Why are photographers treated with distrust?

[anubis404]

Lol, I get off easy most of the time. Most of people reaction is "aww look at the teenager trying to be artistic with daddy's camera". Whatever, works fine for me. Never gotten so much as a glance from a passer-by.

 

[IvyJade]

I would completely agree with many of these people up here.

Post 9/11, taking photos is more of being seen as a pervert or potential terrorist. It's very difficult now a days to have people understand that you are doing it for the JOY of and not with hidden agendas.

 

[Moglex]

Post 9/11, taking photos is more of being seen as a pervert or potential terrorist. It's very difficult now a days to have people understand that you are doing it for the JOY of and not with hidden agendas.

I know a lot of Americans became hopelessly paranoid after 9/11 but I'm having trouble understanding how even the most idiotic and paranoid individual could equate people flying aircraft into buildings with people taking photograhs being 'perverts'.

It's rather bizarre that the have the idea that photographing buildings is indicative of terrorism as none of the 9/11 terrorists are known to have used photography in the planning of their attacks as detailed drawings of both the building and aircraft are easily available to the public.

 

[Zest777]

Hi guys,

I agree with the comment about keeping thread alive, it is too important to allow it to die.

This is not just a US problem either, it is just as bad here in the UK.

I have a friend who is a press photographer, and he says he regularly gets harrased by the police for taking pictures. He has even been arrested... twice!


http://pa.photoshelter.com/gallery-show/G0000eyRRdex_qGg/

We photographers should stand up for our right to freedom of expression, the same as everyone else does.

 

[manaheim]

I have really NEVER had a serious problem with this, and taking pictures of buildings is all I do. I mean YES, I've had a TON of people check up on me, but I've always found if you just act normal and friendly, it satisfies them that you're not planning to blow up the building and they move on.

Maybe I've just been lucky.

 

[Kegger]

I regularly get harrassed by the MP's here on post when I take pictures of stuff out here.

And when I go home to TN, I open carry an HK .45. People freak about how I "can't have a camera in here" but I can walk right in with a gun, locked and loaded, in plain sight...

 

[JerryPH]

Photographers are not really treated with much distrust, terrorists are. The problem with that is that people are having a real hard time differentiating a photographer and a terrorist.

I plan to help them out by wearing a t-shirt that reads "I am a photographer, not a terrorist".

 

[Josh66]

Oh my god... This is hillarious (and scary at the same time).

I googled "terrorists using cameras" to try to find an instance where a terrorist was actually caught with a SLR and big lens.

Apparently only Liberals (and terrorists, of course) use digital cameras.

The innocent looking man taking zoom-lens photos of the White house may be plotting to kill the President. Unlike film-based photography, there is no way for government agents to scrutinize the photos - they are sent by the Internet directly to an Al-Queda intelligence bunker where Osama Bin Laden personally plots the downfall of all we hold dear.

Camera ownership is not constitutionally protected right. We do not object to law-abiding citizens owning cameras, but what good can it do to allow foreigners, drug-users and atheists access to potentially harmful technology?

People really believe this ****?!?!

 

[rufus5150]

Fringe lunatic with extreme and skewed views about things has a blog.

Color me shocked.

Seriously.

 

[rufus5150]

Though I'm about 99% sure that it's parody. No one moves to bunkers in northern Idaho. If they did, they wouldn't blog about it.

 

[IvyJade]

I know a lot of Americans became hopelessly paranoid after 9/11 but I'm having trouble understanding how even the most idiotic and paranoid individual could equate people flying aircraft into buildings with people taking photograhs being 'perverts'.

It's rather bizarre that the have the idea that photographing buildings is indicative of terrorism as none of the 9/11 terrorists are known to have used photography in the planning of their attacks as detailed drawings of both the building and aircraft are easily available to the public.

What's so sad it's not a person it's PEOPLE. With reality shows exposing perverts, with the show 'cheaters' using equipment, it makes people paranoid.

It's like if you start running, so will others not knowing why....It's the people...

 

[JerryPH]

What a waste of time reading that crap was. Ok, so someone forgot to lock his door at the funny farm one evening and he got out. Let's hope they catch him before his meds wear off.

 

[manaheim]

BAHAHAHA... that article ROCKS.

"Why do liberals even need digital cameras? These foreign-made devices often cost in excess of $2000, and contain features superior to high-end Soviet-era spy-cameras."

BAHAHAHAH...

Man I really HOPE that's a serious "article". It's way funnier if it's serious!

 

[Moglex]

Man I really HOPE that's a serious "article". It's way funnier if it's serious!

That really is utterly hilarious.

You have to look at the other pages as well.

On God's hit list we find the usual suspects: Charles Darwin and Richard Dawkins but Marcel Marceau?

And in with the groups of people God hates we find Gays, Liberals and paedophiles (but, oddly, not Communists). We also find Linux Users.

Alas, with the coming of the internet it's harder to tell what's a spoof.

In the olden days if it was written in crayon it was real but now even the mentally bewildered can access computers.

 

[JerryPH]

I visit a few other forums and often I hear about how photographers are harassed and treated like terrorists instead of human beings with a camera... like photographers should be treated as!

Well, this is my way to make a little bit of a stand and protest this issue. At the same time, I will be attending my first Montreal strobist get-together this weekend and I thought it would be good for a few chuckles at the meet.

So, what are your opinions about it:

The T-shirt:

Up close:

Now I have to go and create that website next week... as it currently doesn't exist!