Question for LEO concerning public photography

[Bob Hubbard]

I'm curious how law enforcement officers see and deal with photographers in public places. I've read a number of horror stories about LEO/Photog encounters that went bad, and am curious on what your thoughts are on such things.

Some areas I'm especially interested in are, equipment seizures, forced image deletion, and if you'd call for backup when confronted by a nude model.

More seriously, I'm looking for some advice on how to positively handle such encounters, and what local laws/standards you might have that apply to outdoor shoots involving partial nudity, prop weaponry, staged fight scenes or costuming. (ie, would a Red Sonja type shoot at a local park result in a big poop-fest?)

Thanks!

 

[Archangel M]

As with many things law enforcement . It depends on the department you are dealing with AND the officer you are dealing with. Mix that with your attitude towards the officer and mix well.

If you are in a public place and have a good attitude and a good explination things should go fine...as long as you are willing to up and move when the cop tells you to. In many situations like that, the easy solution for the officer is to be sure you are not a BG and then send you on your way. [wipe hands] problem solved[/wipe hands]. Next.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

As with many things law enforcement . It depends on the department you are dealing with AND the officer you are dealing with. Mix that with your attitude towards the officer and mix well.

If you are in a public place and have a good attitude and a good explination things should go fine...as long as you are willing to up and move when the cop tells you to. In many situations like that, the easy solution for the officer is to be sure you are not a BG and then send you on your way. [wipe hands] problem solved[/wipe hands]. Next.

Most of the time you should have no issues except when nudity or partial nudity is involved. Then, well you are probably going to have an issue if someone complains. Here where I live you could shoot all day and probably never be bothered provided there was no partial nudity.

 

[jks9199]

I'm curious how law enforcement officers see and deal with photographers in public places. I've read a number of horror stories about LEO/Photog encounters that went bad, and am curious on what your thoughts are on such things.

Some areas I'm especially interested in are, equipment seizures, forced image deletion, and if you'd call for backup when confronted by a nude model.

More seriously, I'm looking for some advice on how to positively handle such encounters, and what local laws/standards you might have that apply to outdoor shoots involving partial nudity, prop weaponry, staged fight scenes or costuming. (ie, would a Red Sonja type shoot at a local park result in a big poop-fest?)

Thanks!

I think the key to successfully navigating a maybe questionable photo shoot is the preplanning. Know where you're going, and contact appropriate property owners/controllers in advance. Don't show up with a group in their best barbarian finery, big swords and battle axes, plop down next to the soccer moms and young lovers, and expect everything to go smoothly. Don't pick an interesting location, jump a fence or two (it's happened), and be amazed when the folks in charge don't welcome you... And check local laws; for example, with a very few exceptions in Virginia, if you're on public parkland at night, you're actually trespassing unless you have a camping permit or other authorization to be there. Same thing with schools and churches... So talk to the park department or picnic ground owner or manager ahead of time. I think many will work with you. Don't do what one group of young idiots did a few years ago... They were doing a class presentation on the Bill of Rights (or something like that), and decided to stage an arrest scene in the school lot, filming it for their presentation. They failed to notify the college, and the campus cops. Someone saw what looked like an abduction... and they students's video got a whole lot more real than they expected.

Since you mentioned equipment seizure, image deletion and the like... Think ahead. If you decide to take pictures HERE, for example, you might want to be aware of the little facility right down the road... and select your directions appropriately. Unless you want to gather lots of special attention... Similarly, if you go to Catoctin Mountain Park, you may want to be careful, since Camp David is actually buried somewhere in or around the park... And be careful around infrastructure facilities, like water plants, bridges, power plants, etc. You can make folks nervous if you seem to be doing strange photography around them. In some of the places I mentioned -- yeah, you're cameras may well be taken, or you'll be forced to delete images or turn over memory cards. (Yeah, I know, there's a 4th Amendment issue. But, y'know, in the heat of the moment... work with the guys with guns. You can always file a complaint later...)

If or when the cops come -- be polite. Have any permits you obtained handy. Have some business cards, and maybe even a notebook/portfolio; they'll help you look more legit. If you stay calm, and explain what you're doing, most cops will probably work with you. They may ask you to move to a different area, or tell you the process for getting the appropriate approvals, or at least tell you who to talk to.

Regarding nudity, or near nudity... Take reasonable steps to ensure that nobody gets a surprise as they wander down a park trail with their kids. This is definitely one you should discuss with the park management first, and work with them on how to do it.

Like I said -- I think the real key is to do your homework first, so that you don't have a problem.