Have you ever been asked for id due to your cam?

tsk1979

To Kill some time I went to the Orange County Fair.
http://tanveer.smugmug.com/gallery/1713256 is the gallery of the pics

There were lots of people taking pics there with their point and shoots but hardly a couple of others using tripods.
So as I was clicking this pic ->http://tanveer.smugmug.com/gallery/1713256/2/84453986
Some police officials come over and ask me what was I upto. They asked for my id etc., since other people were also using cams(P&S), I wonder why I with a 350D looked like a threat? They asked me to come over to a security desk or something like that. At that point I showed them all the pics on the LCD display. Then they were satisfied.

My point is that just because you have a Large CAM and a tripod instead of the tiny P&S that people carry, security people suspect you to be upto somethig bad. I mean If I wanted to be "up to something" I would not be soo obvious, I would rather use a small cam which can be hidden.

wxwax

Yeah, we've discussed this many times before. The bigger the gear, the more suspicion it seems to arouse. I've never been asked for my ID, but I sure have been approached many times and been treated with suspicion even when not approached.

claudermilk

Wow. I didn't run into that. Even when my sister and I were BOTH shooting DSLRs (20D/grip/24-70 for me, D100/midrange zoom for her)--we couldn't have been more obvious except with a pair of tripods. Security completely ignored us & I know there was a pack of them around. I can only guess that it was because you were outside the fair?

BTW, I see you found the smaller ferris wheel to be a better subject too. Still need to post my shots.

Oh, and the CHP guys got a kick out of commenting on my ginormous camera when taking pics of my niece in their cruiser.

Seefutlung

I've only been questioned once about cameras/photos ... the Montebello police detained and questioned me for more than an hour ... back in the 80's for photographing their City Hall.

For those not from SoCal, Montebello is a little, non-descript, un-important city in Los Angeles County. Everytime I think of it I get upset. I was on the city sidewalk taking a time-exposure of City Hall ... They thought that potentially I was scouting out Montebello's City Hall in order to perform a terrorist act (this was around the time of the LA Olympics). Yeah, right ... Montebello ... I guess they assumed you were taking photos which would enable you to blow up the ferris wheel. After all ... What the policing agencies know that we don't know is that ALL crimes or terrorist acts could NOT be committed unless there are photos taken prior to the act.

Two points:

1) In a metropolis like SoCal, I would think the police would have more important things to do than harrass a photographer (like eat some donuts ... I know a rude remark about those that have a very important, tough and often dangerous job and in my opinion underpaid); and

2) COMMON SENSE dictates that one shields all activity regarding illegal acts. Assuming the above statement to be true ... then those in authority should be shaking down all those taking pixs with P&Ss and camera-phones. (or those without obivious cameras ... as they could be hidden)

Enough venting ... I liked the goats.
85095131-L.jpg

moose135

If you take aviation photos, you better keep your ID handy. Usually I'm out with a group (anywhere from 3 to 10 of us) at one of the NYC area airports, and we often have PD roll up on us (usually called by some passerby) wanting to know what we are doing and asking for ID. Most of the time they are satifisied with our explantion of our hobby, but occasionally you get one who says "Since 9/11 that's illegal". I've had a couple of friends detained for a short time, but it seems like the cops are getting used to us and once they check us out let us go on our way.

JamieC

The cops say it's illegal, but is it? I've had security guards tell me I could not photograph a building, only to change their tune when I ask them under what regulations I could not do so. Sometimes I think they just get off on telling people what to do.

Jamie