NO TRIPODS - LONDON

fabs said:
FACT: Terrorists have used cameras to stake out potential targets

FACT: Not once have terrorists used anything bigger than a compact camera and certainly never a tripod.
Click to expand...

Really - source?

Some terrorist activities and the invasion of the houses of parliament by Fathers for Justice were planned using Google Maps and aerial photographs. I personally cannot see any justification for this persecution of photographers.
 
Its something that is worth considering for next time. Fine, if they were moving ALL cameras along then its a bit more acceptable, but still not right. The whole "professional camera" thing is ridiculous, to the point of being funny. It just shows complete ignorance.

I haven't had this yet, but then I haven't been out with my camera on a tripod in london, or taken pics with any cops etc in yet. I am kinda looking forward to the day I do though. I'll happily (and politely) discuss/argue the rules. I am not known for backing down easily! :lol:
 
markelliot said:
You will find since the whole war of terror started in 2001 that any place of comercial, political, historical, and infrastructure in the UK is watched like a hawk by security cameras. Whilst I understand that to us photographers not being able to use a tripod is a pest and makes night photography of some of the uk's landmarks dificult. I also believe that photography is definately a tool of the terrorist to stake out potential targets.

I work on the Forth Rail Bridge as an engineer and you would not even believe the security measures we have in place. This included a briefing by the police to all our men to make them aware of watching out for suspicious behaviour. We have seriously had to evacuate the bridge one day after the police put us on high alert of a potential bomb threat.

Also working in the construction industry I have a more practical understanding of H and S than most. And unfortunately it has gone crazy. I need to give a man a briefing now just to use a step ladder... and in some companies their use is banned... but if you don't tick all the boxes under current laws it could be you that's facing the man with a wig under a civil case if someone trips over your tripod! It is crazy but thats how it is!

Unfortunately the world is an evil place... but photography is our hobby... we just need to accept that some rules which possibly could be argued as over the top are put in place to protect the nation. I have already when asked put my tripod away in Edinburghs Waverley station... and there is allot of nice night shots in there. But at least I can go home and sleep in my bed at night knowing there are people out there watching and working... so that the next morning I can get up and safely travel into work in the knowledge I should be safe!

We do not need a repeat of 9/11 or the London bombs!
Click to expand...

Here`s an interesting read
Since 9/11, there has been an increasing war on photography. Photographers have been harrassed, questioned, detained, arrested or worse, and declared to be unwelcome. We've been repeatedly told to watch out for photographers, especially suspicious ones. Clearly any terrorist is going to first photograph his target, so vigilance is required.

Except that it's nonsense. The 9/11 terrorists didn't photograph anything. Nor did the London transport bombers, the Madrid bombers, or the liquid bombers arrested in 2006. Timothy McVeigh didn't photograph the Oklahoma City Federal Building. The Unabomber didn't photograph anything; neither did shoe-bomber Richard Reid. Photographs aren't being found amongst the papers of Palestinian suicide bombers. The IRA wasn't known for its photography. Even those manufactured terrorist plots that the US government likes to talk about -- the Ft. Dix terrorists, the JFK airport bombers, the Miami 7, the Lackawanna 6 -- no photography.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/05/news.terrorism
 
Byker28i said:
Really - source?

Some terrorist activities and the invasion of the houses of parliament by Fathers for Justice were planned using Google Maps and aerial photographs. I personally cannot see any justification for this persecution of photographers.
Click to expand...

Thats hardly terrorism. Those guys have my full support, those ***** take almost £1K a month from me for my only son. I love him to bits and do not mind paying my dues, but £1,000 a month for a 10 year old? Gimme a break.

Edit: I misread, I see you made a distinction :D.
 
Gary

my NUJ press pass from 1978 still gets me into all sorts of places mate, they usually let me out in the morning though without passing through magistrates lol lol

stew
 
Hi

take almost £1K a month from me for my only son **, are you serious Gary?

This thing about security. Imagine you are a bored security bod with another 5 hours to go and you are cold. Nothing is happening and then fresh "meat" in the guise of a tog comes a long. I'll have him you think. But then the photographer questions your authority and respectfully asks on what grounds. Now you can either go back to your perch or explain yourself. Carry ID guys and know your ground, it often works

stew
 
artona said:
Hi

take almost £1K a month from me for my only son **, are you serious Gary?

This thing about security. Imagine you are a bored security bod with another 5 hours to go and you are cold. Nothing is happening and then fresh "meat" in the guise of a tog comes a long. I'll have him you think. But then the photographer questions your authority and respectfully asks on what grounds. Now you can either go back to your perch or explain yourself. Carry ID guys and know your ground, it often works

stew
Click to expand...

Artona, deadly serious. They demanded £6K "backdated" within a month too. backdated to when they started to "reasses" my payment. It took them 6 months to do, and they now demand that I pay that 6 month in full, NOW or I'm in court in the next 4 weeks.

