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03/26/2004 05:18:43 PM · #1 |
I just got home from shooting a really beautiful office building. Unfortunately, while i was in the parking lot (labeled visitor's lot) a goon came up to me and told me that I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the building, then proceeded to force me to delete the photos while he watched. I was mortified, told him I was just an amature and that I liked how the building looked.
My question is...when are you allowed to shoot building exteriors? I thought since I was shooting it from the visitor's lot, it was legal. Say I was across the street in a resturaunt parking lot. What difference would it make? Anybody know the legality of this? |
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03/26/2004 05:22:19 PM · #2 |
there was just another discussion on this a few days ago... do a forum search for "pittsburgh", it's the first hit.
If you are on their property, they can certainly ask you to leave, however if you are on public property, it gets more complicated. Read the other thread!
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03/26/2004 05:26:07 PM · #3 |
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03/26/2004 05:27:09 PM · #4 |
| If you are on public property (ie the sidewalk or the street) there is nothing they can do to stop you from photographing their building. If you are on their property, they can shut you down. I don't understand the difference, personally, but it's the way the law is written. I would also suggest not using a tripod, it makes your get away slower! |
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03/26/2004 05:29:54 PM · #5 |
| I guess I should have stopped in the middle of the rush hour highway to take a picture of the building since there are no 'public places' from which to photograph this particular office. ha! That guard was such a cretin, even though I was really nice and courteous, he still treated me like scum. And I thought being a musician was bad. |
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03/26/2004 05:33:20 PM · #6 |
| I deal with similar situations all day. I know how you feel. A friend on mine accidentally photographed a building that had a CIA office in it. They detained him for 5 hours before they finally decided he was a harmless photographer. |
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03/26/2004 05:53:59 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by matiscro:
I guess I should have stopped in the middle of the rush hour highway to take a picture of the building since there are no 'public places' from which to photograph this particular office. ha! That guard was such a cretin, even though I was really nice and courteous, he still treated me like scum. And I thought being a musician was bad. |
I had a similar situation taking pictures in the Mariott lobby in DC. The guard came over and told me I wasn't allowed to take pictures of just the lobby. Only if I was taking pictures of someone I knew standing in the lobby. Figure that one out! |
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03/26/2004 06:29:48 PM · #8 |
I am no law...talking...guy, but form alot of things that I have read, what he did would probably be illegal in a court of law. They have no right to detain you or confiscate or make you delete your photos. This is pretty tricky and might depend on where you were when you took the photos. But I think evn if you were in a parking lot, he is wrong.
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03/26/2004 08:00:35 PM · #9 |
| Your rights as a photographer as summarized by an attorney. Note these are general and there's considerable local variation to be expected, at least in the enforcement. Download the brochure and keep at least one copy with you when you're shooting. |
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03/26/2004 08:11:08 PM · #10 |
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03/26/2004 08:23:00 PM · #11 |
Thanks for the link Paul, that's a great document, and I will carry one with me.
I had another incident where I was taking pictures of the sky on a dead end street (which had an open area at the end because of a farm pasture. The owner of one of the houses came outside, stood on his driveway, and then eventually said "Can I help you". I said, no, I'm taking pictures. He said, "You aren't taking pictures of my house, are you". I said no, but after that, I was really really tempted to start taking pictures of his house. (I was on a grass area, in the middle of the public cul de sac.) |
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03/26/2004 08:31:21 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by matiscro:
I just got home from shooting a really beautiful office building. Unfortunately, while i was in the parking lot (labeled visitor's lot) a goon came up to me and told me that I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the building, then proceeded to force me to delete the photos while he watched. I was mortified, told him I was just an amature and that I liked how the building looked.
My question is...when are you allowed to shoot building exteriors? I thought since I was shooting it from the visitor's lot, it was legal. Say I was across the street in a resturaunt parking lot. What difference would it make? Anybody know the legality of this? |
Look business like, and make up a few business cards on your computer that say "Aetna Life and Casualty, Insurance Investigator/Claims Division" or some lawyer's investigator or tax office. When approached, whip out a card and proceeed to interogate hima about the 'accident' and can you use his statement, what did he see, etc. (slip and fall, accident in parking lot, tax reassesment, working for Trump Inc and they are considering buying hte building, make up something convincing but not too outlandish (he is not there 24/7 or privy to most info, you just need to bluff enough and be boring enough to make him go away). Most folks will not want to get involved in lawsuits, etc so that should satisfy him. |
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03/26/2004 08:37:16 PM · #13 |
Good avice Chris - play their own game back at them.
But spare a moment's thought for security guys: they get the uniform, the right of search, the impression of power and responsibility, but almost without exception paid like goons and treated likewise. Never good enough when you need them, never understanding enough when you don't.
E
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03/26/2004 08:44:20 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by e301:
Good avice Chris - play their own game back at them.
E |
I have to disagree -- I think you should lead by example. If you lie or attempt any sort of subterfuge, they will in fact have been justified in detaining you ... now I design business cards, and have at least 15 versions of my own I can carry, but they are all legitimate. |
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03/26/2004 08:53:37 PM · #15 |
If he asks you to leave the property (private parking lot), that is his perogative. As far as deleting the pictures, I think he was bluffing. Ask him to call the police and have them settle the issue. Don't do this if "no trespassing" or "Private Property" is clearly marked for the area you were standing. It's possible that the officer will ask you to delete the pictures anyway, but it's more likely that the security guard won't call your bluff back.
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