NO TRIPODS - LONDON

I've never heard of the tripod issue being mentioned as a trip hazard, although it could be argued that a photographer, using a tripod, would constitute more of an obstruction than one not using one. Given the large numbers of people that can pass through the pedestrian areas of Canary Wharf, an obstruction may not strictly be desirable.

After all, it's private property and they can make the rules, as already mentioned in this thread. They could, for example, rule that only cameras painted like Mr. Blobby (I hope fervently that there's not a forum user with that name) can be used, if they so wished.
 
Redpaul said:
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
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why not just attach a gorrila pod to the buggy?
 
Hi

have read through all of this thread and havent reached a conclusion? - so where do we stand on the Tripod thing? - I am in London the week after next on a course and wanted to use the evenings to get out and take some shots - cliche' areas galore....

is it worth packing my tripod into my travel bag or will it just be too much hassle and shall i just take the camera and compromise of hand-holding or using walls etc to take night shots?? - cant really see that i want to be getting confrontational on an evening in London, there again if its worth taking just in case, i'll do that :)
 
rabaroo said:
Hi

have read through all of this thread and havent reached a conclusion? - so where do we stand on the Tripod thing? - I am in London the week after next on a course and wanted to use the evenings to get out and take some shots - cliche' areas galore....

is it worth packing my tripod into my travel bag or will it just be too much hassle and shall i just take the camera and compromise of hand-holding or using walls etc to take night shots?? - cant really see that i want to be getting confrontational on an evening in London, there again if its worth taking just in case, i'll do that :)
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As long as you're on public land (well, most parts of it anyway) you should be OK. Most of people's experiences seem to come from when they are on/in private property, museums, secret nuclear installations etc.
 
rabaroo said:
is it worth packing my tripod into my travel bag or will it just be too much hassle and shall i just take the camera and compromise of hand-holding or using walls etc to take night shots?? - cant really see that i want to be getting confrontational on an evening in London, there again if its worth taking just in case, i'll do that :)
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Take it - I use mine all the time! I've never been stopped or hassled.
 
So, did you ever get the permit? If not i say a bunch of us go down there with tripods and when haressed, we calmly ask where we apply for the permission?

Man, its crap like this that makes me wonder if its worth getting a DSLR, if you can't take pics anywhere!
 
LOL, that's brilliant. I work for a newspaper and I don't think I've ever seen one of our paps using a tripod, so are they not commercial?
 
Just read through this thread ..... interesting :shake: does this mean that the TP Xmas mega meet is going to end very soon with us all being taken to the nearest "nick" and arrested under these ridiculous rules/laws/etc.

... or are we safe cos EdinburghGary has got us a permit ???? possibly ???

:D
 
looking through this thread im looking at it from both sides. if you are on private property you can be asked to move, that is any part of the area that is owned by the company or they are deemed responsible for.if not they cant move you or impede you they are out of bounds if they work for the company.using the tripod H&s, blind approaching from rear etc (million to one shot ) if densley populated with pedestrians but then again youre not exactly invisible.areas where the feet of tripod may leave mark on ancient flooring . well how often.terrorism modern mobile camera just as good less obvious. so yes basically hysteria and jobs worth but are the same people who judge and tipify you, the same when they are photographing mates family etc abroad bladdered with all kinds of strangers in back groung or topless girls by pool. all you can do is politely ask about their authority and by whose they are acting on when approached and if enough of us do it they will soon get bored.
 
Guys,

There is a guy named in this thread somewhere with a wierd Scottish Name. He is the one to contact for permission in and around Canary Wharf only. I have no idea if he will grant permission, but he is the one to ask :)

Good luck,

Gary.
 
Hammerhead64 said:
Just read through this thread ..... interesting :shake: does this mean that the TP Xmas mega meet is going to end very soon with us all being taken to the nearest "nick" and arrested under these ridiculous rules/laws/etc.

... or are we safe cos EdinburghGary has got us a permit ???? possibly ???

:D
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you're not safe because he's got you a permit

you're safe because he's a ninja

so keep back mr bloody jobsworth !
 
Perhaps we should all turn up in London with a load of throw away
Jessop jobbies cable tied to tripods :lol:

A list of hassle free/dodgy areas would be good though :thumbs:
 
Gary,
I have not been back to this thread for ages, did you ever get a response to your letter?

Apologies if this is old news!

Rob
 
EdinburghGary said:
Yes I thought I had posted it. Basically I was given the name and number of the guy to ask for in terms of a Tripod Permit.
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Cool, Ill have a look back through later.

Legendary thread dude!
 
Perhaps the answer is to simply wear a gorilla suit when using a tripod. When challenged,we can say 'I'm not a professional, like you and the workshy oiks in Parliament, I am a G_O_R_I_L_L_A. No no, I'm obvioulsy not wild, i'm frankly bloody livid.'

Or 'Your breath stinks and I find you offensive. Do you have a permit for bad breath? I note you are not displaying warnings on your high vis jacket stating you have bad breath. Not only is this a breach of H+S law you are compromising my human right to deal only with operatives with non-offensive fresh breath. I am sorry but I have no option than to make a citizens arrest and I suggest you come quietly.'

