Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/06/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Frank Filippone wrote: > OK... you are the first person to represent the other side of this > discussion....Most excellent.... > > I am 50++, Italian with a olive complexion, was born in the US, speak > without an accent ( well, NJ is not exactly the accent capital of the > world), and carry a full and obvious camera bag. I park in designated > parking spaces, obey the laws for driving, pedestrian traffic, etc. > I show up with a 4x5 ( or larger ) camera, set up a tripod, take a full 30 > minutes to an hour to take a picture.....I am as obvious as it is possible > to be. I take pictures of public buildings that have been there for maybe > 50 years, all along photographed to the hilt, both publicly and privately. > Photos of things I shoot are available in the city archives, library, and > on > line. I take the pictures from public property ( the street) where it is > totally legal to do so. I am an amateur who takes pictures for his own > enjoyment, not for resale nor PJ. > > The bad guys hide their cameras, take at best, a digital 35mm picture in > like 5 seconds, and make sure no one sees them. > > So why exactly are banks or other institutions worried about people like > me? What can we do to be more obvious, less threatening, or otherwise get > people less upset? > > If we ask for permission, we are almost always told no.... without valid > reason. ( It is company policy, even though there is no law to allow this > position, or it is against the law, which is a falsehood, or they give no > reason and threaten to call the cops, or the ultimate.. the person that can > authorize your taking pictures is not available) > > How can we get permission to take pictures without going through a lot of > hassle.... the guys with P+S digitals take the same picture and are not > bothered...... > > Why pick on folk like me? I am not a threat. > > Frank Filippone > red735i@earthlink.net > > > -----Original Message----- > From: lug-bounces+red735i=earthlink.net@leica-users.org > [mailto:lug-bounces+red735i=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Rob > McClure > Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2007 12:08 PM > To: Leica Users Group > Subject: Re: [Leica] Forbidden building > > Doug, > > As a banker, it makes me nervous seeing someone taking photos of our > buildings. There is no rational reason for it as you have well-stated, > but after a number of recent, nasty bank robberies, anything out of the > normal is grounds for caution. That said, I often grab pictures of > other banks' facilities -- usually of a branch for sale, a unique > drive-up arrangement or some other feature we might wish to poach. I > always take the shot from a car using a long lens so as not to attract > attention and cause angst for local bank management or law enforcement. > > Regards, > > Rob McClure > > > > On Jun 17, 2007, at 12:44 PM, dnygr wrote:h > > >> Yesterday while photographying in NYC, a man approached me and >> informed me that "it was against the law to photograph the building," >> the Credit Suisse bank. He had a red blazer on with somethings written >> on it. I don't know if he was a security guard or not. >> >> I was taken aback by the man's statement. It was not the first time >> that near a bank someone had motioned for me not to take a photograph. >> >> I hope the man felt better after warning me off. Keeping people with >> film in their cameras from taking photos will certainly make him and >> building safter. It is a well known fact that terrorists have not >> discoverd that digital cameras are easy to disguise in the palm of >> hand. It is also well known that terrorists are dumb, cowardly and >> unable to think of using a cell phone to take a photo. They would also >> never think of entering an adjoing building and taking a photo >> unobserved out the window or doing that from inside a passing car. >> >> Has anyone on the lug experienced anything similar? >> >> Doug >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> > Rob McClure > Upper Sandusky, OH > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > It is a knee-jerk reaction and a form of public paranoia; and the media doesn't help.