Photographing a scrapyard - permission?

beefykoala

beefykoala

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Helen
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Ok so I am doing a project on the Manchester to Liverpool train line and would like to take pics of some stuff on private land...

  • A car scrapyard
  • Someone's back yard allotment
  • A building site compromising of diggers moving mud from one bit to another
  • An old farm house
And some other stuff.

I've been looking on the internet about the laws of photography but I am a little clueless about whether I need a property release for these things as they are private property, and the scrapyard may have distinguising features. Also, how do I go about asking them if I can photograph the spaces as I want to go about it legally.

Also any advice on risk assessments etc would be appreciated (I'm at uni, you see).

Cheers ears.

Helen
 
there are threads on here reguarding the law if ya do a search :)
 
Cheers guys.

Does anyone know of anyone who's photographed similar? I've tried using the search function but it comes up with so much stuff it swamps my little brain!
 
For a Uni project? So not being published? Therefore you're not making any money? Accessible from public land? You're fine*



*this does not constitute legal advice.
 
My advice comes from a more common sense approach. If you intend to photograph a scrap yard I would ask the owners permission first because if they see you working not having informed them first they might get a bit uppity, and scrapyard owners are not known for their tact and diplomacy :D. Risk assessment? I'm sure you don't want to end up with a lump of four by two round your noggin or have the dogs set on you.

Likewise with a building site ask the site managers permission, Health & Safety laws will probably require you to report to him and he will insist on you wearing the proper protective clothing e.g. hard hat, high-vis vest and boots.
 
Building site, the answer will most likely be a big no! H&S rules swamp these places so that if it's a honest site they won't want to take the risk and if they employ iffy labour they certainly won't. My advice there would be to use a long lens and do the shoot from somewhere else.
 
Don't be to tempted to climb over walls into scrap yards either, scrap is gold at the moment, and most yards have huge aggressive unfed dogs and owners who don't give a ....

I Just ask politely, being honest and diplomatic.... I ting it with excitement and a passion about something on the land and that often gets a good response.
 
Find out who owns the sites - go and knock on the doors, explain what you're doing. Then if they agree, wear some strong boots and a hi-vis vest. As long as they're not suspicious of your motivations, they'll probably let you in.

Although I'm hardly one to talk about asking permission, active businesses and people's backyards aren't somewhere you want to be going really. Getting caught/seen could result in you being arrested for attempted burglary - you'd be released without charge, but it wouldn't be fun for you.
 
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