Worrisome Met Police Ad Campaign
This new police “anti-terrorism” ad campaign seems both useless in finding real terrorist threats, and worrying for real photographers. According to their stance, I would “seem odd” (and no doubt reported) for taking this shot of a CCTV camera. I didn’t take any notes, but I easily could have been noting the place of the shot, what settings I used etc. I’ve actually been annoyed with myself for not noting the location since folks have often asked.
The truth is that non-photographers often don’t “get” why we take certain shots. On more than one occasion I’ve been asked “What are you taking a photo of?” when it was something a-typical. So, what is “odd”? When I am out with other photographers they always notice things I don’t, and it’s often a lot more interesting than what I have seen, and I can appreciate what they find. Do non-photographers see the artistic potential is what we are shooting or are we simply doing something “odd”? As this fear-mongering is compounded by other ridiculous campaigns such as reporting people with multiple cell phones, where do we draw the line?
Read more about the police ad campaign and Thomas Hawk posted about this with a number of comments which are worth reading.
What are your thoughts?
Update: You may want to check out this video: You Can’t Picture This (Thanks Ben for the link). Worth the watch.
Btw, for more on UK Photographer Rights check out the The UK Photographers Rights Guide by Linda Macpherson and provided by Simon Moran. You can download a PDF from the site.
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March 17th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I’m sure I look ‘odd’ when I’m taking photos out and about in London. I’d love to hear the justification of the person who came up with this idea.
Given this campaign I may stop taking photographs in London altogether, I’ll find it impossible to frame a shot without a CCTV camera…………
March 17th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Yeah, I’d be curious to know the justification as well.
And of course, who can go a day without shooting a CCTV camera anyway? Whether you aim to or not, they seem to always sneak in there;)
March 18th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I’d love to see them try and question me about some of the shots I’ve taken..
“Scuse me Sir….this traffic cone you’ve ad your eye on….”
March 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
You know what my problem is; add all of photographer’s odd things with a Middle Eastern accent
Once I was carrying a survey/observation assignment around Covent Garden for an urban design project. Then a woman, who having her lunch on front of a restaurant, started asking me questions and I answered all of her questions. After all, I asked her, why do you asking these questions and she said, I am a police officer, and said what are you doing can be a terrorist act!! Then I said, do you really think a terrorist will do such survey with lot of maps and tools, boards and etc that anyone will notify him or her? She said, oh yes terrorists may do it in a way that looks like an official job!!!
Just imagine how ridiculously they are thinking
March 18th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
@Rich - Haha!
@Reza - Yeah, not a good combination at the moment, is it. It is scary to consider their current thinking - or lack thereof.
March 20th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Quite a hot topic at the moment, video on the use of video and stills camera’s in the UK. Definitely worth a read.
http://current.com/items/88856223_you_can_t_picture_this
March 20th, 2008 at 11:34 am
@Ben - Excellent video. Exactly where my concerns lie and it’s even more worrisome that the people who should know the law, and have the power of that law directly in their hands, seem to be the ones who don’t even understand the law.