UK photographers: the law and your rights: discussion

[skyscraper101]

This kind of thing

Quality pwnage of the PCSO. He looked like a right nob and now he's all over youtube. mwahaha.

 

[e19896]

Is that guide current? Genuine question, it just looks like it was posted in November 2004, wondered if it is still accurate.

yes very much so, and of use get yourself a printed copy laminate and keep with you. shit it has proven of use of late and before but then i get up to some of this:

I go into empty abandoned buildings. most people ignore them as they are not something that bothers them. however some people don't ignore them and they are called urban explorers. we have been exploring the urban metropolis of Sheffield most of our life,s but have only recently (from 2000) started to take a camera with us, also sometimes you will find images of people and gigs. Urban exploration, urbex or UE, is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of human civilization. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as Infiltration, although some people consider Infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or inhabited sites.

 

[editor]

This kind of thing

Top quality pwnage of that fucking moronic street wannabe cop..

 

[Forkboy]

It is getting rather alarming.. the manhandling of photographers - and even those with press badges - at the Tibet protests/Olympic flame relay was shocking to say the least...

 

[SpookyFrank]

I fear that the police can turn anything around to suit them when they want particularly where 'obstruction' can be cited as reason to prevent someone taking a photograph also where 'evidence' needs to be collected (i.e. camera confiscated)

Yeah, I've heard of worse cases than photographers being told not to take pictures. And once someone gets nicked for obstructing an officer it all too often comes down to the officer's word against the photographer. The worst part is that some defendants in these cases have been prevented from using the images/footage on their confiscated cameras in evidence.

 

[boskysquelch]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VfQrDK9YHas

 

[editor]

Note: Update to this discussion here:
http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=247084

 

[editor]

And this cop ain't so keen on giving out his number either:

 

[skyscraper101]

And this cop ain't so keen on giving out his number either:

Scarily the armed police who arrive on the scene later also don't seem to know the law. I hope he took it to police complaints after all that.

 

[Paul Russell]

Austin Mitchell is a good bloke.

He actually has experience of this himself -- the Guardian gave him a digital camera to record his week a while back. He took some photos outside a Labour Party conference, and he was told to stop by a police officer, who then "accidently" deleted all the photos on his card.

And he's an MP! Lucky he wasn't one of those dodgy looking protesters, or he'd probably be detained down the local nick for questioning.

 

[disco_dave_2000]

Seems like some of the media is begin to run this as a story - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7351252.stm

 

[editor]

I'm writing a feature on Photographers Rights now as I think it's important - I'll post up a link as soon as it's up.

 

[stowpirate]

Seems like some of the media is begin to run this as a story - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7351252.stm

We now have a war on photography. I think this bit highlighted the stupidity of the situation.

" It's difficult because the more professional a photographer, paradoxically, the more likely they are to be stopped or questioned.

If people were using photos for terrorism purposes they would be using the smallest camera possible."

Or just search the internet for some images and use google maps and earth to plan the attack as in this story.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/13/wgoogle13.xml

Because of this new anti photographer culture I have on occasion thought twice before using my camera.

 

[weltweit]

This problem may be getting worse but it is not in itself a new thing.

I arranged to print up business cards for all members of a club I was in, so we at least could look part of an organisation, affiliated with the RPS (or whatever). We carried them in our wallets in case we needed to look more official and they also permitted us to hand them out to promote the club.

We could have gone one step further and had our photos on the card, making them more like a photographers ID. I might try to get something like that in the future, could perhaps fend off some busybody.

 

[skyscraper101]

In related news...(from the BBC)

Innocent photographer or terrorist? Misplaced fears about terror, privacy and child protection are preventing amateur photographers from enjoying their hobby, say campaigners.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7351252.stm

(quite why anyone would want to get pictures of sharon from eastenders turning lights on in Ipswich is beyond me though )

 

[weltweit]

We had a letter from our childs school saying that photography would not be permitted at the school play. Some hint of reasons to do with child safety. I was looking forward to trying to get some snaps of my kid so I was quite dissapointed about this.

The day of the school play arrived and I went leaving my camera behind. What did I find when the play started? all the other parents produced still cameras galore and video cams and started shooting away anyhow .. power to the people. The head who was there and the other teachers said nothing and I was kicking myself for leaving my camera at home. Truth was that I had not wanted to be the only photographer there in case people thought I was a perv. Anyhow power to the people, these are our kids not the schools!!

