Nice Photography photos
Some cool photography images:
Simon Blint, Director of Visitor Relations at the SF MOMA, Yeah You Jerk, Photography is Not a Crime
Image by Thomas Hawk
If you think that photographers should not be subject to this kind of harassment digg this here.
Simon Blint, Director of Visitor Relations at the SF MOMA is a first rate jerk.
Recently I blogged about my excitement regarding the San Francisco MOMA’s decision to begin allowing photography in their permanent collection after years of maintaining a closed no photography policy. Directly because of this change in policy, I decided to purchase a family membership in order to support the museum, both with my artistic energy and financially. I was excited to begin spending regular time exploring and documenting the museum.
Unfortunately, I should have known better than to really believe that the San Francisco MOMA was serious about opening up the art and architecture entrusted to them to the general public.
After purchasing my family membership and visiting the museum today I was forcibly thrown out of the museum by two museum security guards at the direction of the Director of Visitor Relations Simon Blint.
My crime? Taking a photograph from the second floor stairs in the SFMOMA’s atrium (an area where the SF MOMA’s own website explicitly says photography is allowed).
You can see the photograph that I took when I was thrown out at the top of this post.
During the course of my interaction with Blint I told him that:
1. I was a new member of the museum and that I’d been in contact with Thea Stein in the Marketing and Communications Department of the museum who had confirmed the recent change in museum policy with me personally regarding photography in the museum.
2. That the SF MOMA’s own website explicitly allows photography in the atrium.
3. That I would be blogging my forcible eviction from the MOMA.
Blint told me that "he did not care" and that he needed to "protect" his employees — employees that might appear in my photographs. I was not shooting with a tripod. I was not shooting with a flash. I was being quiet and respectful of the area and the other patrons.
Blint on the other hand was hostile, accusatory and refused to even examine my photographs or allow me to share with him what I was doing with my art. He accused me of using a "telephoto" lens to spy on his staff from the public staircase on the second floor. Blint obviously knows nothing of photography because the 14mm ultra wide angle lens on my camera body was about the furthest thing possible from a telephoto lens. He refused to discuss this, refused to examine my photographs, refused to consider it at all and simply had me ejected with two security guards.
Ironically Blint also tried to eject my friend torbakhopper who was hanging out with me at the museum today and he wasn’t even taking photographs. He finally relented on his case and told him that he could stay if he wanted but that I was going to be forcibly ejected.
Blint refused to escalate the situation to a superior even though I told him I’d been in contact with museum personnel. He was on his own personal power trip and misused and abused the authority entrusted to him for the public benefit to harass, humiliate and embarrass a paying member of the museum. Photography is not a crime
I believe that I was very much targeted in this case because I was using a digital SLR. There were plenty of people taking photographs of the atrium using point and shoots that Simon did not target, but I think that it was the fact that I was using a larger DSLR that made me a target. Rather than try to understand what I and my art were about Simon felt the smarter way to deal with the situation was simply to kick me out of his museum.
While I might be able to understand if my ejection from the museum had been at the hand of an overzealous security guard who was simply uninformed about the SF MOMA’s change in policy regarding photography in their museum, when this ejection came directly from the Director of Visitor Relations I find this to be unacceptable.
If the museum has a photography allowed policy in their atrium as explicitly expressed on their website and someone identifies themselves as a photographer, artist and paying and supporting member of museum I would expect less hostility, aggression and harassment. Photography is an art and those of us who choose to practice the great art of street photography ought not be targeted by bullies like Blint. Many of the great artists, artists being shown in the SF MOMA itself were practitioners of street photography. It is ironic that the great Cartier-Bresson, who took thousands of photographs of unsuspecting people in his work, hangs in the museum while a photographer practicing the same type of work gets ejected by a power-trippy asshole. It’s hypocritical and disappointing.
It is unfortunate that one of my first experiences as a paying member of the SF MOMA had to be full of hatred, bitterness and harassment.
Update: The SFMOMA Responds to this incident here.
