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

[George S.]

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.

 

[jbf]

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.

 

[MichaelHarris]

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.

Every shot was legally taken and used by the media.

 

[photogdave]

I like the shot of the guy digging out the snow plow. Hilarious!

 

[MichaelHarris]

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.