Comments on: More Photographer Harassment From Your Friendly UK Security Guards

By: viviane

viviane — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:18:03 +0000

I am a keen photographer visiting my daughter in the UK.
We went to the HMV shop in Leamington and I took a picture of the glass roof of the mall…no people in it! It did not look like I expected so I deleted it.
After this I went into the HMV and was stopped by the police telling me they have been poned up by security and told me it was illegal to take a picture of the glass roof outside the shop.?????
I am Dutch, a tourist…no warnings or anything….
Police was not rude or anything but it was very embarrassing …Later the security guy from HMV came after me twice to appologise and I asked him to leave me alone since I really had enough of it.
My husband and daughter were really surprised too…is this how to treat tourists?
I am in my 50s…I am not a treath I guess…never done something wrong…???
I am really shocked and I will never ever buy something in that shop again!

By: PhotoPaul80

PhotoPaul80 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:47:04 +0000

Irrespective of whether this individual is a public menace or not it is unfair to assume however that may not be your own personal opinion, to label other photographers by that standard. He is obviously a person of little character to do that to people if what you say is true Brendadada, but that stigmatises people like me who enjoy street photography. I live in London and it is harder to take an image of someone you don’t know, but I do ask first and go with their decision. My own run-ins with security are to with their assumption that I am in the wrong regardless of whether thats the case or not. If I’m on private land and don’t realise and I am asked to leave I will. If I am on public land and a security guard gets aggressive with me because he thinks the law gives hime the right to do so, I hand them a letter I have from the Home Office/House of Commons that sets it straight (but with some arguement mostly).

The Law expressly indicates that there is no provision in the law that makes it illegal to photograph in public and there is no presumption of privacy on the part of the public. But as photographers we should hold this law as fact and stand by it, but be respectful of those we take images of that way we will rise above such opinions cast upon us. As for Lawrence, if thats the person we are led to believe he is then he should puy down his camera and stick to a day job.

Regards

PhotoPaul80

By: brendadada

brendadada — Sun, 04 May 2008 05:27:00 +0000

Thomas, Windrush is a well known public menace in and around Middlesbrough.

He blocks people's paths and follows them, intruding as they go about their business. It's aggressive, and intimidating. He then goes on to publish their photographs and ridicule them.

The people Lawrence stalks are mostly poor, from a multi-deprived town and are often overweight and/or elderly.

I'm not surprised this hasn't happened months ago. If Windrush comes anywhere near me or my family with his camera, I will call the police.

My blog post:

By: Anthony Citrano

Anthony Citrano — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:31:00 +0000

Hi again Thomas et als. -

I am with the people who say we really ought not photograph people without their permission. However, I think the point is that it's not illegal.

Here in the states it's explicit in legal precedent that being in a public place gives you no "reasonable expectation of privacy."

Anything visible from a public place is fair game, in my view.

And I'm not trying to be spammy, but in an effort to keep the whole thing alive, please check out my encounter in San Antonio where I was threatened with arrest, harassed, and well-intimidated:

Photographer harassment in San Antonio.

Keep it up, TH.

-a

By: christopher clad

christopher clad — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:35:00 +0000

Is there anyway to educate law enforcement personnel on laws regarding photography? I am just starting out in learning photography but am dumbfounded in seeing and hearing about events like this.”camera don’t kill people, people kill people”

By: Brad Capote

Brad Capote — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:16:00 +0000

These UK security guards will never figure it out!
http://current.com/items/88856223_you_can_t_picture_this

By: tomh

tomh — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:59:00 +0000

As an addendum to my last comment, I personally hate having my picture taken. However being a photographer, I would find it much more difficult to think about the hypocrisy of being one who doesn’t want others to take his photo, so I deal with it. And if someone else snaps my photo and sees it as art, more power to them. My life goes on.

By: tomh

tomh — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Privacy and public spaces are mutually exclusive... is that so hard to understand? If you can be that perturbed about having your photo snapped on the street then you might be granting a bit too much control over your personal emotional well-being to uncontrollable outside forces, not limited to photography.

Secondly, "not wanting to have your picture taken" is not even close to being in the same ballpark as any reason, were there any, that might be good enough to warrant such an infringement on personal liberties. What you see as a trivial enforcement of your own personal preferences would actually have serious, dire consequences for freedom of speech.

Ultimately the judgment call is up to the photographer. If I were respectfully asked not to publish someone's photo, I would oblige regardless of the fact that I am not required to do so.

By: Sam

Sam — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:52:00 +0000

I'm not a lawyer so dont use this as legal advice, and this was in the UK so things could be vastly different from how I see it but:

These guys look like they were in an open air mall on private property. If that's the case the Security Guards CAN ask you to not take pictures and CAN eject you from the premises if you fail to comply.

You are of course free to not shop there if you disagree with this policy but it is within their rights to have this very stupid anti-consumer policy.

By: Bushi

Bushi — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:31:00 +0000

I’m not sure I understand why the guards where not charged with assault and or battery and unlawful detention/kidnapping.

You can’t grab other private citizens because you ‘think’ they are breaking a law… maybe security guards standing is different in the UK though.