Installation View of Scientific Photography Exhibition
Image by Smithsonian Institution
Creator/Photographer: Thomas Smillie
Birth Date: 1843
Death Date: 1917
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1843, Thomas William Smillie immigrated to the United States with his family when he five years old. After studying chemistry and medicine at Georgetown University, he took a job as a photographer at the Smithsonian Institution, where he stayed for nearly fifty years until his death in 1917. Smillie’s duties and accomplishments at the Smithsonian were vast: he documented important events and research trips, photographed the museum’s installations and specimens, created reproductions for use as printing illustrations, performed chemical experiments for Smithsonian scientific researchers, and later acted as the head and curator of the photography lab. Smillie’s documentation of each Smithsonian exhibition and installation resulted in an informal record of all of the institution’s art and artifacts. In 1913 Smillie mounted an exhibition on the history of photography to showcase the remarkable advancements that had been made in the field but which he feared had already been forgotten.
Medium: Cyanotype
Dimensions: 8.1" x 9.9"
Date: 1913
Persistent URL: http://photography.si.edu/SearchImage.aspx?t=5&id=296&q=18671
Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives
Accession number: 18671
Photography and The Law
Image by Byflickr
Say you’re out for a photographic stroll, taking pictures of that cool old power plant on the edge of town. Suddenly seventy security guards swarm you and demand you hand over your camera.
“What is this,” you ask yourself, “a Michael Moore movie?”
You’re sure you haven’t done anything wrong, but you don’t know whose side the law is on. Fret no more- we’ve got a list of things you can and can’t do, and it’s a lot more permissive than you might think.
Now grab your camera back from that Rent-A-Cop and let’s hit the books.
The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography*
Before we get started here, we have to point out that even though we’re smart and awesome and devastatingly attractive, we’re not lawyers. None of this should be construed as legal advice. If you have a legal issue, get in touch with a lawyer. Much of this information was gleaned from attorney Bert P. Krages‘ website, so we’ll go ahead and recommend him.
The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography
I. Anyone in a public place can take pictures of anything they want. Public places include parks, sidewalks, malls, etc. Malls? Yeah. Even though it’s technically private property, being open to the public makes it public space.
II. If you are on public property, you can take pictures of private property. If a building, for example, is visible from the sidewalk, it’s fair game.
III. If you are on private property and are asked not to take pictures, you are obligated to honor that request. This includes posted signs.
IV. Sensitive government buildings (military bases, nuclear facilities) can prohibit photography if it is deemed a threat to national security.
V. People can be photographed if they are in public (without their consent) unless they have secluded themselves and can expect a reasonable degree of privacy. Kids swimming in a fountain? Okay. Somebody entering their PIN at the ATM? Not okay.
VI. The following can almost always be photographed from public places, despite popular opinion:
* accident & fire scenes, criminal activities
* bridges & other infrastructure, transportation facilities (i.e. airports)
* industrial facilities, Superfund sites
* public utilities, residential & commercial buildings
* children, celebrities, law enforcement officers
* UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, Chuck Norris
VII. Although “security” is often given as the reason somebody doesn’t want you to take photos, it’s rarely valid. Taking a photo of a publicly visible subject does not constitute terrorism, nor does it infringe on a company’s trade secrets.
VIII. If you are challenged, you do not have to explain why you are taking pictures, nor to you have to disclose your identity (except in some cases when questioned by a law enforcement officer.)
IX. Private parties have very limited rights to detain you against your will, and can be subject to legal action if they harass you.
X. If someone tries to confiscate your camera and/or film, you don’t have to give it to them. If they take it by force or threaten you, they can be liable for things like theft and coercion. Even law enforcement officers need a court order.
What To Do If You’re Confronted
* Be respectful and polite. Use good judgement and don’t escalate the situation.
* If the person becomes combative or difficult, think about calling the police.
* Threats, detention, and taking your camera are all grounds for legal or civil actions on your part. Be sure to get the person’s name, employer, and what legal grounds they claim for their actions.
* If you don’t want to involve the authorities, go above the person’s head to their supervisor or their company’s public relations department.
* Call your local TV and radio stations and see if they want to do a story about your civil liberties.
