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Officer asked me "What are you photographing?"
stanpustylnik
Registered Users Posts: 7 Beginner grinner
2 nights ago I decided to break long no-art-photography period and get out taking long exposure shots in my small town - Rockville, town center in particular.I took heavy tripod, camera bag with A850 and 3 lenses: 50mm, 20mm and 135mm.
In 10 minutes after leaving house I started taking street photos. First, I took photo of newly built county courthouse with surrounding traffic pattern, spending good 10min there, while researching moments for best timing, angle of view.
Then I walked to another location, where street was leading into newly built commercial center.
From there I walked to take photos of Regal Movie Theater from outside, because of bright illumination. Then took photos of boring empty space where new buildings will be constructed soon.
Fun started when I setup camera toward boring intersection with construction behind it. After I several 30 sec exposures toward incoming traffic (I was at safety median), police cruiser stopped next to me.
Officer asked "What are you photographing?", "Why are your photographing?", "How will you use these photographs?”
I answered him: "This intersection with traffic lights and construction behind", "For my own pleasure and for my kids to be able to see how this place looked in 2012", "I do photography for myself, I'm not a pro".
As I was answering him, 4 police cruisers came to his backup, all with blinkers on. Cruisers blocked 3 lanes of direction to all incoming traffic. I was embarrassed, because people from other directions were turning heads to check what is going on.
Police officer asked for my ID document, called dispatcher. After running my data through checks I got my ID back with: "All clear, sorry for inconvenience, you can continue photography!"
While walking toward next photography destination, feeling of relief came mixed with a laugh. I laughed re-living 20 minutes of fame, illuminated by blinkers from 5 police cruisers, feeling something similar to Hollywood stars when they step up on a podium. Also I got fun story to share with friends and coworkers.
In 10 minutes after leaving house I started taking street photos. First, I took photo of newly built county courthouse with surrounding traffic pattern, spending good 10min there, while researching moments for best timing, angle of view.
Then I walked to another location, where street was leading into newly built commercial center.From there I walked to take photos of Regal Movie Theater from outside, because of bright illumination. Then took photos of boring empty space where new buildings will be constructed soon.
Fun started when I setup camera toward boring intersection with construction behind it. After I several 30 sec exposures toward incoming traffic (I was at safety median), police cruiser stopped next to me.
Officer asked "What are you photographing?", "Why are your photographing?", "How will you use these photographs?”
I answered him: "This intersection with traffic lights and construction behind", "For my own pleasure and for my kids to be able to see how this place looked in 2012", "I do photography for myself, I'm not a pro".
As I was answering him, 4 police cruisers came to his backup, all with blinkers on. Cruisers blocked 3 lanes of direction to all incoming traffic. I was embarrassed, because people from other directions were turning heads to check what is going on.
Police officer asked for my ID document, called dispatcher. After running my data through checks I got my ID back with: "All clear, sorry for inconvenience, you can continue photography!"
While walking toward next photography destination, feeling of relief came mixed with a laugh. I laughed re-living 20 minutes of fame, illuminated by blinkers from 5 police cruisers, feeling something similar to Hollywood stars when they step up on a podium. Also I got fun story to share with friends and coworkers.
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Not too surprised about the police interruption, though. You probably caused some concern because of the Courthouse building.
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They "slept in" at time when I was taking shots near court building (police officer admitted it in next day discussion, and was upset about it).
Ok. Next day at work I shared night story with couple coworkers. Strongest reaction followed from person who is true republican, vietnam veteran, who told me following:
"What a bullshit, what a waste of resources, they shouldn't suspect all citizen, and not check photographers on street. You should take tripod and camera and go for street photography again.
It is matter of freedom on and we need to defend it".
Wow, it was speach from his heart and I felt differenlty again.
I decided to go, but decided to step into police department first, just in case.
This is when I met with a leutenant, whom I told whole story as it developed starting from 1st photo location - Court building. Also I told him that I hate thinking that resources are waisted because of my street photography (4 cruisers + dispatcher).
Talk was easy-good for both of us. I got support of my rights to take photos from sidewalks and public areas. He told me not to use telephoto lens for peeping-tom actions and be responsible citizen - not take photos of security installations.
I felt much better after talk when taking this photo from public garage:
What a crock that is..... suppose I want to use Tele for a gigapixel pano? They can't stop me (or you).
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And now you have a green light to "case" any joint ;-)
Amen! This is all getting quite scary. If our national security depends upon harassing people with tripods standing out in public view taking photographs, we have no national security, and we also have no freedom to secure.
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
I think you'll get a strong reaction from any American - regardless of their background - who values Liberty and is not willing to see it eroded by institutional ignorance of our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and common sense. Public property is just that - public and accessible for safe, lawful activity without justifying your actions or identity. What happened to you is a crock of BS - IMHO
OBTW - Nice shots!
The esteemed officer seemed about to get a bit cranky when his partner, all 6'4", 230 of him, kinda shook his head in a "I wouldn't do that if I were you," kinda way. Towards his partner. Cuz I'd first interviewed the 6'4" cop-officer when he was a 17-year-old, bright-eyed hockey player.
Still worth a giggle.
Then there was the time of a joint police press conference. I obtained the address of a drug house that had been raided from the brand-new communications officer explaining that I wished, and I quote, "to conduct a drive-by-shooting."
Damn, I live dangerously.
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I'm seriously considering before next night urban photography to buy box of donuts and take it with me.
