Whilst we in the UK, at least, do appear to be coming under heavier and heavier handed restrictions I would like to point out that these in no way have any real impact on most photographers on a day to day basis.
Both myself and many colleagues rarely come across any problems such as those illustrated by the original poster's news story. Chris, quoted above, makes a good point that photographers are only really in danger of such things happening when they are photographing without Press Credentials in an area that has either a permanent high security cordone such as an airbase or a temporary one when a Royal, Member of Parliament etc etc is visiting an area. I have been questioned by Police, Military and Royal security services on occasion and it is certainly a pain in the backside but I have always been treated respectfully and kept from my photography for the minimum amount of time possible. This has happened when I've been working and when I've just stumbled upon a Royal visit or some such thing.
How this develops in the future is clearly open to debate but to suggest that we can all be held without charge, made to wear orange jump suits and have an unwanted three year holiday in a part of the Caribbean is only a short step from some voices here.
From my experience and those fellow professionals and semi-professionals ( those that often struggle to get relevant accreditation for certain events ) that I have spoken to about this are more concerned about the (often private) security groups that can hinder and even make your job impossible because they have no real grasp of the current law and how they can legally impose their 'rights.'
Many of us here find that the biggest hindrance to photography, both as hobby and profession, is the private companies that own land/property that is not obviously private land and have a zero tolerance of photography without a prior agreement in place. I'm not saying that this is unfair or an infringement of my rights etc but it is certainly a pain that is becoming more and more widespread.
This is my opinion based upon discussions with other photographers and my own experiences, though I would certainly agree that we do need to ensure that we don't allow Photography as a means to a valid social document to be lost to a law or series of laws that are put into place due to reactionism over thoughtful process.
😱Was my horse really that high?!😱:angel:
There is a lot in what you say, but
- I have been affected by the behaviour of private security guards and it was not very pleasant as they exceeded their authority very significantly. I complained to their employer, the Ministry of Justice, and received a letter acknowledging that they had behaved outside of their guidleines, but still justifying the approach.
- I have a grave concern at the increasing tendency to view photographing public officers etc as something that requires a licence. I am not a press photographer nor a full time professional, but I do currently have a legal right to take photographs in public places. I increasingly feel this right is being eroded in practice if not in law, and the logical conclusion is to remove the legal right from the last small group of photographers who aren't interested in oversaturated, but dull, landscapes with borrowed skys inpired by the latest issue of amateur photoshopper (not an antidiigital rant)
- My doubts about these stories have been reduced by my own experience. A pinch of salt is still needed and not paranoia, but there does appear to be a trend. My local paper ran an article about a 'suspicious photographer' who had been seen taking pictures of children in a local park. Some people had called the police and the paper fully supported their actions, but (acknowledging parents responsibility to protect their children from predators - I am a parent after all) there was no acknowledgement that no illegal act had taken place or that he may have been just a photographer. The whole piece was biased and dangerous in my view.
- Even though it doesn't currently apply to my photography, I remain convinced that phtography as a witness has an important part to play in maintaining the freedom of free states and revealing the corruption in less free parts of the world. When our freedom is encroached on we are tending towards the latter.
- Finally, obviously the government has a duty to put in place measure to detect and prevent terrorist acts. We live in a world where these are planned. However, it also has a duty to preserve freedom and it increasingly appears to be failing in this, with no strong evidence that the preventative measures are relevant to the prevention of terrorism. Fear is a powerful and dangerous tool in the hands of those who know best for others.
Mike
