Mall problems - DPChallenge Forums

04/01/2005 01:40:19 PM · #1

What is this all about not letting people take photos in a mall inside or outside of it!! just can't understand this type of law... could anyone help me clear my mind?
If you want to take photos of the mall you have to ask the administraitors of the mall... If i do go and ask what would you guys say to get over this fuss? Just tell him i'm doing a school project or something?

Kylie

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

04/01/2005 01:45:24 PM · #2

I have never heard that you can't take photos in a mall, but I know there has been a lot of talk aobut other places being prohibited now. Will you clarify for me?

04/01/2005 01:46:31 PM · #3

Companies don't want competitors to spy on their stores so they don't want people taking pictures in them.

Malls are I assume private property, so they can make any types of rules they want.

04/01/2005 01:49:57 PM · #4

are these rules bendable or what? here where i live they have beautiful malls that almost don't look like malls and i would love to photograph them outside and in... but have been aboarded two times not to photograph them, they say to go to the administration, but i know if i go i'll be talking with the man more than i'll phootograph because i think it won't be that easy to take the photos or get the permite.

04/01/2005 01:50:07 PM · #5

Originally posted by Kylie:

I have never heard that you can't take photos in a mall, but I know there has been a lot of talk aobut other places being prohibited now. Will you clarify for me?

Couple malls in San Francisco have signs by their front door that says "No Photography". You can totally missed them if you weren't looking though.

04/01/2005 01:51:56 PM · #6

Originally posted by Discraft:

I see people taking pictures with their camera phones at the mall. At Christmas, Easter, and Halloween time I've taken pictures at the mall with no problems, mainly because everybody else was doing the same.

Kylie

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

04/01/2005 01:55:14 PM · #7

This is getting sick in my opinion. I've taken tons of photos in malls; I guess I was just fortunate to not get harrassed about it. Nice that they allow guns, but not cameras.

04/01/2005 01:55:16 PM · #8

Originally posted by faidoi:

Originally posted by Discraft:
are these rules bendable or what? here where i live they have beautiful malls that almost don't look like malls and i would love to photograph them outside and in... but have been aboarded two times not to photograph them, they say to go to the administration, but i know if i go i'll be talking with the man more than i'll phootograph because i think it won't be that easy to take the photos or get the permite.

I see people taking pictures with their camera phones at the mall. At Christmas, Easter, and Halloween time I've taken pictures at the mall with no problems, mainly because everybody else was doing the same.

But here in Portugal they are really on you because of this...
The other day it was 2.30am and i mounted the tripod out in the parking lot of the mall and was taking some pictures, unfortunatly a security guard "bumped" into me and asked me what i was doing and i sayed i was taking photos e asked for personal or profissional use, i told personal and he just said i could not take photos from the inside or the outside of the mall.. had to ask the administraitors... ooohhh guess i have to wait until christmas or something.

04/01/2005 01:58:33 PM · #9

Originally posted by Kylie:

This is getting sick in my opinion. I've taken tons of photos in malls; I guess I was just fortunate to not get harrassed about it.

Benefits of being a mom :)

Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM

04/01/2005 01:59:16 PM · #10

Originally posted by Discraft:

Originally posted by faidoi:

Originally posted by Discraft:
are these rules bendable or what? here where i live they have beautiful malls that almost don't look like malls and i would love to photograph them outside and in... but have been aboarded two times not to photograph them, they say to go to the administration, but i know if i go i'll be talking with the man more than i'll phootograph because i think it won't be that easy to take the photos or get the permite.

I see people taking pictures with their camera phones at the mall. At Christmas, Easter, and Halloween time I've taken pictures at the mall with no problems, mainly because everybody else was doing the same.

But here in Portugal they are really on you because of this...
The other day it was 2.30am and i mounted the tripod out in the parking lot of the mall and was taking some pictures, unfortunatly a security guard "bumped" into me and asked me what i was doing and i sayed i was taking photos e asked for personal or profissional use, i told personal and he just said i could not take photos from the inside or the outside of the mall.. had to ask the administraitors... ooohhh guess i have to wait until christmas or something.

Sounds like the picture taking thread at Walmart (can't seem to find it)

Kylie

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

04/01/2005 02:04:26 PM · #11

Originally posted by faidoi:

Originally posted by Kylie:
This is getting sick in my opinion. I've taken tons of photos in malls; I guess I was just fortunate to not get harrassed about it.

Benefits of being a mom :)

I haven't usually been with my daughter doing this, but I do have to admit that being a small, middle-aged woman doesn't set off alearms for many security people! But seriously, Arden Mall has people with guns quite commonly - I wish they would worry more about that and not a camera.

NickBall

Canon EOS-10D

04/01/2005 02:08:14 PM · #12

I got kicked out of a mall for filming a school project there once. Security said we had to have written permission to film or photograph inside or out, even for a school project.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

04/01/2005 02:18:24 PM · #13

Originally posted by NickBall:

I got kicked out of a mall for filming a school project there once. Security said we had to have written permission to film or photograph inside or out, even for a school project.

