My first 'photojournalist' experience... a bad one at that...

Steve,

You're completely wrong. We all have the right to shoot what happens on a public street, no matter if we earn a living that way or not, as long as its from a reasonable distance so as not to get in the way of the police or EMTs.

I do think the officer was trying to give him a hard time in a maybe subtle way, whether right or wrong. Maybe he did give the crowd a warning to stay back and thought he had b een present then.

Anyway, no action can be taken against you if you haven't had a warning prior.
 
I've been keeping silent letting everyone talk this over...


Maybe I should clear a few things up. The accident did not have any fatalities or major injuries as far as I could tell... one woman was put into a stretcher and into an ambulance but she got onto the stretcher on her own means and had no visible physical injuries as far as i could tell, and her vehicle has nothing wrong with it.


All others who were in the cars were talking with police and had no injuries either.


Also, yes I took four steps out into the street, and I did snap a shot of the woman as she had been put into the ambulance, but I was still some distance a way and the photograph itself did not contain her visibly in it either.


No, I am not a photojournalist and nor do I plan on being one. Perhaps the title is misleading and should have read "My first photojournalist -like experience". As it was not a true photojouranlist experience nor was I intending it to be.

Yes, the officer told me to stay back but only after I had taken the few steps into the street. So anyway...

Yes if this was a true serious and fatal or even very bad injury there is no way in hell I would have photographed it. However it was not. It was a major incident, but so far as the news explained none of the people involved were hurt.
 
You have every right, PJ or not to photograph an "event" in a public place. Stay behind the police lines and you're perfectly fine. Don't get clubbed like a baby seal but stand up for your rights.

My photographs have appeared on TV and in Newspapers all over eastern Washington and I don't really consider myself a PJ. I'm finding it more and more troubling that those with credentials think they have an "in" that others don't. Look behind you, some of us are fast approaching.

plow1web.jpg


5990460-lg.jpg


5990468-lg.jpg


5666288-lg.jpg


Every shot was legally taken and used by the media.
 
LOL Dave, I got there right after it happened. The guy shoveling was the driver and ran away when I started shooting. He said he didn't want to be in the paper for flipping a snow plow.
 
Back
Top Bottom