Have YOU ever been stopped by the police for taking photos?

Have YOU ever been stopped by the police for taking photos?

  • Total voters
    281
StewartR

StewartR

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Stewart
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Yes
There seem to be a few threads on this subject around at present, with quite variable degrees of hysteria / paranoia / reasonableness.

But here's a good comment to help keep this all in context:

Craig_B said:
Here's a question......how many people here have actually been stopped and questioned by the Police for taking photographs?
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So ... step right up and let's see what the numbers look like.
 
Not by the police, but I did get thrown out of The Oracle shopping centre by their security for taking photos :bat:
 
No, but then again, the cops don`t generally walk around woods and rivers.
 
I'll kick it off ... I have. Once. At about 23:45 outside the Houses Of Parliament, with a DSLR and tripod.

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Not yet, but will see after the Manchester meet Sunday. :D
 
I've been stopped/thrown out by security loads of times, not by police though
 
Once on the South Bank while taking photos of the Houses of Parliament (Prob the exact same position as StewartR was standing) at about 2300hrs on a Saturday evening. Their most of been about 6 people taking the exact same photo but only my mate and I were questioned, maybe because we were the only 2 using tripods.
 
I get a message saying I have already voted on this poll.
Sure is news to me.
 
I was once told off by security for taking picures of a mall from a public road! He went away a bit bewildered after i told him i was perfectly within my rights to do so :lol:
 
i voted yes...but it was a security guard in a shopping mall
 
bomberman said:
Do security guards count in this poll?
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guess not or you wouldnt have asked...definately a security guard..not a community police or auxiliary

i withdraw my vote:baby:
 
I got stopped a week ago in Roundhay Park, Leeds. They were hunting for a body (or training) in the lake when I turned up to shoot the boat house. I was asked very nicely to b****r off and seeing as I wasn't sure of my rights I did.
 
Got approached by a couple of police when taking some shots from a fair distance of a RTA - just the fire brigade cutting the roof off the car - no real detail. Told it 'was a crime scene' and I 'should have asked first'. I'd got what I wanted and 'went about my business without confrontation. Sent the shots to the local paper.
 
Yep by the plastic plods while i was taking pictures of horses in a local field..first thing he said was "what you doing taking pictures?" me "horses" plod "why" me "cos its my bloody hobbie :cuckoo:" then plod decided to inform me he`s calling for back up! By this stage i proceeded to inform him of my rights as a photographer :rules: in a rather civil manner, then he asked if i live locally? i told him yes,then he apologise saying he thought i was a gypsie and that i could carry on:suspect:
No explanation whatsoever:shrug:
 
I think maybe you should have other options like security or challenged by public, it might give a bigger picture (excuse the pun)
 
Never been stopped myself but I did see in one of the papers today that there is talk about trying to stop people taking pictures of Cathedrals and Banks etc.. and that one togger was stopped when taking a piccy of a Fish & Chip shop.

It does make you think twice and start looking over your shoulder with all this hysteria and paranoia. One of my favourite subjects is religious buildings and church yards and I already get a few weird looks from people when taking shots of grave stones. :D
 
Only reason i ask is that i've been moved on by security guards a few times in London

I was expecting to be stopped by the police when i set up my tripod outside the entrance to Westminster and pointed it straight down the road in the direction of the police booth. there were police right next to me and infront of me who all saw what i was doing and they never said a word!
 
ozzy38 said:
Yep by the plastic plods while i was taking pictures of horses in a local field..first thing he said was "what you doing taking pictures?" me "horses" plod "why" me "cos its my bloody hobbie :cuckoo:" then plod decided to inform me he`s calling for back up! By this stage i proceeded to inform him of my rights as a photographer :rules: in a rather civil manner, then he asked if i live locally? i told him yes,then he apologise saying he thought i was a gypsie and that i could carry on:suspect:
No explanation whatsoever:shrug:
Click to expand...

Actually thats a fair one - certain members of the 'travelling community' steal horses to order. Often photos are taken of local horses in the area and shown to prospective 'buyers'. They are then stolen in the night. He/she could have explained that to you though!

Myself - in many years of photography I've never been stopped!
 
