Rights! We haz them.
I read quite a few things weekly about some photographer being hassled by a random member of law enforcement for taking photos in a public place. Cameras have been "seized", phones taken, film destroyed and digital cards formatted or taken never to be returned. Resistance to this stuff can sometimes be met with detainment or arrest.
Finally the government (after a lawsuit, naturally) has taken steps to reign in (sometimes well meaning, sometimes not) law enforcement with a directive outlining what we as photographers are actually allowed to do, and what law enforcement is allowed to do. And by law enforcement, I am including rentacops, security people, cops, state troopers, etc.
And no, I don't have any issues with cops. I respect them and think that the great majority of them are good folks doing a tough and dangerous job that I wouldn't want to do. Unfortunately, there is a small but noticeable minority that makes the group as a whole look bad, and those folks are the ones that need to read this and reacquaint themselves with the rights that photographers have always had.
Your rights to photograph in public places.
Well worth printing out and keeping in your camera bag for quick reference.
Finally the government (after a lawsuit, naturally) has taken steps to reign in (sometimes well meaning, sometimes not) law enforcement with a directive outlining what we as photographers are actually allowed to do, and what law enforcement is allowed to do. And by law enforcement, I am including rentacops, security people, cops, state troopers, etc.
And no, I don't have any issues with cops. I respect them and think that the great majority of them are good folks doing a tough and dangerous job that I wouldn't want to do. Unfortunately, there is a small but noticeable minority that makes the group as a whole look bad, and those folks are the ones that need to read this and reacquaint themselves with the rights that photographers have always had.
Your rights to photograph in public places.
Well worth printing out and keeping in your camera bag for quick reference.