (even if taken in a public place), without the consent of that individual.
They have a gun and handcuffs, so I don't feel that being an unarmed person of interest is any time to get self-righteous.
I just don't have problems with people in those situations. If someone asks me what I'm doing, I look them in the eye, and answer their question in a civilized and polite manner. Most often, the courteous and polite attitude is enough to defray any further action. If they ask me to move along, I do.
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Just because they have a badge and gun doesn't mean they can intimidate people for no good reason.
You're absolutely 100% right!
You want to try and prove that point to someone with a gun and an attitude, you go right ahead.
Nope, not at the time anyway.
However, I will make sure that their superiors, not just those in Law Enforcement, know about what happened, exactly how I feel about it and insist on an explanation. I don't have any problem with someone, in uniform or otherwise, making an inquiry about what I'm doing. I DO have a problem with being ordered to stop my lawful activity without explanation or reason.
Nice to know, although this is limited to federal facilities. Security guards at office buildings (private property) can still shoosh you away if they're in the mood.
Bruce Schneier posted this in his Crypto-Gram newsletter:
Status report on the war on photography: Morgan Leigh Manning, "Less
than Picture Perfect: The Legal Relationship between Photographers'
Rights and Law Enforcement," Tennessee Law Review, Vol. 78, p. 105, 2010.
//papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1857623
I only read the abstract, not the whole PDF, but I think some, especially in the US, may find it useful.
We're screwed. People can now be de-arrested. Alas, I don't think we can be de-screwed.
Ask any liberal, to de-screw, just turn left. If you have been turning right for a long time, you may have to go further left than you realize to get things de-screwed completely.