* Put the story on the web yourself if need be.
via Lanka Page
maybe he was mad because you took a picture of him looking down the ladies shirt?
u show em sir!
Fuck them, get your money back.
Nice telephoto Thomas. Never knew it could do that. (-;
Wow man – that’s crazy… seriously though that telephoto comment made me LOL.
Anyways, I’ve blogged this as well.
Great image. At least they did not demand that you delete the images off the card. That happened to me a while back.
Fantastic
Did you use one of those 14-600mm lenses? They are sweet! Only lens that you will ever need.
too much….first, i cannot even see what might look like a staff room in this shot, just a cafe? a shop? and probably a bathroom on the right? and second, i mean you weren’t even taking shots of the exhibits in this, just the damn lobby…holy hell! and yeah, touché on the Cartier-Bresson comparison. i think there is a lot of elitism in the art scene (and by a lot i don’t mean the whole) and it can give folks horrible superiority complexes.
Wow, that’s absolutely ridiculous. I hope the idiot gets fired.
Nice shot though Thomas, the horizontal lines on the floor and wall contrast with the white columns really well – worth the eviction I say!
this was such a belligerent moment. his accussations were barrage-like, insistent and immature. i loved it when he looked at me and said he was going to throw ME out after making a drama queen scene out of nothing more than a wide angle shot. the look in his eyes was sheer insanity when i asked him exactly why he was going to "throw me out".
seriously, someone should reconsider the hiring of an emotionally unstable "vistor relations" personnel member who thinks shouting and causing a public scene in an effort to "protect" an employee from a camera is mature and reasonable behavior.
one thing i can’t stand about power trippers is that they chronically use their positions of authority to relive/redemonize anger and negative emotions from their personal lives.
to squid viscious: blint actually landed that accusation from the foyer, shouting it up to us, accusing us of looking down her shirt. from above, the ticket taker was just hair and neck. there was no front view of her at all. she was also wearing a sweater with a scarf, so it was a ludicrous and inacurrate statement to say that someone was shooting down her shirt, which TH willing offered to let him see with his own eyes. on top of it all, she was not even intended to be an element of the photo, which TH walked me through because i was so amazed at what the 14mm could do.
on a super positive note, it was wonderful to finally be free enough to walk through this outrageously special museum and take photographs. what an awesome change in their policy. lending both creativity and joy to the experience, our freedom to creatively interact with art and art viewers enhances the art itself and provides wider exposure of artists worldwide.
kudos to the sf moma for opening up their permanent collection to public shooting!!!!!
Waiting to see what the museum says. Presumably nothing.
I’m glad you were able to leave with your images intact (and this is one kickass image). blint and people of their bigotted kind should be banned from their positions.
Great shot, I love the geometry of the shot. Great B&W
That is CRAZY! We have been members for a long time and I have never had issues taking photographs with an SLR or a DSLR. What a DORK. It is time for a email writing campaign.
What an amazing pic! And what an astounding asshole Blint is!
What SHOULD have been a great publicity shot for the museum has turned into a Dell-Hell pic. Wild stuff.
Thank you for sticking to your guns and taking this into the public arena.
(By the way… I don’t know if your camera is able to send pics via Shozu, or some other instant-to-internet service. If you CAN do that, it makes it possible to take risky shots, and have them archived instantly, so that even if they confiscate the camera or the mem card, the pics are online.)
Blue skies
love
Roy
that’s really strange. everyone takes pictures from that spot. i think drummond has even used the 300mm from there. before they changed the policy that was one of the spots where you always could take pictures.
Sorry to hear about this – hope you’re not going to give them any more money until they train their staff.
Your pretty picture is now my desktop. A big fuck you to the museum.
Great picture ! Incredible sad story !
hehe .. so how about a flash mob meeting here
Get about 1000 people all with cameras, the bigger the lens the better … let’s see him try it again !
Sorry to hear your troubles Thomas – and thanks for posting. It’s only through continuing to highlight people such as this can we hope to change things !
Nige
dugg ,,,
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Found in a search. (?)
One of my photos from SF MOMA prior to the change in policy:
Ironic.
