How to not get beat up when photographing public places?

[Zv]

Lol do cops think all criminal activity starts with taking a photo?

Buildings - "yeah am gonna blow it up. Better take a picture first to remember this moment"

People - "gonna kidnapp this fella, right after I take a picture of him to send back to his folks. They'll appreciate the shallow dof look from my 70-200L""

Animals - "mmm that dog looks tasty but before I cook it I'll take a few photos for facebook and get 1000 likes cos it's so darn cute"

Plants - "this crop circles gonna look baddass"

But seriously how did taking a photo get connected to crime?

[distant.star]

Lol do cops think all criminal activity starts with taking a photo?

Buildings - "yeah am gonna blow it up. Better take a picture first to remember this moment"

People - "gonna kidnapp this fella, right after I take a picture of him to send back to his folks. They'll appreciate the shallow dof look from my 70-200L""

Animals - "mmm that dog looks tasty but before I cook it I'll take a few photos for facebook and get 1000 likes cos it's so darn cute"

Plants - "this crop circles gonna look baddass"

But seriously how did taking a photo get connected to crime?

This really made me laugh, and it's a good question.

In defense of cops, they did find the guy who shot up the movie theater in Colorado last year had taken pictures of the locking mechanism of the back door he used to go out and back in.

[bluegreenturtle]

Alot of people are mentioning problems they've had in far off exotic places. I find that the WORST problems I've had are right here in North America.

Recently was in a nice quiet neighbourhood trying out a new lens, taking a shot of a road and bridge (sun was out, bright blue sky, a few clouds). A van drove up to me and asked what I was doing. I told them I was taking a picture. They then proceeded to claim (very aggressively) that it's illegal to take a picture of them and that I'd be in trouble.

Little more detail here: this was a quiet residential area road. They were about half a mile away when I took the shot (never mind I was shooting with an 8mm lens...). Their aggressive attitude was astonishing. I told them I deleted the shot with them "in it" (the tiny spec that they were) and walked away. They drove off, only to return a few minutes latter, stopping in the middle of the road and taking a picture of me with their camera phone? I just smiled and kept walking.

People seem to have this impression that ANY picture taken of them (even if they are half a mile away behind tinted windows) without "permission" is illegal, and they get VERY aggressive about it if you look like anything beyond a kid with a camera phone.

Was in a best buy once trying out a camera (one of the Samsung WiFi cameras) and this guy walks up to me saying he's calling the cops cause I took a pic of him. It wasn't even my camera...

Wow...that's very interesting. I've yet to encounter something like this before.

Then again, I live in New Orleans, where cameras are pretty common out and about with all the tourists, maybe that and the laid back attitude down here keeps it friendly, but honestly, I've never heard of this type reaction or aggression before till this thread.

C

The ONLY problems I've ever had, shooting documentaries all over the world and the country were in Louisiana - did 3 projects there.  Buncha crazy paranoids, I tell ya!  Maybe NO is different than the rest of the state (our crew mostly had run ins with police around Baton Rouge and then further south closer to Houma.  I'm sure you're a nice guy but honestly I spent almost a year there shooting those pieces and I don't care if I ever go back - beautiful scenery and the ladies are pretty too, but I really really was left with a bad impression of the people. 

[cayenne]

The ONLY problems I've ever had, shooting documentaries all over the world and the country were in Louisiana - did 3 projects there.  Buncha crazy paranoids, I tell ya!  Maybe NO is different than the rest of the state (our crew mostly had run ins with police around Baton Rouge and then further south closer to Houma.  I'm sure you're a nice guy but honestly I spent almost a year there shooting those pieces and I don't care if I ever go back - beautiful scenery and the ladies are pretty too, but I really really was left with a bad impression of the people.

My goodness!!

I am so sorry to hear this, I really am. That just is not indicative of what is usually described about us....

Well, if you're every in the NOLA area, please drop me a line and I'll buy ya a couple of drinks....and who knows, bring your camera we *might* find something interesting to shoot in this town.



C

[J.R.]

Wonder what will happen if you are noticed using Google Glass

[tpatana]

Wonder what will happen if you are noticed using Google Glass

Better not bring your birding binoculars anywhere close to schools, or you better bring your own lube too.

[HoneyBadger]

Just hire a minor league baseball player to stand next to you with a bat at all times. Problem solved and it will the most money they have ever made.

[J.R.]

Wonder what will happen if you are noticed using Google Glass

Better not bring your birding binoculars anywhere close to schools, or you better bring your own lube too.

  I'm not based in the US where the paranoia seems to be sky high. I'm in India and one doesn't face too much trouble with people as long as you don't appear to be photographing them discreetly.

In fact, if you are using a DSLR at public places in India, instead of threats it is more likely that you will get requests from people to click their photograph and email it to them if possible. If you are carrying a tripod they'll think you are a professional and you'll get good natured inquiries as to which organization you are working for and whether their picture will make it in a newspaper / magazine.

The only ever trouble that I faced in India was with .... well .... a European group on a beach in Goa who were concerned that they would be photographed while I was taking pictures of my daughters (who were also in the water). Anyhow, the situation got resolved when I called out the girls and introduced them to this group and we met for a beer afterwards.

The remaining trouble has come with monkeys who plague the subcontinent and cause much more problems than humans. The tripod comes in handy for scaring them off. 

