Taking photos in public
I take a lot of photos, so sooner or later I’m going to have a run-in with some obnoxious, ill-informed knobhead like this one:
There is currently an Early Day Motion on the topic Tabled in Parliament which already has 99 signatures:
That this House is concerned to encourage the spread and enjoyment of photography as the most genuine and accessible people’s art; deplores the apparent increase in the number of reported incidents in which the police, police community support officers (PCSOs) or wardens attempt to stop street photography and order the deletion of photographs or the confiscation of cards, cameras or film on various specious ground such as claims that some public buildings are strategic or sensitive, that children and adults can only be photographed with their written permission, that photographs of police and PCSOs are illegal, or that photographs may be used by terrorists; points out that photography in public places and streets is not only enjoyable but perfectly legal; regrets all such efforts to stop, discourage or inhibit amateur photographers taking pictures in public places, many of which are in any case festooned with closed circuit television cameras; and urges the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers to agree on a photography code for the information of officers on the ground, setting out the public’s right to photograph public places thus allowing photographers to enjoy their hobby without officious interference or unjustified suspicion.
I’m pleased to see that my otherwise fruitloop watermelon MP has signed the EDM, so I don’t have to bend his ear. If it bothers you, hastle your MP about it too.
(The site of the video, Current TV UK is worth a look as well)
(Hat tip- 28 days later)
March 28th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I don’t think this is necessarily anything to do with Government, Police or PCSOs. It’s just one plum of a PCSO who needs a bit of ‘retraining’. I know for a fact he’s had a ‘word in his ear’ by a senior officer, so let’s leave it there hay?
It’s not a draconian new law or policy, just some numpty PCSO who got it wrong. We are all human; we all get it wrong every now and again.
March 28th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
PCSO Bloggs, welcome. I agree it isn’t necessarily the points you say, but it is symptomatic of petty officialdom, particularly those where uniforms go with the job. This certainly isn’t a one-off by any means judging by some photography forums I occasionally visit. (The Met campaign hasn’t helped either)
March 31st, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I didn’t know there’d been any problems. Certainly photographing children without parents’ permission is a bit dubious. But not necessraily because of the photographer.