 

[stowpirate]

all the other parents produced still cameras galore and video cams and started shooting away anyhow .. power to the people. The head who was there and the other teachers said nothing

Good for them, just ignore the cretins in authority and carry on as usual. I wonder what the actual risk to a child of being filmed at school is compared to being abused at home or even by school staff? Are there any horror stories about photographers actually filming a school event and as a result a child has been abused? What are the real odds - hundreds of millions to one!

 

[editor]

It's ridiculous - kids are being filmed on their way to school, in the shops, on the bus and often in the school itself thanks to CCTV, so why the fuck should The Man be the only one allowed to have footage?

 

[stowpirate]

It's ridiculous - kids are being filmed on their way to school, in the shops, on the bus and often in the school itself thanks to CCTV, so why the fuck should The Man be the only one allowed to have footage?

The next step in this stupidity is for some child protection cretin to ban parents from photographing there own children in there own home. However once a hair brained innitiative like this gets a foot in the door you never know what will happen next

 

[weltweit]

... there has already been suggestions of CCTV cameras in rented accommodation and council property to combat domestic abuse - which is probably a good idea. ...

Does not sound like a good idea to me.

It sounds right out of 1984.

Is it intended that these unfortunate people know they are being filmed?

 

[stowpirate]

Does not sound like a good idea to me.

It sounds right out of 1984.

Is it intended that these unfortunate people know they are being filmed?

I tried to cut that out of my original post as I realized it was going to take the thread off topic

Unless anybody knows otherwise so far it has only got as far as urging victims of domestic violence to conceal video cameras in their homes to collect evidence. Ken Livingstone is suggesting cameras on every street to combat the problem. A few months back it was suggested that there should be CCTV in the home to combat domestic violence and vandalism. I cannot find any links to relevant information but the idea was aimed at rented and council property.

 

[Paul Russell]

Here's a recent-ish piece about street photography and paranoia:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article3574763.ece

 

[editor]

Here's a recent-ish piece about street photography and paranoia:

Have you got a press card? Considering your style of photography it might be a worthwhile investment.

 

[Paul Russell]

Have you got a press card? Considering your style of photography it might be a worthwhile investment.

No. What are the eligibility criteria? As 90% of my meagre income come from freelance sub-editing, I'd sort of assumed that I wouldn't be, ahem, strictly eligible...

 

[Guineveretoo]

I don't mean to be pedantic - I am just genuinely curious - but where is the "lobby of parliament" mentioned?

 

[editor]

I don't mean to be pedantic - I am just genuinely curious - but where is the "lobby of parliament" mentioned?

Err...follow the link in the opening post?

No. What are the eligibility criteria? As 90% of my meagre income come from freelance sub-editing, I'd sort of assumed that I wouldn't be, ahem, strictly eligible...

Not really sure - check with (the poster) laptop or your local NUJ branch.

I've now finished my Guide To Photographer's Rights - I'd welcome feedback/corrections from users (but note that it's intended as a general guide, not an in depth examination of all the sometimes quite-complex laws).

I'm going to look into doing a credit card sized 'Bust card' that can be printed out

 

[Guineveretoo]

Err...follow the link in the opening post?

Er, I did follow it, and there is no lobby of parliament mentioned, other than in the title.

Oh well, I guess the article's author didn't understand what a "lobby of parliament" was, or else they are trying to encourage someone to start one

 

[editor]

I'll change the title of the thread.

 

[Guineveretoo]

That's much better, IMHO

 

[e19896]

Err...follow the link in the opening post?
Not really sure - check with (the poster) laptop or your local NUJ branch.

I've now finished my Guide To Photographer's Rights - I'd welcome feedback/corrections from users (but note that it's intended as a general guide, not an in depth examination of all the sometimes quite-complex laws).

I'm going to look into doing a credit card sized 'Bust card' that can be printed out

just read and useful, ill do a link. like the idea of bust cards very much if you get a donation or two from people (ill start and bung 30 pounds tell me where to) and can a load printed or we could self print from a download pdf file
and give a donation for each download, but i like the idea a lot.