I had a similar experience in St. Paul, MN last week when I took a picture of a famous landmark from the public street. Out came a security guard who informed me that "pointing a camea" at this building was prohibited. I simply stated that his claim was not supported by law. But I also mentioned that I was attending a meeting in the building, so just walking away was not an option. We didn’t discuss the matter further, but as I was signing in for the meeting, I found myself facing the head of security for the building. He pulled me aside and told me, sotto voce, that in any year but this one, photography would not be an issue, but they were being especially careful because of the upcoming Republcan convention. Neither he nor anyone else asked me to delete my photographs or even wanted to see them (and I didn’t offer). I thought things were amicably settled when I turned around to face two police officers from the local constabulary. One was friendly enough; the other scowled threateningly, hiding behind sunglasses to conceal her identity. The friendly cop asked for identification, which I willingly shared. He did not interrogate me in any way, but did take notes and mentioned to the security guard that he’d let him know the "case number." He also mentioned to the security guards that he had to pay strict attention to detail because his "sargeant" was standing nearby; there was another officer nearby, but not in standard police blue uniform.
With their departure the security guard issued my visitor’s pass, my meeting host showed up and nothing more was said.
I’ve taken to carrying a Canon EOS-450D/Rebel XSI with its 18-55mm S-type kit lens, and that’s what I was carrying that day. It’s a much less "threatening" camera than the EOS-5D with L-series lenses that I take on trips and more serious outings. In this instance, it’s probably just as well that my camera was clearly just a consumer camera.
You’d think Washington, DC would be much more sensitive about photography than St. Paul, but I’ve never been approached by a security guard — and certainly not police — at any time, even when photographing government buildings, private buildings and sensitive locations such as the World Bank. There was one security goon who barged out of a jewelry store when I took a picture of their seasonal display, but he retreated after a few minutes of stern lecture from me about how the laws work in this country.
I thought about making a call to the local ACLU or — better perhaps — the Minneapolis Star Tribune, but have decided to let this pass for now.
what the…. anyway, i like your new 14mm telephoto:-)
You have my support.
thomashawk.com/2008/08/simon-blint-director-of-visitor.html
Hi, I’m an admin for a group called Photography is legal, and we’d love to have this added to the group!
Be sure to let us know if anything transpires because of this post on your blog. You have my support.
Great B&W conversion!
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Seen in the interestingness archives. (?)
I am sorry to hear this story!
Really nice photograph!
Nice Photo.
What an ass! Yeah, don’t give them anymore money…. If they have grants, you should email the grant trustees this post. Tell them, "This is the kind of asshole you shouldn’t be giving money to".
What an idiot. I’m interested to see what the Museum’s response to this will be. Trustees/board members should be made aware of this issue.
Wow, What an asshole. The fact that he wouldn’t even examine the photographs and the discrimination against larger dSLR’s really heightens the case here.
Since you have contacted his superior before I would call her and demand a meeting with the three of you. Put this asswipe on the spot and if he loses his job then it’s his own damn fault. Another thought would be to go there with documentation of the new policy in your camera bag and if they try to throw you out make them call the cops and then produce the documentation when the cops show up. That’ll only happen a few times before this dick gets straightened out.
LAME!! good luck with this.. I support your efforts, pamela
how ridiculous.. keep fighting the man TH! (although the man should not be a museum..kinda sad)
Vote Quimby!
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Seen in a discussion of the group "Photographers’ Rights." (?)
yeah, that is super ridiculous! I agree with you for producing this wonderful shot
is the staff part of the witness protection program??? are they undervcover FBI agents???
it’s not that you did make a photo of the pentagon (well, I did once and almost got arrested).
great that you published the "telephoto" shot and I would wish there is some follow up – keep us posted
dslrs are everywhere. This guy will eventually realize he’s an ass or will be throwing people out left and right! Nice photo too.
A
I can’t wait to find out how this pans out for you. Good luck.
LOL… a wide angle lens? He knows nothing abut photograpy. Sorry to hear this happened, especially with the Frida Kahlo exhibit in town.
Patrick
Respect dude!
