Police views on Street Photography
January 30th, 2008 Posted in photography“Any person who appears to be taking photos in a covert manner should expect to be stopped and spoken to by police to enquire into what their business is.”
This was the statement from Humberside Police, after amateur photographer Steve Carroll ran into trouble while attempting some street photography in Hull. See the full article from last week’s amateur photographer here.
I don’t have a problem with a police officer asking a photographer what their business is if shooting in a public area, but quite why the local police saw fit to seize the poor guy’s films is beyond me. I wonder perhaps, since it was Mr Carroll’s first attempt at street photography, if he was in some way giving off the wrong vibes, but surely it would have been obvious he was no harm to anyone.
Alas though it seems that the mass media is at war with photography in general. First it was paltry pay for image use, now it is brandishing photographers as potential paedophiles, filthy perverts, terrorists or crazed paparazzi - the media seems hellbent on fueling the general fear of anyone with a camera in public. Indeed it was members of the public who complained to police about this poor snapper’s behaviour.
It was a little unfortunate that Mr Carroll wasn’t shooting with digital, then at least he could have showed officers what he was doing, and perhaps deleted the shots of the sensitive buildings. The mind boggles as to what sensitive buildings are in Hull shopping centre? I’ve stood outside Whitehall, home of the UK government, set up a tripod no less and photographed passersby and London scenes, so what’s so sensitive in Hull?
One question remains Mr Photographer, if your not a dirty pervert, paedophile, celeb-snapping paparazzi or terrorist….ummm….do you do weddings?
3 Responses to “Police views on Street Photography”
By Damon Coulter on Feb 5, 2008
This is truely crazy. I am moving back to the UK this year and worried about the way photography is being made so difficult in the streets there. Getting the police on your case is bad enough but I fear that some people will all too easily jump to the wrong conclusions and take the law into their own hands when they see a snapper at work in a way they don`t understand.
Damon
By Nikki-ann on Feb 15, 2008
I didn’t think police were allowed to take films/memory cards off people without a warrant. Maybe they had one, but I don’t seem to be able to access the article.