Hi,
Yes, front page of the 'Independant' today. Basically say that Poice are stopping too mant togs under Sect 44 and they really shouldn't be.....

Dunc
 
Hi,
Yes, front page of the 'Independant' today. Basically say that Police are stopping too mant togs under Sect 44 and they really shouldn't be.....

Dunc
 
Duncan.F said:
Hi,
Yes, front page of the 'Independant' today. Basically say that Police are stopping too mant togs under Sect 44 and they really shouldn't be.....

Dunc
Click to expand...

No, this is about you, have you ever been stopped as in you personally, not just read the stories!
 
Been stopped twice, both times near to airports (Heathrow and also City Airport), way too heavy handed approach I must admit, having to hold your hands out in front of you whilst they proceed to fumble their way through the camera looking at images, telling you to be quiet and stuff.
 
odd jim said:
Actually thats a fair one - certain members of the 'travelling community' steal horses to order. Often photos are taken of local horses in the area and shown to prospective 'buyers'. They are then stolen in the night. He/she could have explained that to you though!

Myself - in many years of photography I've never been stopped!
Click to expand...

Thanks for that informaton:thumbs: Now i can totally understand the reason, but just not the manner in which mr plastic plod dealt with me!

Cheers

ozzy
 
odd jim said:
Actually thats a fair one - certain members of the 'travelling community' steal horses to order. Often photos are taken of local horses in the area and shown to prospective 'buyers'. They are then stolen in the night.
Click to expand...

Although the horse stealing and selling is illegal, they can still take horsey pictures!


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
Although the horse stealing and selling is illegal, they can still take horsey pictures!


Steve.
Click to expand...

Of course, I take horsey pics myself! But police cant turn a blind eye to it as thats a tactic used by criminals. Damned if they do, damned if they dont!

Unfortunately its a double edged sword - photography is abused by certain members of the community as it has more sinister uses for them, not based on the art form we enjoy!

We should be careful not to debate it in this thread though as its really a poll thread and there are plenty of other threads debating this on here now (too many!).
 
no but we tried to get thrown out by security at the exeter meet, no takers though despite how dodgy chaz looks
 
I've been stopped a few time in Manchester City Centre - the record is 3 times in 90min when Man U where playing Chelsea :shrug:

I was stopped taking photos of Chelsea fans being frisked and scanned to get into a pub. 5min later the same copper was taking a photo of a group of lads for them with their camera. :thinking:
 
Stopped by police several times, never S44 though. They've always been courteous and interested once the initial front is out the way
 
AndWhyNot said:
Stopped by police several times, never S44 though. They've always been courteous and interested once the initial front is out the way
Click to expand...

Same here. Asked what I'm doing - told them - that was pretty much that. Even had a nice chat with two Bobbies about the actual risks of terrorists taking photos with a particular eye on Google Street View.
 
Yes.

A few years ago I was involved in a fairly long-term project in a town not far from here. As I expected to be around that town over a period of a year or so
with my tripod and camera I thought I would introduce myself to the local plod-ess.

Several months later I was at the town "fete" taking pictures - well thinking about it - of kids crawling all over the fire-engine.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the plod-ess heading my way and knew immediately what was happening. I couldn't take pictures of these children, she told me. Well I had to accept it, but as she knew me it was fine otherwise.

She took me over to meet the firemen. They kept their arms firmly folded across their chests, and looked the other way. You could just imagine their thought processes......."bl**dy pervert"

But that's not why I get angry about the police stopping innocent people though.....
 
I got stopped by the police in the main shopping street where I used to live, he just asked how long I had been there taking pictures as there had been an incident earlier on and he was wondering if I may have images that showed the perpetrators.

Unfortunately I was unable to help as I had only been there about 10 mins and the incident had happened about 20 mins before I got there.
 
Nearly 25% voted yes! :eek:


Ive been stopped near twenty time by officers over the last 3 years. Shouldn't i get more than one vote. ;)

At least half of those on the main pavements of London, the other half in more obviously suspicious grounds like the empty car park at the end of City Airport or other less well trodden areas.

In almost all cases the police where excellent, in fact I have to say, it seems to me that they're far more knowledgeable about the rights of photographers during this last year.

Security guards is another matter and probably doubles that number.
.
 
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