London Headshots
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 1,340
- Name
- John
- Edit My Images
- No
I was on my way to an industrial estate today to grab a few B&W shots of a tyre yard, and on my way I came across a pretty horrific car smash.
Now, the emergency services were already there, and the victims were in the process of being cut out. Onlookers were gathering, and there was little I could do as a person. So I didn't feel too bad about parking my car and getting out to take some shots from a distance with my tele lens.
Big mistake.
Within seconds a female police officer lunged at me, yanking the camera strap into her fist and trying to pull it from my neck. I immediately pulled her hand away and demanded to know what she thought she was doing. She said it was illegal to take pictures, and I told her that I didn't wish to cause a disturbance during a sensitive time and would be happy to wait while she checked her facts, and assured her that she was completely wrong.
I explained that as a member of the public, on a public road, I was well within my rights to take pictures, and intended to take the pictures to the local newspaper.
I was polite and courteous to her, and never once came off as arrogant or a know-it-all. She demanded my details, which I gave.
I continued taking shots of the wreckage, mindful that at any minute, the victim may have appeared, and I had already made the conscious decision to cease taking pictures while there were any signs of injured victims in the shot.
A second police officer came over and demanded my camera. I again, calmly explained that he wasn't able to take my camera, and that I was not there to document carnage or gore, merely to capture the efforts of the rescue services. I also explained that the camera didn't hold the pictures, the memory card did.
So he demanded the memory card.
I told him no, and he took my details. Again.
a THIRD police officer came over, demanding the camera, again, I politely declined so he TOOK MY DETAILS.
This is when it got stupid. Out of nowhere, a member of the public came up to me ranting that it was because of people like me that accidents like this happen. I told him to calm down and think about what he was saying, and that it made no sense and couldn't possibly be fair to blame me for a car crash that happened 10 minutes before my arrival. He strongly disagreed, and reacted by THROWING A PUNCH at me and calling me a "$$$$$ing c*nt". The policeman restrained him, and I carried on taking pictures.
A FOURTH policeman came over, demanding the camera, telling me it was now a crime scene. I again explained that he wouldn't be taking the camera, but that he could take my datails for a fourth time, and if he so wished, I would drop the memory card to him at the station if he believed it would help with any investigation that may take place.
He accepted this and left me to it.
By now I was just bored with being approached by people and decided to leave.
Part of me understands that someone may find it inappropriate that a photographer would be taking pictures of a car crash. But nobody said anything to the parents standing around with their children staring at the wreck.
I wasn't trying to catch a glimpse of a body, I was just trying to capture a moment in time. I've never experienced such outright hatred before. I was the enemy in every sense of the word. Everyone I looked at despised me. I was just standing behind the same barrier as everyone else. I wasn't doing stupid photographer poses, or firing my flash. I was just working with available light, firing off a shot every minute or so very calmly with no fuss.
I didn't believe the stories here before, I thought maybe the people here had been cocky with the police and been punished as a result, but now I know that's not true. I went out of my way to be respectful, but they hated me for it.
When I took the pictures to the local paper, they took a copy of the memory card, and then sent a reporter straight to the scene after taking my story and details. I wonder if the reporter will have met the same reception as I did.
Physically attacked for taking some pictures.
I truly understand that I was photopgrahing a sensitive subject. Which is why I stood back, never once attempted to lean over the barrier, constantly checked to make sure I didn't capture any of the victim in the shots and was generally quiet and respectful at all times.
Here's one of the shots, just for reference:
Now, the emergency services were already there, and the victims were in the process of being cut out. Onlookers were gathering, and there was little I could do as a person. So I didn't feel too bad about parking my car and getting out to take some shots from a distance with my tele lens.
Big mistake.
Within seconds a female police officer lunged at me, yanking the camera strap into her fist and trying to pull it from my neck. I immediately pulled her hand away and demanded to know what she thought she was doing. She said it was illegal to take pictures, and I told her that I didn't wish to cause a disturbance during a sensitive time and would be happy to wait while she checked her facts, and assured her that she was completely wrong.
I explained that as a member of the public, on a public road, I was well within my rights to take pictures, and intended to take the pictures to the local newspaper.
I was polite and courteous to her, and never once came off as arrogant or a know-it-all. She demanded my details, which I gave.
I continued taking shots of the wreckage, mindful that at any minute, the victim may have appeared, and I had already made the conscious decision to cease taking pictures while there were any signs of injured victims in the shot.
A second police officer came over and demanded my camera. I again, calmly explained that he wasn't able to take my camera, and that I was not there to document carnage or gore, merely to capture the efforts of the rescue services. I also explained that the camera didn't hold the pictures, the memory card did.
So he demanded the memory card.
I told him no, and he took my details. Again.
a THIRD police officer came over, demanding the camera, again, I politely declined so he TOOK MY DETAILS.
This is when it got stupid. Out of nowhere, a member of the public came up to me ranting that it was because of people like me that accidents like this happen. I told him to calm down and think about what he was saying, and that it made no sense and couldn't possibly be fair to blame me for a car crash that happened 10 minutes before my arrival. He strongly disagreed, and reacted by THROWING A PUNCH at me and calling me a "$$$$$ing c*nt". The policeman restrained him, and I carried on taking pictures.
A FOURTH policeman came over, demanding the camera, telling me it was now a crime scene. I again explained that he wouldn't be taking the camera, but that he could take my datails for a fourth time, and if he so wished, I would drop the memory card to him at the station if he believed it would help with any investigation that may take place.
He accepted this and left me to it.
By now I was just bored with being approached by people and decided to leave.
Part of me understands that someone may find it inappropriate that a photographer would be taking pictures of a car crash. But nobody said anything to the parents standing around with their children staring at the wreck.
I wasn't trying to catch a glimpse of a body, I was just trying to capture a moment in time. I've never experienced such outright hatred before. I was the enemy in every sense of the word. Everyone I looked at despised me. I was just standing behind the same barrier as everyone else. I wasn't doing stupid photographer poses, or firing my flash. I was just working with available light, firing off a shot every minute or so very calmly with no fuss.
I didn't believe the stories here before, I thought maybe the people here had been cocky with the police and been punished as a result, but now I know that's not true. I went out of my way to be respectful, but they hated me for it.
When I took the pictures to the local paper, they took a copy of the memory card, and then sent a reporter straight to the scene after taking my story and details. I wonder if the reporter will have met the same reception as I did.
Physically attacked for taking some pictures.
I truly understand that I was photopgrahing a sensitive subject. Which is why I stood back, never once attempted to lean over the barrier, constantly checked to make sure I didn't capture any of the victim in the shots and was generally quiet and respectful at all times.
Here's one of the shots, just for reference:
