Justin posted a link in the comments of the last post (here) about people no longer being allowed to photograph police.
It reminded me of a very interesting article I read a while back about photographers being harassed and having their film taken away/deleted by authorities since 9/11, especially if they're seen photographing things like bridges, etc. that could be construed as some kind of reconnaissance for 'terrorist attacks.'
We all know this kind of stuff happens. Many people around here have had issues simply taking pictures of the Ambassador Bridge. The great thing about this particular article is that they clearly point out that the fear authorities have is false: it is based on movie plots!
Please read the article here for a little more insight into the false idea people have of terrorists & photographers alike.
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interesting articles. i agree that the law prohibiting photography of police officers may cause officers to abuse the law knowing that the public may fear being prosecuted if caught documenting the act. this is just another one of our rights being tossed down the drain. I totally disagree with any such laws, and I feel that by prohibiting photography is a step towards prohibiting the free flow of media, and overall a more authoritative government
ReplyDeleteThese are interesting. I think that people have a tendency to over-react and have irrational fears in times of stress. I guess, especially after 9/11, the photgraphers turned into the witch of the witch hunt. They are made an easy target. People are given the notion that they are to be skeptical of them because they are not doing what everyone else is doing (running around like chickens with their heads cut off.)
ReplyDeleteI agreed with the use of pocket documentation stating photography laws, especially when photographing in tense times.
well it seems this post has been started in a very timely fashion.
ReplyDeletetoday as i was taking some street photography i was harassed and stalked by a man from the neighborhood. I definably felt as if i was being treated like some sort of criminal.
Working on a photo study dealing with 'back alleys' I've been wandering the neighborhoods around Windsor photographing alleys in residential and commercial spaces.
Today i was in this area
http://maps.google.ca/maps?source=ig&hl=en&q=windsor+ontario&lr=&ie=UTF8&ll=42.316926,-83.022695&spn=0.001172,0.001765&t=h&z=19
Walking down the sidewalk i passed a man and what i assumed was his daughter walking out of their house and into their car. I passed the people and a few houses down i began taking photos of the alley across the street. I continued down the street taking photos of the alleys. After awhile i noticed the gold car the man had gotten into was behind me. Not thinking too much about it i proceeded down the ally taking photos. The gold car followed, than passed me in the alley and stopped at the end of the alley. This is where i got wondering why this guy was following me, still not thinking much of it i proceeded. As i got closer to the end of the alley the car seemed to drive away but when i got to the end i noticed the car parked on the street, then the man shouted at me "i'm calling the police" I wasn't sure what this guys problem was so i turned the other way and kept shooting the alleys down the street. For the next 10 or so minutes the car continued to follow me. After awhile i noticed the car was gone, so i started feeling better and kept shooting. When i got really nervous is when the car returned but this time the only the man was in the car. This is when i got concerned because i thought he may start some trouble. The man shouted out his window "I called the police, get out of here, your invading peoples privacy" At this point i had forgot where i had parked my car, so i kept ignoring the man and kept shooting until i found my car. I left the area so not to get into any conflict.
Today i felt very threatened and i really don't like the feeling of being stalked and harassed. It wasn't a huge deal but i've been thinking of reporting the incident to the police, i don't enjoy the feeling of not being able to go back to the area in fear that i will be harassed again or worse. What do you guys think??