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http://thomashawk.com/2008/08/simon-blint-director-of-visitor.html (?)
Hello my friends
I am administer group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/888portugal/
post photos to take
day 08 / 08 / 08
No nudity or sexually related content in your photos.
Thank
peregrino27
My summary of the discussions:
reechard.vox.com/library/post/unread-commentary-sf-moma-t…
Well, technically they didn’t say you wouldn’t get thrown out, only that you can take the picture, which you did. They should add in the website that well, after the picture taking, that they would force you to leave.
Well, I’ve been reading quite a bit about this across blogs, SFist, etc. I thought I’d post my opinion here as I don’t want another login to keep track of
and I stand behind my opinion and want to be identified with it.
I’ll start by saying that I’m a photographer and as unbiased as I try to be that certainly minimally effects the ammount of concern I have over this topic. I personally know neither parties involoved. My main train of thought is as follows:
If Simon Blint (SB) needlessly created a public spectacle at the outset of this confrontation OR
If SB refused Thomas Hawk’s (TH) attempts to diffusethe situation OR
If SB jumped to his conclusion based solely on the report of one visitor or employee and didn’t bother to verify those claims OR
If SB used the fact that TH was using a dSLR to treat him in a manner that was less than he would any other paying visitor or employee, THEN
SF MOMA should minimally remove him from a position that involves such close contact with the public until he can be instructed on how to resolve conflicts and disputes between visitors or staff. SF MOMA should apologize for the treatment of TH in the even that one or more of the above conditions are met.
Furthermore I highly doubt pervs use 5d’s equipped with 14mm lenses to take their beat off pics. TH’s profile is not indicative of a perv bent on taking voyeuristic photos. If a woman feels uncomfortable having her picture taken in a place accessible by photographers, then they should alter their wardrobe accordingly.
I currently trust TH’s account of the situation.
I’ve noticed that in some cases there is one martinet loser employee who doesn’t like SLRs, but is OK with point n shoots.
For instance…. the turd employee at Borders in Palo Alto CA. There was some book event, people were in costumes and there were contests, etc… I had my SLR with me, around my neck. not taking pix. But this lump of shit who was taking pix for Borders…ignores all the point n shoot people…and *lies* to other employees that I was taking pictures.
I should wait for this overstuffed bag of bacon drippings to walk outside and fire off about 20 pictures of him to post… "sorry, you’re in public lardass"
Or maybe…. "Just taking some pix of your feet for you tubby, since I’m sure you haven’t seen them in years"
All of them were too C-S to come up to me, they literally sent the new guy over who was apologetic, since I had chatted with him earlier, and he even said "I know you werent taking pix, but they told me to talk to you"
Blint thinks he is something important. SF MOMA has their groupies. this adds to his big head.
The Art institute in Chicago has art that has mattered for hundreds of years, if not thousands. And they charge less to get in.
yeah, granted its MOModernArt…but that doesn’t change the fact that we are paying more to see pictures of a bullwhip crammed up someones ass or some exhibit that was FREE at Cantor Arts in Palo Alto than we are for art that is instantly recognized the world over.
Come on Thomas…be a champion of the truth….leave asshole in the title.
@ sean_mcgee:
blint certainly ACTED like an asshole in this situation. he was literally SHAKING with anger and quivering with his passionate abuse of us. it was frankly, quite embarrassing.
considering that blint crossed LEGAL boundaries by accusing us (shouting up from the foyer) of "shooting down my employee’s blouse", i think he definitely deserves/warrants the title.
i have written a letter to the museum and hope that they respond. i have asked for a personal apology for his behavior and the labeling of me, a bystander, as a PERVERT in front of a foyer full of international and national bystanders.
@ TH:
blint’s behavior is INEXCUSABLE and deserves punishment of some form. whether he IS an asshole ALL the time is not my business or my concern. he certainly WAS an asshole throughout the entire accosting and should be held accountable for such ludicrous behavior, in my opinion.
however, i believe that volatile language does not press forward the actions of peace, so i am glad that you have changed ASSHOLE to jerk. kudos to mrsth!!!!
