Find out what you can and can’t take photos of in the UK in this exclusive Practical Photography guide. Watch Tim take to the streets of London to see how people react to photographers, and get the official lowdown from Inspector Malcolm Graham from the Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
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World views are different today. When I first started photography I would take pictures of my 4 year daughter at play with other little children. Children are such great photo subjects especially in a playground situation. They are like little adults the way they talk and socialize with other. Great subjects. Hang around today and take pictures of children and you may considered a pedophile. Now, I stick strictly to landscapes and wildlife photography.
There's also a trickle down theory when it comes to human rights. If they get taken away slowly and with stealth then no one will notice. But older people can see the difference from when they were young and today. If you look with old persons' eyes then the situation is serious and not to be trivialised.
Ok so you can take photos of whatever you want if you are in a public space. But what is more important is what can you do with those photos? Can you, for example, publish photos of buildings, people or children in a book? Can you post them on the internet? All without permission?
I almost feel sorry for the security. It’s just a part of their training but they don’t realise they’re being turned into automatons. People fought very hard for any of the freedoms we enjoy today & those freedoms must be fought for & protected. We live in a surveillance state for god sake & yet these security guards think they can leave their buildings & walk into a public street & start interrogating a member of the public. The media have done a great job making everyone afraid of terrorism & most people are not awake enough & educated enough to realise that the real terrorists are the people that own most of these buildings.
Do not stop walking or look up, if your below the underside of a flyover. Especially if your carrying a bucket of fish.
Under section 43 you must be suspected of carrying a kettle of fish.
So, best advice is always carry a kettle of fish with you, if your using a camera.
Lol, you need permission to take pictures of buildings. Misinformed fools. You can take a picture of anything if you’re on public land.
There's the law & *reality.
Yes you are within your rights (obvious exclusions), but in *reality if the objecting side pushes hard enough & has the ear of a sympathetic policeman, you will stop.
If you tick off the police, and they have the time, they will find a way, anyway; be
it sophistry (pretending to upload the law, that they know to be wrong), illegal, or honestly through ignorance.
In *reality, choose your battles wisely.
I was a bit concerned after listening to the responses from the Police officer. It seems as though he would intervene and start questioning a photographer who, in his perception, was photographing the ‘wrong’ subject matter. God help the photographer who was subject to interagation by a less well informed officer. One thing I would advise after watching a few Crimebodge videos is to keep any interactions with the police to a minimum, and NEVER give them any details about yourself. You do not have to prove your innocence to any police officer.
Do the same shots with a cellphone and NO ONE will stop you. Bring out a larger kit and then they start getting bothered. Such at strange thing to me.
Tripods are always like itching powder to any form of official
It’s sad photography is being seen as a criminal act nowadays. I was stopped by a security as well here in Dubai for vlogging in a public place. I was using a g7x that time and he said professional cameras are not allowed, mind you, my camera is directly focused on me, not even to other people or building. What’s even funnier is they are letting other people using phone cameras which are having good image quality as well.. It is just sad that the essence of photography is slowly fading away.
How do the paparazzi and film crews take photos of Theresa May exiting No. 10 for example then?
"the Official Secrets Act prevents you taking pictures of military establishments"
No it doesn't.
Fun fact is, if you will shoot same video or take pictures only with your mobile phone, no one will ever worried about you. So if they giving you some bullshit about anti terrorism security etc. just ask them if theyre really think terrorist will do recon with equipment like yours.
Terrorism is the prime reason why you want as many cameras as possible.
As a budding photographer, I understand the experiment…however, also understand this day and age, security reasons. I think ask the building reception, explain and then take the shot. Life made easy for the photographer 👍🏽 advice for free. If an event was to happen and led back to a suspicious man taking photos of the building, the question would be…why did no one ever ask him why he was taking photos!?!? Where the happy medium people? I prefer the security check. Here here
Most of security saying you can’t are foreign twats
I think it would have probably been better to have asked these questions of a Lawyer. The Police don't have a particularly good record of providing good legal advice on this matter and in many cases have wrongfully penalise photographers for going about their lawful business. Photographers need impartial, unbiased professional legal advice.
Good explanation. Curious though, do those security people have phones in their pockets? If Every precious building exterior can be pulled up on Google Street View. What is the terrorism thing about using a DSLR?
Nice to see an informative way of dealing and educating about the issues. A lot better than some of the other videos uploaded by people who have other agendas.
When did common decency replace enforcing your rights as a photographer on the innocent general public? Should your image be caught on a photograph whilst photographing a building that's just unfortunate but, to actually point your camera with zoom lens attached at someone's face and take pictures is still an invasion of privacy in my eyes, Especially when they are uploaded to the internet. Its no wonder you get bad publicity. You deserve it!!
This video is very inaccurate. You do not "have to apply to a buildings or security manager" to take photographs in public of buildings. They don't own the light that reflects of the camera lens.
CCs would have been handy. Spare a thought for us hard of hearing
6:18 that's a great business card to have! If the police ever stop you its basically a "Get Out of Hassel" free card for photography.
The Police Officer's comments are now 2 years old – are his statements still valid in 2019 ?
A terrorist is planning mass killings. Boss i dont need weapons………..all i need is a tripod. It will frighten the fuck out of them.
Surely if companys dont like it then why have windows you can see in ? Can always use 1 way glass. Also a terrorist wouldnt do this. They got google street view for this
All the people who complain are the ones who take pictures of you and have been for years so when they admit to knowing it's not against the law to take pictures in public places THEY ARE HARASSING YOU .
Love how respectful you are while knowing that the law is actually on your side!
He doesn’t have a right to ask you ! Whereas you do have the right to tell him to mind his own business and to stop harassing you