While I certainly have no real experience with it, I definitely agree with the ideology.
For the candid street photographer this isn't a good tip. Wear a ninja suit instead.
Oh, here is a bonus tip. If you find you are in a small town in Utah at night, and the cops want to know what you are taking pictures of, don't you dare say "none of your business, officer." Just a friendly bit of advice. You won't like what happens next.
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"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
I think you took this out of context. He was just warning against using a telephoto for window peeping. Not saying that you couldn't a telephoto lens.
Educate yourself like you'll live forever and live like you'll die tomorrow.
Ed
Wow, talk about jumping off the deep end. How can you extend one investigation to no national security? Turns out this time he was just a harmless photographer doing his thing. But, next time it might be some nutcake getting ready to shoot at cars driving by. That's why cops want to know who is standing in the middle of the road camera or no. The end result was, after they found him to have only good intentions...photograph all you want. Have a good day.
Educate yourself like you'll live forever and live like you'll die tomorrow.
Ed
I say "no national security" for two reasons - all the time and resources being wasted on photographers all over the country; this was hardly an isolated incident. And I also say "no national security" because when we reach the point at which local agencies such as the NYPD are setting up their own national and international spying operations - and I use that term quite advisedly, we end up with little to secure.
But allow me to tell a little personal story about "security" and photography. Travel with me, if you will, back to the early, very scary days of October, 2001, when the rubble of the Twin Towers was still smoking and no one had any idea what was coming next. We are driving across the Tapanzee Bridge over the Hudson, close enough to Manhattan to see the haze from the wreckage. We are in the slow lane, on the westbound side of the bridge, next to the rail, and low and behold, we notice right ahead of us, driving at about 35-40 miles an hour (much slower than the traffic) a Honda Prelude - the little coupe - with it's sun roof open and a young man of darkish hue standing up through that sun roof holding a video camera, pointed toward a power plant just up river from the bridge. The driver of the car, and two other passengers, are also somewhat dark-skinned - we can't really tell what they are, but they appear to be South Asian of some sort. Well, we are somewhat startled by this, so we open our cell phone and dial 911, and are immediately connected with the New York State Police. Being knee jerk liberals, we appologize profusely for 'profiling,' but note that we are traveling westbound on the Tapanzee and describe what we are seeing - and provide the license number. The operator immediately transfers the call to some center up state, and again we describe the situation - and we add that we have just noticed a State Police cruiser about 50 yards ahead in the middle lane. We are thanked for our information, and told it will be "checked on," at which point the police cruiser does not slow in order to check out the Prelude, but speeds up and disappears in a cloud of dust. The Honda continues across the bridge, videoing the whole way, and then exits and disappears in local traffic.
I later call a former colleague at Newsday, an excellent investigative reporter, and tell her my story. She agrees it bears checking out, and starts making calls. About a week later she calls me back and tells me that the license plate number I gave her belongs on a sedan owned by the Westchester County District Attorney's Office, and is theoretically on a full-size sedan parked in a garage in White Plains, New York. The DA's office has absolutely no explanation, and no clue, what the plate was doing on a Honda Prelude on the Tapanzee Bridge, or who the young men in the car were. But..."they'll check it out."
Again, this was but a month after 911, when paranoia was, understandably, at its height. And that's what passed for security. But a decade later, let's worry about some doofus with a tripod taking night photos. (No insult intended
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
Sir, I hope you brought your bathing suit.
2 times when previously I was checked, checks were triggered by calls from citizen-drivers who though that photographer taking shot of HWY at susnrize is suspicious, same for sunrize photo of railway.
If police is getting call from 911 dispatcher - they respond. For "normal" people, photographers look suspissious or at least strange as soon as they take photos outside of normal subjects (National Mall, National Parks, or family room)
+1
There's got to be many better and less visible ways of effectively and efficiently 'casing a joint' - especially these days with the kit available.
Aways assuming that Google's mapping offerings are inadequate, of course.
pp
Flickr
Ed is closest to correct in this case.
Each of us has a "reasonable expectation of privacy 'in our own home'". Most local ordinances have a statute which interprets this to mean that the media (paparazzi), the police and even the Federal Government (FBI) may not photograph individuals in their own home, without prior written consent and knowledge. A "court order" is the only exception and even that is often denied.
When it comes to personal privacy versus photographers' rights, the courts have always decided on the individual's rights to privacy as the dominant right. I suggest that anyone thinking otherwise contact an attorney for clarification and exceptions.
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was at an event in a city park. I was standing on a slightly raised area
and looking for shots. I was using my 18/270 Tamron lens.
A policeman gestured at me to come to him. I walked over, and he then
asked me several questions about how I liked the lens. He was interested
in buying a walk-about lens with a good range. He took some snaps
my camera, zooming in and out, and we chatted a bit about photography.
http://tonycooper.smugmug.com/
I'm getting rather tired of others, trying to give my rights away, for their illusion of increased security.
I guess people have the "right" to carry something deliberately provocative,
but anyone who carries that has abandoned common sense. I would not blame
any policeman who sees that device and braces the person with it.
I have little patience for people who deliberately do something to provoke
and then whine about their "rights".
http://tonycooper.smugmug.com/
My point in the above picture was, folks use common sense, not everyone out "there" is a bad guy, intent on doing harm, just because we have a camera.
Reasonable suspicion is the sticky point. It basically means "if the lawyers can make it stick, even a little, it sticks." That said, you've got to have some common sense: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc
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