TH and mrsth, it was great seeing you both and best wishes!
I understand… no… I feel, I know your frustration. I’ve been called a terrorist and pedophile just for having a camera with me even if I wasn’t taking photos of anyone or anything.
Can’t help but wonder how somebody gets to a director level in any kind of museum without even a passing understanding of art or the artistic process. This is the Museum of Modern Art! Does this guy have any clue what his employer actually does?
It’s because of people like him that I now do nothing more exciting than shots of flowers and landscapes — subjects that can’t press charges. Although I’m sure there’s some idiot somewhere that will find a way.
all these comments–wonder if this will make Explore?
I hope we will hear any updates. I also wonder if the museum will change their policy about photography to no photography anywhere.
P*ss on the artsy-f@rtsy bastards.
"I’m going to blog this!!!"
lolololol
You should post ALL the photo’s you took at the museum.
we’ll get a good laugh.
That’s why Fox news is the best.
Fair and unbiased reporting.
I’m no photographer, but this pic looks really lackluster; poor composition and over-exposed.
to the above comment, i think the overexposure is kinda cool in this pic. and perhaps it looks more exposed because of the masssssive white beams. also this pic doesnt appear to need to look good, its about a story.
Beautiful perspective.
I love their light and reflections.
danguyf, did you read any of the text above? Perhaps there would have been time to take more pictures that would meet your standards had the photographer not been harassed by an out-of-bounds employee of the museum.
Ireina’s right — it’s an interesting enough photo in itself, but the story is the important part.
I’m very disappointed in SFMOMA for employing someone like that. I joined the museum several months ago. Maybe I’ll write to someone about this.
I am really upset after reading their press release. I have been a member since 1996. I emailed several people at the museum and how did I find out about their rebuttal? I have to find a link to the press release on Flickr. I never even received a response, not even a form response with the press release. WOW!
I recently had a similar run-in with a director level employee at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA.
I don’t have as strong / open-shut case as you do, but sometimes when I think back about it I swear that guy was f*cking with me intentionally.
Here’s my writeup
Im disappointed with the museums stance to stand by the actions of their director of visitor relations. This is a fantastic photo btw
Hope you don’t mind!
Your picture has been added! :–)
You’ll find it here!
Apologies if this has already been linked to (there is a lot to read here) ~ photo.net has a discussion thread about this incident which is worth reading: LINK
Tim Nichols, a reporter for Minnesota Public Radio, published this story on an MPR blog today. You can see the posting at minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/con…
"It’s starting to feel a little like that on St. Paul streets these days, photographers are finding as the Republican National Convention is approaching.
At least three times in recent weeks, photographers say they’ve been stopped on public streets or sidewalks, told to stop taking pictures or produce identification or leave the area.
It happened to me yesterday, as I was walking down West 7th Street, past the St. Paul headquarters of the Travelers insurance company, carrying a Nikon SLR. A Wackenhut Corp. security guard approached me on the sidewalk, held up his hand to break my stride, then told me that I needed to show identification. He was wearing the same uniform as the guys you can see walking around inside the Travelers atrium.
I declined to give him anything, told him it was a public street, and proceeded to an appointment I had nearby.
It’s eerily similar to the experience of a Washington, D.C., area photographer who was in the city on business earlier this month. He asked not to be identified so that he wouldn’t draw attention to his Minnesota clients.
He’s known on the Flickr photo website as Guy Flâneur, the alias under which he publishes his photos. He kicked of an extensive discussion of public photography on the site here.
He was taking these pictures on the street outside Travelers, he said, when a security guard came out and told him to stop pointing a camera at the building. The photographer declined, but a few minutes later two St. Paul police officers arrived, approached him and one of them asked for identification.
"He didn’t say anything. He just asked questions," Flâneur said."He said, ‘You don’t look like a terrorist, but we need to check things out."
Travelers spokesman Gail Liebl said today that she wasn’t aware of either incident, although she did note that there’s a "heightened sense of security in the next few weeks," since the Republican National Convention was right next door.
But did add that it is not company security policy to stop members of the public in the street and make them identify themselves.
