Why are so many afraid of people taking pictures?

[Dikkie]

Haven't got any big problems while taking pictures.
I mostly take pictures of buildings, public places etc....
I mostly not take pictures of people, unless they are accidentically walking by, on public places that happens.... but no portraits.
I don't like it myself if suddenly someone is standing in front of me with a camera taking pics of me. It's "my space" vs "your space", kind of comfort zone...

One night I was taking photos of buildings in a ghetto kind of place, some youngsters noticed I was standing there taking some photos, I guess they were drug dealers or young criminals... they yelled something to me, ... so I played on safe mode and ran away. Perhaps I was beaten up if I stayed there...

 

[Didereaux]

"
Why are so many afraid of people taking pictures?"

This appears to apply only to Americans. The answer is simple (not palatable,but true): The majority have become a nation of cringing, spineless cowards with the maturity of a four year old.

 

[otherprof]

You see so many people getting in trouble for taking pictures of a building in public because someone thinks that person is a terrorist or if you take a picture of someone on the street, its a invasion of their privacy, or if you take a picture of a woman on the street, your a pervert. You take a picture of kids playing, your a pedophile. You took a picture of a cop doing their duties, you get arrested. You carry a tripod, someone thinks its a minigun.

Why is photography becoming like this? It seems that its getting worse and worse...could it mean that photography will become a crime someday? I mean its almost beginning to be dangerous to be a photographer. Its scary to think about.

I can say that I haven't really got in trouble for taking pictures (yet) and I'm sure many of you haven't either, but I read about it quite often or so it seems anyways.

I know, I'm just a 90s kid..what do I know. But for those who were around in the 60s, 70s or 80s..do you remember anyone getting in trouble for simply being a photographer? Or has this become more of a recent thing?

I remember being at an anti-Viet Nam war rally in Washington D.C. It felt like there were a million protesters and a hundred thousand D.C. police. I was taking pictures of everything, including the police, with no problem. ( How I miss that Argus C3 ) At one point I asked a cop why no one was being arrested. He replied, "If you throw that sandwich wrapper on the ground, you'll get a ticket for littering. I don't see anything illegal going on here, do you?"

 

[Dikkie]

I remember being at an anti-Viet Nam war rally in Washington D.C. It felt like there were a million protesters and a hundred thousand D.C. police. I was taking pictures of everything, including the police, with no problem. ( How I miss that Argus C3 ) At one point I asked a cop why no one was being arrested. He replied, "If you throw that sandwich wrapper on the ground, you'll get a ticket for littering. I don't see anything illegal going on here, do you?"

Indeed, not all protest rallies end up with problems.
I once was in Brussels at the American Embassy, around 15 years ago or so, at a rally against the War in Iraq.
I was 18 years, never went to a big manifestation like a rally against something before. Did not know beforehand that there would be a war for +10 years later on.
I was there, standing as a tourist *memories coming up*
I was taking pictures with a lomo lc-a camera, I was in my lomo period
Those were the days.
I came out of the metro station and lots of cops were standing there.

I remember it was a quite peaceful manifestation that time...
Don't know if any were arrested that time. They were using a water canon at some point, or tear gas canon, don't know anymore.
Anyway, I had it on photo I was wearing a leather jacket I bought with my first salary, and had 5mm short hair, now my hair is +30 cm

Details do matter

 

[kdthomas]

For what it's worth, and it may not be much ...

I have heard that --in all but very narrowly-defined and rare cases-- if you can see it from the street with your eyes, you can legally photograph it.

Whether you get into a confrontation about it is another question. Or whether the biker and his buddies make the distinction is another question also.

 

[dennybeall]

I'm 64, and for as long as I can remember, if you stand outside a nuclear power plant and start taking pics, you are at the beginning of jail time....

Ya want a nuke plant pic - here's one.........

 

[dennybeall]

I'm 64, and for as long as I can remember, if you stand outside a nuclear power plant and start taking pics, you are at the beginning of jail time....

I've took pictures of federal buildings from public property to see if anything would happen, nothing happened.

I can't think you can get arrested legally for taking pictures of a nuclear power plant when you are on public property...I think anyways.

Do you have any idea of the clearance you have to go through to even work at these areas? I'm not talking about a federal courthouse, I'm talking about a place where they make electricity using uranium.......

-------------------
Yes, and it was a pain in the butt. Although the Hearing Test and psych tests were harder.

 

[dennybeall]

There is a bit of NOW and THEN involved in this. The Terrorism Laws associated with Homeland Security after 9-11 have made some specific things illegal to photograph. It's primarily only used to provide PC (probable cause) for the authorities to stop and question you.