Well so long for the school project talk... just have to get another excuse.. :)
It's really a little stupid this rule... :(

LoudDog

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

04/01/2005 02:41:38 PM · #14

I'm sure the malls have a reason for banning photography. I doubt it's just to people off.

jab119

04/01/2005 03:34:57 PM · #15

there is also the upskirt.com web site type shots that are casing a lot of privacy concerns and the malls and other public places are trying to ensure their customers are safe from perverted type photography.

I am all for this, but sometimes it is enforced with zero intelligence.

a storm was coming through and I hit the shopping mall parking garage for a safe shooting area to get some lightning shots. Mall security came up to me and asked what I was doing. I said Im taking pictures of lightning, well trying to, I showed them a few pics on my camera and they TOLD me to leave or they were calling the police. I begged to stay but they still said no. So I packed up and left. They were very polite and professional about it and so was I.

James

KaDi

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

04/01/2005 04:30:28 PM · #16

Malls (in the US) are private property. Their house, their rules.

Mind you, I'm not trying to justify any decisions Mall owners make.

There have been some hotly contested law cases involving what you can and can't do in a mall--such as openly nurse a baby. One reason malls do, and always will, fight to maintain private property rights is because of the things allowed on public property--such as demonstrating.

Public places protect the right to assemble, and stand on soapboxes, and act as town meeting places--when you're running a retail establishment, you want to keep that sort of thing at bay.

bryanbrazil

Sony Alpha a7R III

Sony 16-35mm f/4 Vario-Tessar T* FE ZA OSS Lens

04/01/2005 06:01:53 PM · #17

Originally posted by Kylie:

But seriously, Arden Mall has people with guns quite commonly - I wish they would worry more about that and not a camera.

Hey, I live about a mile from Arden Fair Mall! I remember when I was in Guadalajara, Mexico doing a student project at a large mall, the instructor told us not to take any photos inside the mall. Something about the businesses being afraid that we were working for their competition...

Dr.Confuser

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

04/01/2005 07:58:41 PM · #18

I've been chased out of a mall while taking pictures at Christmas time. The guard gave the following reasons: 1) Private property and owners get to decide policy; 2) Stores don't like competitors taking pictures; 3) Stores worry photographer is preparing for a robbery; and 4) It worries and annoys customers and the owners don't want them leaving for this reason.

They said I could obtain permission by asking Administration. When I asked, Administration said no.

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

04/01/2005 08:04:33 PM · #19

As said, guns are ok, camera...a no-no? And it all adds up, no children no mall, when is it no you, no me.

I've been harressed in a public open space, the street, for taking pictures for the candid competition. Being a foreigner made it worse. And it's not like being sneeky, I had my tripod set up and all in the open. The public was ok... the black suits of Korea weren't.

Message edited by author 2005-04-01 20:08:05.

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

04/01/2005 08:07:20 PM · #20

Originally posted by gibun:

As said, guns are ok, camera...a no-no?

Guess I'm SOL in either case:

04/01/2005 08:10:04 PM · #21

Originally posted by BradP:

Originally posted by gibun:
As said, guns are ok, camera...a no-no?

Guess I'm SOL in either case:

Bradp.. what the heck is that thing.... some freudian envy hitting me... wow..;-) Seriosly, what lens is that?

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

04/01/2005 08:12:05 PM · #22

Thinking about the harrasment.... somehow we should be able to be identified as photographers.... Any Ideas?

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

04/01/2005 08:15:30 PM · #23

Originally posted by gibun:

Bradp.. what the heck is that thing.... some freudian envy hitting me... wow..;-) Seriosly, what lens is that?

420mm's worth of F2.8

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

04/01/2005 08:21:45 PM · #24

Originally posted by gibun:

Thinking about the harrasment.... somehow we should be able to be identified as photographers.... Any Ideas?

Being identified as a photographer isn't the issue; they KNOW you're a photographer, they don't WANT photographers in their malls. It's all an issue of maintaining control of a private space that is used by the public. They can't be arbitrary in their enforcement without running into potential problems somewhere down the line, so they just ban all photography without explicit permission of the management.

When I was an architectural photographer we ran into this problem all the time, we shot a LOT of design inside malls. We always had as part of our preparation the step of going to management and presenting them with a request from "Store XYZ" that we be allowed to photograph their space for them. We would always get this permission, but we were always cautioned not to shoot elsewhere in the mall. Contrariwise, sometimes we morked for the Mall itself, and we had to have permission from the individual stores within the malls to include them in our photographs. This was also accomplished through mall management, who sent an advisory to their tenants that we would be working there. The contract of the tenant with the mall includes boilerplate that agrees to the mall's using their establishment as part of their promotional efforts.

Robt.