[Old Sarge]

What amazes me about all this paranoia over privacy (and I am a very private person) is that these same people all take pictures with cell phones and post the results on Facebook for the world to see (whose life has room for 400+ friends, I can barely maintain half a dozen friendships).  Bad pictures in a very public venue.

[96Brigadier]

What amazes me about all this paranoia over privacy (and I am a very private person) is that these same people all take pictures with cell phones and post the results on Facebook for the world to see (whose life has room for 400+ friends, I can barely maintain half a dozen friendships).  Bad pictures in a very public venue.

I couldn't agree more.  People put all this information out there and then get uppity when someone takes a picture in a public placethat may or may not have them in it.  Amazing.

[cayenne]

What amazes me about all this paranoia over privacy (and I am a very private person) is that these same people all take pictures with cell phones and post the results on Facebook for the world to see (whose life has room for 400+ friends, I can barely maintain half a dozen friendships).  Bad pictures in a very public venue.

Yep, that's why I amd NOT on Facebook.  That's where anyone concerned with privacy should be concerned about.

[Kristofgss]

But seriously how did taking a photo get connected to crime?

Watch any crime show and the killer usually has a stockpile of photo's on a blackboard complete with a diagram of how to do the kidnapping/murder/whatever. It makes it visually easy to show the viewer what the main antagonist was up to, so it now gets associated with being up to no good.

Having said that, I once had my car break down on a busy freeway and since I had to wait for the repair service to come pick it up, I found a safe spot between the two directions of freeways which was not accessible to pedestrians and sat down there with a book to read to pass time.It Didn't take long for the police to show up to question me what I was doing there either, so I guess the police just looks for unusual behaviour.

Taking pictures of schools, armed transports, military installations or kids does seem to fall under those categories. On the other hand, those stereoptypes can also be used to your advantage, try pinning on a badge (like those from the Umbrella Corporation for example) and carrying a clipboard and pen as if you're marking something and people will really try to pretend not to notice you in order not to get asked any questions. The one downside is that if you do it in stores, you get people asking you where they can find a specific product : )

[AcutancePhotography]

I once had my car break down on a busy freeway and since I had to wait for the repair service to come pick it up, ......It Didn't take long for the police to show up to question me what I was doing there either, so I guess the police just looks for unusual behaviour.

I think the police stopping by when your car breaks down is a good thing. 

[distant.star]

I once had my car break down on a busy freeway and since I had to wait for the repair service to come pick it up, ......It Didn't take long for the police to show up to question me what I was doing there either, so I guess the police just looks for unusual behaviour.

I think the police stopping by when your car breaks down is a good thing. 

Having worked for a Highway Patrol department in one state I'll tell you it's more than a "good thing."

Interstate highways (freeways in general) exist to move vehicles. Anytime a vehicle or pedestrian or dog, ladder, mattress, etc. is stopped anywhere on the highway, it is unsafe. At the very least, it's a distraction to drivers. At worst, it's an obstacle. With the prevalence of cell phones the last 20 years, every such instance floods a dispatch center with calls so everything is known. Officers are dispatched. Depending on where/what it is, they don't give it a high priority, but they'll eventually investigate. It's also gender specific. If a woman is reported to be sitting in a car on the side of a road, that's a higher priority than a man -- from days of yore when chivalry ruled, I suppose. Nevertheless, it's a reality.

These days I'm guessing if you stop on the shoulder AND get out and start taking pictures, officers will get there faster!

[tpatana]

I once had my car break down on a busy freeway and since I had to wait for the repair service to come pick it up, ......It Didn't take long for the police to show up to question me what I was doing there either, so I guess the police just looks for unusual behaviour.

I think the police stopping by when your car breaks down is a good thing. 

Having worked for a Highway Patrol department in one state I'll tell you it's more than a "good thing."

Interstate highways (freeways in general) exist to move vehicles. Anytime a vehicle or pedestrian or dog, ladder, mattress, etc. is stopped anywhere on the highway, it is unsafe. At the very least, it's a distraction to drivers. At worst, it's an obstacle. With the prevalence of cell phones the last 20 years, every such instance floods a dispatch center with calls so everything is known. Officers are dispatched. Depending on where/what it is, they don't give it a high priority, but they'll eventually investigate. It's also gender specific. If a woman is reported to be sitting in a car on the side of a road, that's a higher priority than a man -- from days of yore when chivalry ruled, I suppose. Nevertheless, it's a reality.

These days I'm guessing if you stop on the shoulder AND get out and start taking pictures, officers will get there faster!

Last summer the first day I took my bike out, I didn't notice I was already on reserve. So drive few miles, the engine stalls as I ran out of gas. I rolled to stop and parked the bike, called AAA to bring me enough gas to get to a gas station. The neighborhood was fancier than average, not B. Gates style but still better than many around here.

It was nice day, so I laid down on the lawn next to the road while waiting for AAA. I was highly tempted to have a beer as I was carrying couple in the saddle bags, but eventually didn't. Give 15 minutes, a police car pulls over. I get up and go say hi to the officer, and explained the situation, and he drives off.

I was thinking to myself that maybe someone had reported a biker stopping at their nice neighborhood. That was quite remote spot for police just randomly go around. Don't know.