[Brian Considine]

I'm afraid that this is just yet another sign of the times that we now live in.

Often, in my main work I have to take pictures of shop fronts, facia signs & so on. If I am in a shopping centre, railway station or similar I will have to get permission from the control room or centre management, often in writing, in advance to do so - not just for "anti-terrorist" measures but for "health & safetly" reasons - never with a tripod either, unless the area is closed to the public at the time.

Certainly, there are over zealous officials but generally we will have to get used to it - can you imagine the public outcry if it came out that some atrocity was sucessfull because someone had been allowed unhindered access to take photographs ? There can be loads of detail in a "general" picture, such as the postion of security camera's.

Yes, it is a shame for those of us who enjoy taking pictures, but how many other hobbies are now restricted ?

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Doug @ 18 Apr 2008, 09:06) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Basically, if you are on public land or in a public space you can take a picture of whatever you want - even if the scene you are shooting is on private land or on private space (like looking through a fence into a private garden). If you are private land or in a private place you have to ask permission.

If someone doesn't want to be photographed, then it is up to them to build higher walls.

Authorities need a court order to ask you not to photograph in a public space or to take your photographic film or equipment.

You can take photos of shops, military installations, airports etc. as long as it from the outside.

You can take pictures of kids, crash scenes, celebrities, politicians etc. as long as you are on public land or in a public space.

In principle yes - but, the authorities (whoever they may be at the time) can usually stop you, should they wish to under various anti-terrorism or health & safety rules applied to suit themselves. Don't forget "behaviour to encourage a breech of the peace" or whatever. It's all down to how they apply it.

England used to be a free country with it's citizens free to go about their daily business without interference, but not any more - just count the number of CCTV camera's you see during a typical day.

Mind you, I remember being the first on the scene of a very, very gory accident when the truck involved had the cab virtually smashed away with the driver badly trapped & when the fire service rigged up some screens (using my stepladders) to stop the ghoules gawping a photographer tried to get through to take pictures and was asked to "leave it alone please" several times - who really has the right - the truck driver fighting for his life not to have his face (or what was left of it) plastered all over the local rag or the vulture with the camera ?

 

[Brian Considine]

A very useful guide (as is the one on the Hornby Bobbies website).

Thanks for the link.