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Facist Security Guard Sparks Photographic Free-For-All
Posted by Pile
(5918 views)      [E-Mail link]
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[Activists] |
 Photographer Thomas Hawk was doing what he normally does: wandering around the city taking photographs, until he started taking pictures of the building at One Bush St., and a security guard from within came out and told him taking pictures was illegal and he would call the police.
However, Thomas decided he was well within his legal right and challenged the rent-a-cop who followed him around trying to stop him. He subsequently posted all the details of his event online, and it has now sparked a huge contest where photographers plan to converge en masse to the location and hold a photo contest with prizes and more! |
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So I've been hassled and harassed many time in the past for shooting photographs in privately owned public spaces (Starbucks, PF Chaings, Toys 'R Us, the new burger spot on Sacramento St. at Drumm, Tosca, Grand Central Terminal in New York, etc.) but yesterday was the first time I've actually been harassed on a public street over photography.
Yesterday I was shooting some photos of One Bush St. (the building where Bush and Market Streets intersect) when their security guard came out of his little glass jewelbox lobby hut to ask me to stop taking photos of the building. He said it was illegal. I moved to the sidewalk and continued taking photos and he again asked me to stop. When I told him I was on a public street sidewalk he said that actually they owned the sidewalk and that I was going to have to stop taking photographs.
At this point I told the little guy to call the police and have me arrested which he said he did. He then proceeded to follow me around the building, from Bush St. to Battery St. to Market St. to Sansome St. and try to physically put his hand in front of the lens of my camera as I shot the building. Fortunately I was taller than he was so I was able to hold the camera out of his range. It was kind of comedic actually.
Attorney Bert Krages has a nice web page detailing the rights people have regarding taking pictures, and has even published a PDF document entitled "The Photographer's Right" which outlines what you can do in situations where someone claims you can't take pictures.
Details on the photo contest. |
Original Story |
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