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> A View From The Street. |
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A View From The Street.
While photographing for the Mirage group commission from Team London Bridge this morning I was approached by security personnel from More London and told I could not photograph within this area. Even with a letter of commission from the marketing manager of Team London Bridge made no difference. Security personnel of More London had not been informed and that I would need permission from their management.
The security guard I was talking with was very courteous and could clearly see from the letter that I was there legitimately. It was his line manager who would not waver despite this letter. I had my 4x5 camera set up on the tripod ready to take the shot so I asked the guard if I could just take this shot. This he allowed me to do but he had to look as if he was preventing me from doing so. As I was leaving he apologised, saying the senior official on duty was a bit of an a**e! This seems to be a case of "jobs worth" compounded by poor communication between various departments that operate in the London Bridge area. This commission is to culminate in an exhibition at the Cottons Centre, London Bridge latter this year to help promote the area. How can you promote an area if you can’t photograph it? In those famous words – ‘I’ll be back’! Next time with a 10x8 or should I use a Canon?
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"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which will never be seen again" Ralph Waldo Emerson. Timespresent Arenaphotographers Last edited by Trevor Crone; 22nd February 2009 at 02:51 PM. |
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Last year I was taking some photos for a client and had my tripod set up King Street, part of our local pedistrian precint when I was approached by an Honary police officer,(a jersey type of alternitive police force, a bit like your special constables) and was told that under health and safety rules if I wanted to use a tripod in that location then I would have to cover the legs with high visibility tape,and that I must take my tripod away and return with the legs taped, this in spite of the fact I was using a manfroto with silver legs and had no intention of leaving the tripod and camerra unattented. I did not use the tape and returned later,set up the tripod and took the photos and wasw talking to a states police officer who did'nt seem at all bothered about the ''low vis''tripod.Richard
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#3
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And you were no doubt surrounded by camera toting tourists. Unfortunately, whilst it is a public thoroughfare, it is private property, a stupid state of affairs, but one we have to live with.
I experienced a similar situation a few years ago whilst photographing at Canary Wharf; however on that occasion, once we had explained who we were and what we were doing the security personnel went out of their way to help. |
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While that must have been awkward, Trevor, it is also very funny ... left hand, right hand, sort of thing.
Perhaps a letter to The Times is in order.
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http://sandehalynch.wordpress.com/ |
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I had a similar experience a few years ago ago. I was photographing the (then new) London Eye from Westminster Bridge with my Graflex Century Graphic (on a tripod) when I was approached by a gent with a security guard's uniform who told me that 'professional photography of the London Eye is forbidden without permission'. I had heard that there were problems using a tripod on the South Bank due to some wierd bylaw, but I was on the Parliament side of the bridge. I politely told the guy this and that I wasn't professional anyway. He told me that 'the image of the London Eye is copyright' and 'why was I using a tripod if I wasn't a professional?'. I attempted to explain the finer points of what I was doing, but his English was a bit shaky and I don't think he got it! He told me to 'delete my pictures to be on the safe side'. and said that I if was still there in 10 minutes he would come back. Suited me fine as I'd already got the shot I wanted!
Rob |
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Quote:
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http://sandehalynch.wordpress.com/ |
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What I find so very sad, we have all this wonderful architecture but there are so many obstacles put in our way when we wish to photograph it. Many will just give up in frustration.
When I was in Florida 2005 I didn't encounter a single problem using a tripod. And that was in places like the Kennedy Space Centre, Animal Kingdom, MGM etc.
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"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which will never be seen again" Ralph Waldo Emerson. Timespresent Arenaphotographers |
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The Police State is here, the Stasi are everywhere, time for a revolution.
Tony |
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Literally a few days after 9/11, I happened to be driving past Hull and decided to drive out to spurn head just to take a look. On the way back through Hull the BP oil refinery was lit up like a christmas tree in the dark so I stopped by the spine road entrance and took out my trusty Technikardan to snap it.
Now as we all know, setting up a 4x5 takes a bit of time and especially so afterdark. I was thinking to myself, someone isn't going to like me photographing an oil refinery. Two or three cars went down the spine road to the main gates and sure enough 5 minutes later, a truck came speeding up from the main gates and a guy jumped out and asked me what I was doing. Having resisted the temptation to state the bleeding obvious, a pleasant discussion took place which culminated in me being asked what I was actually photographing. When I said "Industrial Landscape" the guy seemed quite happy about it and said that I really should have asked first. Now I was not on their property and they didn't ask me if they could stick that bloody great thing in my view, but again I resisted temptation to explain the facts of life to him and he left me to get on with it having satisfied himself I wasn't a tree hugger out to get the oil industry. Now if that happened today there would have been police called and an extremely strong probability I would be arrested. It was not 9/11 that caused this situation we have currently, but the UK and American governments reaction to it. and now this image always reminds me of 9/11
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An old dog learning new tricks Last edited by Argentum; 22nd February 2009 at 10:42 PM. |
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We can laugh about our experiences and that's important but there's a worrying sea change taking place in the U.K. in terms of authoritarianism. What is chilling is that the change has occurred in such a short period that we, the good citizens of the U.K. would not have believed possible, even 10 yrs ago.
It's difficult to go on without appearing to be "politically motivated" so I won't but history shows that fear plus uncertainty = control of the wrong, non critical things which are irrelevant to our safety such as photography or other freedoms. We are poor learners under fear and pressure. The drowning man clutching at straws springs to mind Mike |
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