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06-12-2010, 06:44 AM   #61
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Buddy of mine got waved off when he was shooting the gold statue outside the Bentall building in downtown Vancouver; might have been because he was on building property sidewalk as I did the same deliberately a few months later but didn't get hassled (I stayed on the sidewalk).

Sucks, when a simple little hobby becomes everyone's business...

06-12-2010, 08:58 AM   #62
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
Especially since it's a proven fact that more terrorists carry guns than cameras.
How do you know that? Have you searched large numbers of terrorists? How do you know that each terrorist doesn't have a little P&S in their pocket along wiith a disposable cellphone and a packet of detonators? Why, I could see that al-Qaeda might issue matched cams to cell members as a symbol of unity. Team A has the white CoolPix's, Team B has the blue CyberShots, etc. Remember, cameras are the new guns, and if lesbian manhunters can carry pink .45 ACPs, then Earth First! bombers are probably equipped with green Optio's.

Then there's the view that a terrorist is one who induces terror in a populace, and that some western governments intentionally overplay threats and spread panic and stage attacks for political purposes, and thus that government officials are the worst terrorists. Al-Qaeda is retail; state terror is wholesale. But then this would become a political discussion, and we don't want that, not here.

But back to the problem at hand: How can an honest photographer avoid being mistaken for part of an Al-Qaeda surveillance team? By presenting the right appearance! Dark people should bleach their skin and hair. Hairy people should get a trim. Bald people should wear caps. Present a persona: Wear a dark suit and use a large camera on a tripod. Be or become Oriental and cluster with a group of Orientals with cameras. Dress practically and sling a press pass and three or more big cams with big lenses around your neck. Dress as a sports fan emblazoned with banners and flags of the local jurisdiction. Wear skimpy clothes (or none) so nobody notices your camera. Take a leashed poodle when you shoot -- terrorists don't walk poodles in public. Et cetera.

It's too bad everybody has personal music players and tiny headphones now, too bad that the era of carrying a boombox on your shoulder has passed. Cameras can be hidden in boomboxes, aimed nonchalantly with nobody the wiser. It's too bad that camcorders have shrunk, that shoulder-mounted videocams are no longer seen in public -- no terrorist would carry one of those monstrosities. But cyclists can wear helmet-cams. How do you know that last spandex spider wasn't casing the next terror target? Who can you trust?
06-12-2010, 09:12 AM   #63
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QuoteOriginally posted by philbaum Quote
About 2 years ago, i was at a ferry terminal taking a picture of a bicycle rack when one of the ferry workers came up and asked what i was doing. She explained that they had been told to question anyone who pointed a camera towards the Navy Shipyard next door. She thought the rule was kinda strange anyway and was more than glad to walk away after doing her job of asking me. I worked in that Shipyard for 34 years :-( Its funny that in my state its really easy for me to get licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but carry a camera, and you can be in trouble

A month or two later, i took a picture of two parked buses at that same ferry terminal that had some funny signs on the front. as i was walking away from the terminal, a police car drove by and tapped their horn while looking at me. i was walking away carrying my cam and tripod. Message seemed to be: "we have our eye on you" and then they drove off. nevertheless i continued to take pictures in the downtown area for another hour and they drove by me again and didn't stop this time. I don't think most don't have a clue what they are doing in this area.
What are you proposing? A 3 day waiting period on cameras and a carry permit to have them in public?

QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
Especially since it's a proven fact that more terrorists carry guns than cameras.
It is also proven they carry more explosives and have disregard for human life including their own and their family. What's your point?

Last edited by Blue; 06-13-2010 at 07:20 AM.
06-13-2010, 07:49 AM   #64
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QuoteOriginally posted by Blue Quote
What are you proposing? A 3 day waiting period on cameras and a carry permit to have them in public?
I don't read that in what he says at all Blue... I think he is just noting that people seem more scared of big black cameras than they are of big black guns...

Control the information and you control the world!!!


Last edited by MRRiley; 06-13-2010 at 08:08 AM.
06-13-2010, 07:58 AM   #65
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QuoteOriginally posted by MRRiley Quote
I don't read that in what he says at all Blue... I think he is just noting that people are more scared of big black camera than they are in big black guns...

Control the information and you control the world!!!

Mike, it was this part of his post that left me in doubt. My comment was in sarcasm to this part.

QuoteQuote:
( Its funny that in my state its really easy for me to get licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but carry a camera, and you can be in trouble

Edit: Mike, people with CC almost never pull their hog-leg in public. Non-the-less, that is under attack just like aspects of the 1st Amendment.
06-13-2010, 08:07 AM   #66
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Oh I agree with that Blue... I happen to hold a CC permit just I don't have to carry open (which btw, is perfectly legal in VA). The 2nd amendment is the one that insures that the citizenry, in the ultimate extreme, can protect the others...
06-13-2010, 08:10 AM   #67
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Replying to the OP here...if someone asked me if I had a permit to be photographing a building I would have done the same as you, asked them if one was needed and who they were exactly (an authority figure, police, etc). I would have then asked them exactly where does one obtain a "permit" for taking random or specific photos. Seriously, not to be confrontational, I'd just like to know where to get one and if in fact such a permit exists. Sounds to me like if someone really expected there to be a person or department in charge of issuing permits to take photos of buildings, that question would be legitimate. Unless they could give you specific instructions, how can you tell if this permit department actually existed and this person deciding to extend the long arm of authority was in the right? Something tells me, and this is coming from living in a country where to public sector is about 90% too large, that a department in charge of issuing permits may be a figment of someone's imagination. Perhaps you could show him a quick magic trick and walk away...God bless their pointy little heads.

Jason

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