In a similar thought process, niether BBC nor Gordon Brown have my express permission to broadcast into my home. Firstly, regarding BBC. I only buy a TV Licence to watch Chanel 4. Therefore broadcasting into my home without a licence is gross intrusion of my privacy and consitutes trespass. Secondly, my records show a licence has not been purchased in 40 years. Therefore please review enclosed invoice and settle in 7 days....
As for Gordon Brown invading my home via the TV and trespassing as a result, if I want to watch gorillas I'll tune in to David Attenborough instead thank you very much. :lol:
 
:D Fight fire with fire, it's all 'the others' understand....
 
J Gordon said:
In a similar thought process, niether BBC nor Gordon Brown have my express permission to broadcast into my home. Firstly, regarding BBC. I only buy a TV Licence to watch Chanel 4. Therefore broadcasting into my home without a licence is gross intrusion of my privacy

As for Gordon Brown invading my home via the TV and trespassing as a result, if I want to watch gorillas I'll tune in to David Attenborough instead thank you very much. :lol:
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Hmm, David Attenborough is a BBC man though...
/Pedantry
(Runs away laughing maniacally)
 
flygirl said:
are you not supposed to use a tripod in London?
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I don't think there is a law against it, but there do seem to be a lot of security guards intent on asking you to move on.
 
I think I missed the name and number of the Canary Wharf permit guy, I did read all 7 pages (honest guv). Does anyone recall which page it was on so I don't have to read it all again?
 
garymercer said:
Maybe we need to get some of those yellow signs made up like those used by cleaners for slippery surfaces etc...

beware.jpg


EDIT : Oh and some tape that says "TRIPOD LINE, DO NOT CROSS"
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Now that is excellent.....:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:
 
EdinburghGary said:
Its insane. I was out taking photos before going to the cinema a few months back. Lost track of time, so had no time to dump camera at home, and I was NOT leaving it in the car in Leith.

Anyway, I had a 2o minute argument with the manager about my "piracy threat" versus all the compact video cams on all the high capacity video phones!!! I had to comprimise and surrender my Battery, I was not happy. I tried to explan that if I wanted to pirate a film, I would either download a good copy, or take in a VIDEO capable camera small enough to hide :D I had the D3 with 14 to 24 BOWL on the front!!!! Did she honestly think I would try and record with it?

I don't understand why big and black = professional ! ;)

Gary.
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Same drill at the O2 arena last week. There was a big banner sign over the entrance saying "no unauthorised cameras allowed past this point" so being an honest sort of fellow I asked a security guard what an unauthorised camera was. This proved to be a mistake! :thumbsdown: She looked at my (still cased) DSLR and said "you can't take that in". The reason given was "because it looks a bit too professional" !! :thinking:

So I asked where I could leave it and she shrugged and said there were no lockers. She explained the reason was that they didn't want people recording the show. I pointed out the camera didn't actually take video (although the little Ixus 960is clipped to my belt would but I didn't mention that!), but this apparently made no difference as the camera which she still hadn't seen or asked to see was "too professional looking".

WHAT A LOAD OF ****. I could have spent all day talking to her and pointing out the lack of logic but realised this would make no difference at all, so I just retired to a safe distance then entered the arena later through the doors furthest from Miss Malattitude.

You really are onto a loser trying to reason with security guards IMHO, they're too far down the food chain to take a risk applying common sense and judgement to a situation. They will simply rigidly enforce the rules as they see them.
 
It's my understanding that it is illegal to use a tripod in the "royal" parks, theres a bylaw or something similar, although I believe you can get a permit (how that would get around a LAW I don't know?) from somewhere, the GLC maybe?? Wayne
 
I think the problem wih security guards in general is that they have probably just had it up to their ears in various reasons and excuses, whether legitimate or not. It probably gets very annoying and tedious to the point where they just get fed up.

I had my D50 with me at the cinema once, and the security guard there did the classic, cant take it in, too professional jibber jabber, so I said: "your phone takes better video than this thing," and I showed him some pretty pictures, he let me through with a smile.
 
who/where does one enquire to for obtaining a permit for shooting commercially in a public place (such as around Trafalgar Square or near Tower Bridge)? Commercially, I mean imagery fro advertising purposes.
 
ahh thought maybe somebody knew of a site online that listed the steps/numbers.
 
swanseamale47 said:
It's my understanding that it is illegal to use a tripod in the "royal" parks, theres a bylaw or something similar, although I believe you can get a permit (how that would get around a LAW I don't know?) from somewhere, the GLC maybe?? Wayne
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I don't believe it is illegal to use a tripod anywhere. However it may be a restriction based on commercial photography needing a permit (That costs some)
 
the way i see it is you just need to be quick...;)
Have all your camera settings ready set, camera round ya neck whip open the tripod legs pop the camera on fire off three or four shots before the poxy security can even get there.. after all they have to finish there doughnut put the tea down then haul their unfit asses half way across the complex.

then claim ignorance and walk away..voilà :coat:
 
lol yea i'm always quick too. but i did take a series on my tripod during the middle of the day at Canary Wharf, also handheld pointing up at the buildings (which apparently they hate)...the security guards around just walked past and smiled, lol.
 
englandshottest2 said:
lol yea i'm always quick too. but i did take a series on my tripod during the middle of the day at Canary Wharf, also handheld pointing up at the buildings (which apparently they hate)...the security guards around just walked past and smiled, lol.
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If you weren't a girl, I bet the situation would have been slightly different :)
 
hehehe i have been told that, that and the fact im not wearing typical work/waterproof gear (try and blend in!) hehehe
 
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