A third incident happened at Lambert’s Landing, on the Mississippi River, on Aug. 8.
Retired airline mechanic Jerry Houk, of Maplewood, said he was going down to take some pictures of the Motor Vessel Mississippi, the Corps of Engineers’ massive tow boat. It’s the biggest tow on the river, and so he brought an 11-meter pole, known to photographers as a "catfish pole" to take aerial pictures of the boat.
You can see some of them here.
Houk says he started taking pictures when a St. Paul police officer disembarked from the M.V. Mississippi and told him he could not photograph "a federal boat." Houk says that when he begged to differ, the police officer took his camera and pole, separated them and proceeded to try and break the fiberglass pole with his shoe. Houk says he retrieved his camera and the officer left.
"I was shaking, literally," Houk says.
He says he stood on the shore beside the boat and tried to get the attention of several tourists on the boat who might have seen the incident.
Instead, he says, two St. Paul officers disembarked together and approached him. Houk said he took pictures of them, but that they took his camera, citing the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and the preparations for the Republican National Convention. Houk says the officers erased his pictures, put him in a squad car, cited him for disorderly conduct and told him he was banned from the area.
The St. Paul police, of course, beg to differ. The report on the incident says he was "yelling and screaming at tourists" on the boat, and doesn’t mention any contact he had with police prior to that. The public version of the report doesn’t mention photography at all.
"We don’t take people’s cameras," police spokesman Peter Panos told me, when asked about Houk’s version of events. Panos said there are no restrictions on photography in St. Paul and that people are free to take pictures of whatever they like.
Or not.
"I’ve been taking photos for 45 years and this is the first time this has ever happened to me," Flâneur says of his experience near Hamm Plaza "I have taken pictures of demonstrations in front of the White House and this hasn’t happened to me. I have taken pictures in Communist East Germany and this hasn’t happened to me. Only in St. Paul."
Maybe one-time St. Paulite and famed photographer Gordon Parks was righter than he knew when he said he chose a camera, albeit for very different reasons, as his "weapon of choice."
Have you been stopped or asked for ID while taking pictures in downtown St. Paul as the Republican National Convention approaches? Post your story in the comments below and, if you’re willing, send your contact information to me here."
You are invited to post this photo to the ‘ARCHITECTURE contest by the **Explore Unexplored!** Group (posting end August 28th)
**Explore Unexplored!** Group!
I feel your pain. There certainly must be security tapes, perhaps even of the incident, which could be summoned.
Here are bunch of pictures I took at the museum
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bond159/sets/72157594568142510/
At that time, they didn’t even care about me , strange ..
Hi, I finish my count recently and I am looking galeries and other things of the page because I am new here.
I like this picture.
For now have got very litle photographs and my experience is very low but I would like that you pas occasionally for my galery.
Gradually I hope to improve.
Gracias, thank you, Swey.
(Sorry for the English I am Spanish and and i want to speak with people from all the world, specially from san francisco because I love it…. thanks)
Good shot! great geometry!!
Sad story my friend, so sad. DSLR users are more suspect to this than digicams, as everyone and their mother has one digicam. Throwing out those would give bad PR, throwing out us "Paparazzi" is fair game.
B
You are invited to add this excellent image to
B&W The Art of Photography (Post 1 Comment 1)
preciosa foto, suerte que este aqui…! os reomiendo un fotografo que he encontrado en Qualid… Sbastien, fotografo
Great shot very graphic and so much going on every group of people has something going on ! Well done.
Pictures taken with a dSLR are real photographs. Pictures taken with a point-n-shoot are just sketches.
i feel for you. i had some similar experiences in lots of different places. as soon as you have a big camera you’re a potential terrorist… sad times we are living in…
Seems that SFMOMA has removed the press release you have linked to. Did you have a copy?
that’s bizarre. i took a bunch of pictures from that same spot last year and wasn’t hassled at all.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blint
Ajad
Poor thing.
