Being told you can't take photos...

[jypsee]

I was in the Metra station and wanted to photograph a paladian window; a security guard told me that photographing is not allowed in the building. The place is full of fast food eateries and retail shops, yet he claimed it was for security reasons. Ridiculous! I had fantasized about photographing some US Navy sailors running to catch the train back to Great Lakes Naval Station before their cinderella liberty expired, but I gave that idea up.
I'm thinking of buying the smallest digital camera that has no shutter lag and photographing surreptitiously just for spite! Of course, that type of behavior would make me very suspect.

[jazzmaster221]

this is poppycock...this use to be the land of the free and the home of the brave ..now weve turned into a bunch of whiney wennies who thank everyone with a camera is a fifth columnist..bent on destroying our daily moment of bliss..if i,m on private property i have to respect a companys right to not take photo's taken with out permission ..which must of the time before you are allowed to enter you will be told no camera's allowed on the property
..but public property the sky's the limit...

[camera0bug]

Well, it happened again tonight...

I was in downtown San Diego for an event (S.D. Film Festival)
and on my way back to the parking garage, I decided to take
a few night shots in the outdoor mall where I parked. It was
10:30 at night.
I was shooting a lit up window of Sam Goody's, a female
security guard came up to me and ordered me to stop.

Luckily I was nearly done.


Protecting America from photographic terrorists.
Thanks Homeland Security!

[clickaway]

Did you snap the female security guard, Dan

[camera0bug]

If I did, I'm sure it wouldn't have been with a smile on her face.

On the subject... here's legal info for all photographers that I came across via one of my photo groups.
Important reading for all shutterbugs and downloadable for easy transport:

http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm

[khtaylor]

That info rocks Camera0bug! I downloaded one and made a bunch of copies to carry with me. Take that art police

K in Vermont
http://www.pbase.com/khtaylor

[rkircher]

I know in D.C. there are some prohibitions against the use of tripods and photos in the National Parks monuments to become aware of.

I believe this has more to do with crowd control over security. I've been down to the Mall several times at night with my tripod and as long as it's not crowded I'm usually left alone. Last time I as at the WWII memorial shooting a sunset over the Lincoln memorial I had a couple of park policemen walk right past me. They didn't say a thing.

Shooting government buildings like the Capital may indeed be a different story but I suspect it all has to do with the individual security/policemen that happen to be around. I've shot the Capital several times at all different times of the day and night and haven't had a problem. I haven't attempted it with a tripod yet. Maybe if I get bored one weekend I'll go try.

[rkircher]

Well a quick Google search just produced this PDF file. Pretty much sums it up.

http://www.washington.org/tripod-new.pdf

BTW I've been down to National Airport several time as well taking photos. There's a small park just at the end of the runway where the plane's fly right over you. Been there several time and run into other photographers there as well.

[ukexpat]

The basic rule is that when you are on private property, such as in a shopping mall, an airport or a hotel the owners can impose whatever restrictions they want.

[horsegoggles]

I was sitting in my car at the Fiesta Mall in Mesa Arizona waiting for my wife to come out of Sears. I was playing with my newly arrived D70 and taking pictures of the tree in front of my car. A mall security guy pulls up and gruffly asks "What are you doing". I replied in gruff return "I'm taking a picture of a tree". He got in is car and drove off.

I think 911 is bringing out the Barny Fife in everybody. It is human nature to want to be a hero, but a little common sense might be a good idea. When you see a security risk in a person taking a picture of a tree in the middle of a mall parking lot, maybe you should rethink your choice of occupation. If there is a security risk with someone taking a picture of a tree in the middle of a mall parking lot, we might as well throw in the towel, it's all about to end!

[camera0bug]

Are you sure that tree wasn't an undercover cop?

[marchael]

Maybe the security guard misread the memo and thought "terrorist" was "treeorist".

[senorcarnival]

I can't say for other fields, but it seems that for aviation photography what appears to be the prevailing theme is disorganization. Case in point: when I lived in Austin, TX I used to go to this cemetery where it was right under the final approach I was told this was fine by airport people until one day an airport police cruiser pulls up and tells me to leave, though he was really nice about it. I called operations who said this was fine as long as I called airport police before going, fair enough. When I was at Ft. Lauderdale Airport this summer, a Broward County Deputy told me to take my camera and leave although it was a designated viewing area. I called a Broward County Sheriff who said that particular spot was totally acceptable. Again, another example, here in San Antonio: the long-term parking deck gives you a perfect sweeping view of the main runway. Airport Police says you can't photograph from there (or anywhere near the airport) while the operations director has told me it's fine.

[madlights]

I've always thought a lot of politicians want us to think there is a terrorist behind every tree. In the above mentioned case, I think the security gaurd may have taken that literally

[sheena77]

I'd read somewhere that is was forbidden to take photographs inside Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield, but never thought that this was the case with the outside too.

I'd started taking photographs from outside the shopping centre complex and slowly moved towards the entrance, taking shots all the way. As I got towards the entrance and the shot I really wanted to take I saw two security guards coming towards me. Anyway, I quickly took the shot, was questioned but let off. I daren't take any more shots but was more than happy with the last one I'd taken:D

http://www.pbase.com/sheena77/image/43062644