Throughout history, we have documented the world around us using words, art and photography. Photography in particular has provided fantastic insights into the past and present, and is a hobby enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. But today, it's becoming increasingly difficult to take photos of our surroundings, particularly in cities like London.
As photographers we are constantly harrassed by security guards and police officers in the name of preventing terrorism, despite no evidence that photography has _EVER_ been a factor in a terrorist attack. The police and authorities seem to be operating under a different interpretation of the law to the rest of us.
Bruce Schneier of the Guardian wrote a brilliant article on this exact issue
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/05/news.terrorism
We would like clarification by the goverment on the law regarding photography of buildings and landmarks from public locations, and we have created a petition on the UK goverment website.
The petition can be found at : http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/photographylaw/
- If you have ever taken a photograph, you should consider signing this petition.
- If you know anyone who has ever taken a photograph, you should consider signing this petition, and send the link to them too.
- If you've ever enjoyed looking at a photograph, you should consider signing this petition.
This issue affects nearly all of us, and it will only get worse as time goes on. I personally have been stopped and questioned by the police while taking a photo of my own house in a quiet suburban area, and most of my friends have also been questioned, or know someone who has.
At the time of writing, we have over 5,500 signatures, but we need more, and there is now less than a month to go (deadline 13th September 2008) until the petition is closed and sent to the PM for a response. Please help by signing the petition or by forwarding this email to friends & colleagues, or copying it into forums.
Thanks for taking the time to read this message
Edit: PS. Apologies if this is a repost.
As photographers we are constantly harrassed by security guards and police officers in the name of preventing terrorism, despite no evidence that photography has _EVER_ been a factor in a terrorist attack. The police and authorities seem to be operating under a different interpretation of the law to the rest of us.
Bruce Schneier of the Guardian wrote a brilliant article on this exact issue
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/05/news.terrorism
We would like clarification by the goverment on the law regarding photography of buildings and landmarks from public locations, and we have created a petition on the UK goverment website.
The petition can be found at : http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/photographylaw/
- If you have ever taken a photograph, you should consider signing this petition.
- If you know anyone who has ever taken a photograph, you should consider signing this petition, and send the link to them too.
- If you've ever enjoyed looking at a photograph, you should consider signing this petition.
This issue affects nearly all of us, and it will only get worse as time goes on. I personally have been stopped and questioned by the police while taking a photo of my own house in a quiet suburban area, and most of my friends have also been questioned, or know someone who has.
At the time of writing, we have over 5,500 signatures, but we need more, and there is now less than a month to go (deadline 13th September 2008) until the petition is closed and sent to the PM for a response. Please help by signing the petition or by forwarding this email to friends & colleagues, or copying it into forums.
Thanks for taking the time to read this message
Edit: PS. Apologies if this is a repost.
