Has our increasingly paranoid society declared war on the humble 'weekend snapper'?

This was posted the other day in the early day motion thread, to be honest the author didn't gain my sympathy, the article smacks of a bandwagon hopping space filler to me. It's only courteous to ask permission before pointing a camera in someones face (abeit he says it was innocuous the other guy didn't know that) and being surprised because he was refused permission to photograph on private property? doesn't this reporter read the papers? The rest is just a rehash of other peoples stories.
 
It is a bit of a rehash but it's still a big problem. Makes me so angry, part of me wishes it would happen to me so that I could give them what for! Purely in a 'cooperative' and 'calm' manner you understand.
 
Steep said:
This was posted the other day in the early day motion thread, to be honest the author didn't gain my sympathy, the article smacks of a bandwagon hopping space filler to me. It's only courteous to ask permission before pointing a camera in someones face (abeit he says it was innocuous the other guy didn't know that) and being surprised because he was refused permission to photograph on private property? doesn't this reporter read the papers? The rest is just a rehash of other peoples stories.
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Sure, it might be courteous so to do, but it is not a legal requirement to do so and the person having their photograph taken has absolutely no right to act in an aggressive manner towards any photographer taking their photo.
 
The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is unequivocal on the matter: 'Police officers may not prevent someone from taking a photograph in public unless they suspect criminal or terrorist intent,' they say in a statement. 'Their powers are strictly regulated by law and once an image has been recorded, the police have no power to delete or confiscate it without a court order.'

Think I'll print that out on to a card, get it laminated and hang it on a chain round my neck :lol:
 
@ the music man: It may not be a legal requirement but it is really annoying if you don't, some togs don't even talk to you after they take the pics to see if it was alright with you.

People will act in an aggressive manner towards you however you interact with them on the street, if we hold a camera we are not immune to it.

But those police officers are just turds I agree with kalibre I'd love for one to come up to me
 
Whilst I agree that there is a problem here at times, this article is designed to fire people up and seems to be as said by others, a "space filler" and typical journalistic overhype to get reactions.

An amateur photographer is chased by the police after taking pictures on the seafront
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If you read on, he was not trying to run away, he pulled over, surely a chase means that he would have had to try and get away!?

When Graham Rigg heard the wailing sirens and saw the flashing blue lights of the police car in his rear-view mirror he pulled over to let it pass. But when it performed a spectacular handbrake turn beside him, hemming his vehicle in,
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Anyone EVER seen such an agressive pulling over in the UK? In america and on movies perhaps, but I'm fairly certain there are tight rules in this country. A classic over dramatic description perhaps?!

I could go on..

I do agree there is an issue, but the media do not help in the cuase. They love to latch on to the authorities and give them a bashing for situations like this, but they also are happy to name and shame paedophiles and create a public nervousness.

If the media for once took a better approach and told news properly and didn't thrive on making the public nervous and paraniod with scandals and over dramatic articles, the likely hood is, we wouldn't have this situation in the first place.
 
Security guards and Police aside, it is interesting how many people in public get suspicious about cameras. I'm sure SLRs are becoming more popular with tourists, etc, i.e. those who may well have made do with a compact a little while back, rather than just the more enthusiastic amateurs/pros such as ourselves. This will probably help, but there's still no denying that people fear the camera.

Has anybody got any experience of this in other countries?
 
Yep, I got the whole kit impounded going to Turkey a few years back on the basis that it was too "Professional"

I had to go to customs at the airport about 6 hours before my flight home just to get it back. The customs depot was like a branch of Dixons! They had no intention of handing it back. Got there in the end though.

We do tend to have an inherent sense of fair play in this country that does not exist in others. Interestingly I was in Manchester a couple of weeks ago and asked a couple if I could take pics of their kids playing in the fountain in Piccadilly Gardens. No problem at all, yep, they were from Denmark. They don't have the same levels of suspicion as we do in the UK to anyone with a lens being automatically up to no good.

Media generated hysteria? You bet!
 
I agree lots of people are now using the likes of the Fuji slr, they even sell them in asda sainsbury etc.On that point there must be a market for them.If someone is concerned about a tog think what is in the area of significant importance, is that long lens pointed at children or the park lake or wildlifeTerrorism on transport i have said before you only need a timetable or route planner. History has pointed most terrorists here are indiginous to the area they operate in for a while before. They know their way about and what is what. Security personnel i am one if its not sensitive and you are not suspected activist carry on but if bothered ask for SIA id badge so they can prove who they are.Complain to the manager of place they are contracted to and find out if its in their job description to come off private property and harrass. Last any weirdo in this day and age can find a whole host of kit available on the internet for sale etc and its a lot less conspicuous than some poor innocent persuing a legal hobby. Chin up folks and carry on it,s your right in a democracy
 
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