[Leica] Photographing public buildings......

["BIRKEY, DUANE" <dbirkey@hcjb.org.ec>]

>I found that the security guards get very annoyed when you start to
>photograph public buildings - with or without tripods.  I got told by 
one
>guard that it I could not photograph public buildings for security 
reasons.
> I don't know if it was true or not, but I didn't want to argue the 
point.

I've been asked to leave several places in the Chicago area by Security 
guards, but than again in another case, one offered to take me up on the 
roof of his building,  I declined as there was nothing I wanted from that 
vantage point.

Security is a valid issue in theory, but in practice, people who want to 
do surveillance of a building are likely to figure out another way to get 
the shot.  I wanted to photograph the county jail in downtown Chicago as 
it's a interesting visual design,  I really wanted a shot from below 
looking up, but a guard quickly made me leave.  But there is a parking 
deck across the street, and I was able to get some decent shots from 
there.  Incidently, self parking structures are great places to work from 
in downtown Chicago.  

Many museums and churches in Peru and Ecuador will no longer let you 
photograph or take videos inside.  It is for security reasons the say, as 
they have documented evidence of thieves who have taken photos of arts, 
circulated them around the world art collector market and if and when 
they get a suitable buyer, break in and steal the work of art.   Security 
in many places isn't all that great to begin with and they are trying to 
limit damage as much as they can.  It's not so they can sell more post 
cards as none have postcards or books of their specific treasures. 
  
I've photographed in the Art Institute of Chicago and in the Smithsonian 
without any questions,  no tripod......... 

Duane