Im going to court, I don't give a ****. They are a disgrace, my mortgage payments are disregarded due to them being so high! "Its not our fault you chose such an expensive house" etc etc. Simple fact is, they want me to pay anything I earn over and above what they consider a "reasonable lifestyle".

I have thought more than once about going to the news, but I would end up looking like the spoilt rich prick who does not want to pay for his kid.

I am working on reducing my assessment at the moment. Dunno how, but I will manage it.
 
EdinburghGary said:
Thats hardly terrorism. Those guys have my full support, those ***** take almost £1K a month from me for my only son. I love him to bits and do not mind paying my dues, but £1,000 a month for a 10 year old? Gimme a break.

Edit: I misread, I see you made a distinction :D.
Click to expand...

I agree with the points they raise, not how they go about it. And those battling for custody pulling stunts like hanging of a bridge on the M25, hardly helps when proving that they are resposible enought to have parental custody does it?! Protesting is one thing, putting lives at risk other than your own to prove a piont (like the bridge incident) is irresponsible on all counts. But thats a different thread!!!

EDIT: Gary, you posted before I finished writing. I sympathise with your cuase and wish you all the best for a resolution. My piont was that the some of stunts pulled by the FFJ are not a responsible way of doing things.
 
Rob.7wood said:
I agree with the points they raise, not how they go about it. And those battling for custody pulling stunts like hanging of a bridge on the M25, hardly helps when proving that they are resposible enought to have parental custody does it?! Protesting is one thing, putting lives at risk other than your own to prove a piont (like the bridge incident) is irresponsible on all counts. But thats a different thread!!!
Click to expand...

Amen to that, silly stunt.

Gary.
 
Under the Health & Safety at Work Act if the use of a Tripod is considered a "Significant Risk" then a Risk Assessment should take place and "Be Recorded"

If Jobsworth spouts the H&S reason ask to see the Risk Assessment as they MUST have one :D
 
What's the difference, H&S wise, between a photographer standing on the South Bank taking a few photos using a tripod and a parent with a child in a buggy standing in the same spot admiring the view? Next time I'm home to London i'll have my tripod, wife, son and buggy with me so I'm looking forward to my meeting with a jobsworth ;)

Paul
 
fabs said:
she replied "No, just professional cameras and tripods".
Click to expand...

When does a camera become a professional camera? If I owned a D3 and never made a penny out of the images produced by that camera, surely it's not a "professional" camera, where as if I owned one of these:

AJESSCM455000003.jpg


and sold the images I produced for stock, then does that not make the Jessops Once+ a professional camera?
 
A simple reply is "It's the person that's the professional, not the equipment"

If they protest, just say "If I go and buy a yellow jacket, can I evict YOU from these premises then?"

Or "If I go and buy some handcuffs, does that make me a policeman?...Of course not you silly sod"
 
Anyone fancying a bit of unmolested tripod photography in North London should go to the RAF Museum in Hendon. It also easy to get to from Central London on the Northern Line to Colindale then a short walk.

On arrival go to the reception desk and ask for a "tripod permit".

You are then free to go anywhere you like in the museum and use your tripod.

On the day I visited it was actually quite busy and I tried not to block narrow paths in the museum but I was not given a moments grief by the staff.

In fact several of them even tried not to walk through my field of view when it was obvious I was just about to take a picture. :thumbs:

Highly recommended

David
 
Thats brill David, I think we need to compile a list of the good guys :D

Then start protests against the bad guys :D
 
fabs said:
I asked that same question and IIRC her answer was "One that looks like that!" :shrug:
Click to expand...

Heres what you do. Get a compact with more MP than your dslr. So when they say its one that looks pro take the compact out and say "Well this has more MP than that, so which is the more pro?"
 
petemc said:
Heres what you do. Get a compact with more MP than your dslr. So when they say its one that looks pro take the compact out and say "Well this has more MP than that, so which is the more pro?"
Click to expand...

She would probably asked what a megapixel was. To be honest I don't think she knew what she was on about, she was just "following orders". :shake:
 
I'm sure in this day and age most people know enough about cameras to know that MP = best. I'm often asked about it. All the 'pro' cameras have high MP, thats what makes them pro innit. My G9 has 12mp and my 30D has 8. So technically I could say that I get better prints from my G9. We know thats not true, but technically I can say that because the images are bigger. So if I use a camera that doesn't look pro am I ok, even though it produces "better" photos?
 
petemc said:
I'm sure in this day and age most people know enough about cameras to know that MP = best. I'm often asked about it. All the 'pro' cameras have high MP, thats what makes them pro innit. My G9 has 12mp and my 30D has 8. So technically I could say that I get better prints from my G9. We know thats not true, but technically I can say that because the images are bigger. So if I use a camera that doesn't look pro am I ok, even though it produces "better" photos?
Click to expand...