Jhon
Hi, I’m an admin for a group called walk the line, and we’d love to have this added to the group!
haha this is a horrifically honest story and social commentary on our society. im sorry you had to deal with that. nice shot though. if you cant enjoy doing what you do there because they say theres a problem with that you can still snap one while you got a chance and put the beautiful thing up where everyone can see it
Adj
Dika
Manojgupta
S
Ashish
I find it ridiculous that a museum restricts photos being taken of work because anyone shooting pictures while walking through a show will never create anything as kosher as the staff photographers who put together elaborate shoots in order to publicize X exhibit the museum may have at a given time. When the Grateful Dead did a concert, they reserved a section for people to record the concert, why? Because 1, The recordings done by said audience will never match the quality of the Dead’s recording crew. two, The Dead always had a built in audience who always pay and 3. Good karma pays off big.
Any questions? & yes, I got hassled at Moma in NYC for doing the same thing.
Hi, I’m an admin for a group called Fotografía – Photography, and we’d love to have this added to the group!
I took almost the same with slow motion.
A nice shot Mr. Hawk, but a fair do about twittering nothing. Private property and personal privacy do trump some photographic rights – such as in a work place. That said, if you don’t want to be photographed in public, stay home or wear a burka.
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Ig
J
Hi, I’m an admin for a group called Art in Black and White, and we’d love to have this added to the group!
I like
nice pic ye have here.
http://www.chiing.com/
Ja
Sei invitato a partecipare al Contest "Questa è la mia arte"
Ti aspetto!!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/foggiaedintorni/discuss/72157618506...
You are invited to participate in the Contest "This is my art"
I am waiting!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/foggiaedintorni/discuss/72157618506...
–
Found in a search. (?)
A
A
g
Love
you dirty pervert!!! i can’t believe this is still showing up in my "has been shots", hahahhahahahahahahaha
life is way too funny. give people an "inch" and they create a mile. here’s a blintin’ hello to ya!!!!
i hope that dude is choking on his bitterness.
Someone wrote about you…
snallabolaget.com/?p=430
Hai, , ,
In the UK we have the Photography is not a Crime campaign.. after a lot of photographers were prevented from doing their jobs.
http://www.not-a-crime.com/
Nice shot
Take a look at my photostream!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26455718@N03/
Jmj
A
Kendari
n_ch1985@hotmail.com
great perspective!
Hi, I’m an admin for a group called http://www.flickr.com/groups/1230470@N20/, and we’d love to have this added to the group!
J
Ja
A
Yeah it isn’t a crime
that is a great shot
Siapa kah dia
I love this!
Hi, I’m an admin for a group called Amazing Image B&W: Museum, and we’d love to have this added to the group!
Nice shot, Thomas. I’ve shot from this vantage point many times and so far have not had any problems.
Join us:
thedecisivemoment.freeforums.org/index.php
Street Photography Forum
We are waiting you!!!
A larger and clearer image of a similar collection, with a slightly different arrangement, is shown here.
well, i didnt know there were any rights in srilanka actually. thank you for this. and love your pic and thank you for the most valuable information.
i specially love the: * UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, Chuck Norris"
cheers
and welcome back!
You are my winner!
Please add this photo to
http://www.flickr.com/groups/mywinners/
Amazingly creative! =]
User > Byflickr
And we’d love to have this added to the group!
explore your tag in fiveprime org
be among the top 50, add here
his tag was found among the
50 most important
You sure about private shopping malls? Got a source?
Greate idea. Very creative.
Nice Work. Congrats.
explore your tag in fiveprime org
be among the top 50, add here
his tag was found among the
50 most important
nice photo, makes a great point….and is very creative.
Thanks for the fantastic shot, as well as the valuable legal breakdown! I used this image on my hub on Model Release Forms, which you can visit at businesstime.hubpages.com/hub/Model-Release-Form — if you have any modifications for the attribution, just let me know.
Thanks again and keep up the great work!
This is soo creative.
Please view my full portfolio @ indigomystery.tumblr.com < it’d mean the world
thank you this helped alot ! ihad no idea we couldnt take pictures od certain things (:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65474354@N05/
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First-class info it is really. My teacher has been awaiting for this content.
Deference to op , some fantastic entropy.