Not saying your wrong Pete, just that in this case I don't think that anything we said would have made any difference as she didn't appear to be able to deviate from the "script". Probably a good thing that Woodsy to the lead as I'm not sure i would have been as diplomatic.
 
Probably right. They get told something and have to enforce it because its their job. Still fun to toy with them though :) Fight the system! Hack the planet!
 
Whilst parked in a pub carpark for 5 minutes the other day waiting for my other half to exit the premises i started playing with my settings trying a few different creative exposures. I was reading "UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURES" and putting into practice what i was reading when this lady ran out of the pub and demanded to know what i was doing taking pictures of her car:cuckoo:.

I explained that i wasnt taking pictures of her car and that i was focusing on the shop window over the other side of the road it just happened to be that her car was in front of me. Well that wasnt good enough was it out came her fella, the landlord and even the chef:shake: and all started having a go at me saying how weird it was that i was siitting in my car talking pictures.

I even found myselff offering them to take a look at my experiments (not worthy of being called shots) but of course even this wasnt good enough, off they went in a huff after telling me to get off the premises.

It just seems to be getting to a point where im fed up of being nice, next time im gonna hit the ****ing roof:boxer: and ask them why are they exiting a public house and getting into a car should i call the police

people just need to start minding there own business we dont go up and ask an artist why he/she is painting that scene but us photographers seem to get in the neck far to often these days.

we need to fight back as being nice is just not working:bang:
 
Redpaul said:
What's the difference, H&S wise, between a photographer standing on the South Bank taking a few photos using a tripod
Click to expand...

None as far as i can see infact i would say the buggy is worse, funnily enough when i was on holiday in Thailand in may i went to a place called Bang-Pa-In which is a really beautiful place(pics in my Thailand holiday thread), but at the entrance i was asked to leave my tripod i thought it was quite odd as it was quite an open spacious place lovely buildings temples etc, not sure if it was for religious reasons or whatever, you don't tend to question things in a country like that you just conform, but my point is it does appear the UK is not the only country that has restrictions in tourist areas, having said that i still don't agree with any of it :thumbsdown:
 
Rob.7wood said:
What did your wife do?!
Click to expand...


Exited the pub laughing at me :lol: saying ....not again:bang: Then sat back and fell asleep while i mumbled on for the journey home about how people just need to mind there own business :bonk:
 
Try asking what the permit is called and where you can apply for it and what it costs as they know all about it, oh and how long does the permit last for, politely of course.

If they can't answer, then ask if they could find out for you as they are familiar with the licence and the area.

That should stump them

Bazza
 
We need to set up a site lets say....tripodsreunited.com where we can name and shame the places in Briton that stop us from using tripods. Better still lets get thousands of us to petition Downing street demanding answers and clarification on the tripod issues of today.........i need a holiday:runaway:
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
You will get the same thing anywhere, and have done for years. Tripods are a 'trip hazard' and with lovely health and safety you need a permit/insurance to erect one in a public place. Police will move you on anywhere if they see you.
Click to expand...

If anyone is stupid enough to get that close to you and trips over your tripod deserves a poke in the eye,especially if they knock your equipment over in the process.:lol:
 
If your on some one else land then they can make the rules, under H&S a risk assesment is done to prove it is safe to carry out the task. They dont need a risk assesment to say you cant do something, but if they havent got a risk assesment then you can not carry out that task.

I have to write risk assesments on a daily basis for every single job i do, even then id recon some jobsworth some where could pick holes in vitually any building working as H&S has gone that silly, infact, id say to the point that some jobs are more dangerious then before.
 
bbb said:
You should try turning up at Canary Wharf with a Tripod and a Model, the security Guards nearly had a heart attack, they send a whole sqaud in a speedboat to intercept me!

001.jpg


http://www.grantgb.com/cateatcanarywharf.htm
Click to expand...

This reminds me of The end of Dude Wheres My Car!

I reckon we should organise a TP Flash Mob. For those unfamiliar ----> link


I reckon we should do our in in london, where we all get out our cameras, fixed on tripods, Hundreds off us and simply freeze for the alotted time and see what reactions we get!
 
"I reckon we should organise a TP Flash Mob. For those unfamiliar ----> link


I reckon we should do our in in london, where we all get out our cameras, fixed on tripods, Hundreds off us and simply freeze for the alotted time and see what reactions we get! "

Now i am so up for that :thumbs:
 
but who will photograph this spectacular event!?!!?!
 
Or we could all photograph eachother, or ourselves using the tripods and self timer!

You don't have to stand still as a flash mob, there was a flash mob in leicester where at the allocated time there was a two minute pillow fight before the crowd dispersed...
 
You should just go and set up your tripod with no camera, pointed at the building and see what they do lol!

(you may get funny looks, but we usually do anyway)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top