Street Photography
2:00 PMIt's taking me a while to set up this blog because I'm taking my board exams these coming two weekends (and I haven't finished studying)! I do have more structured entries planned. But I wanted to share this article on public and street photography in the US, concerning both photojournalists and the average person with a camera. (It's a New York Times article so read it while it's still free!)
Criminalizing Photography
If you’re out in public, you can take pictures. And you can report to your heart’s content. The problem is whether they know their rights or don’t know their rights and are willing to assert their rights.
Anyone know of a similar article on street photography in the Philippines? Digital Photographer Philippines had a street photography issue a few years ago with guidelines on it, but I think by now it's outdated. I know that in Makati policemen will stop you from taking pictures of certain buildings, and even in Muji High Street I've been asked to stop taking photos -- and I was only using my PHONE. -__- Take note, there wasn't even any sign requesting customers to refrain from taking pictures in the store. I walked out without buying a thing. Shame, I would have written about Muji if I had any pictures to go with my article.
Anyway. It would be nice to know the official rules and legislature on this stuff!
2 comments
When I read this entry my first thought was that it would relate to questions of privacy. Only when I went to the NYT article I realised that it's another instance of how basic rights get restricted by using laws that got enacted after "terrorist" attacks. A very, very worrisome trend. And I don't see how this will ever get reversed. Just the opposite. After every incident or threat (real, staged or imagined) they will use it as an occasion to make even more restricting laws.
ReplyDeleteI think we're more restrictive than the US (we have bag checks and car checks in every mall, train station, and most public places). I'm not sure it's doing any good, since I haven't heard of anyone being caught with a bomb in their possession. But I guess it could discourage the casual anarchist from causing mayhem. How is the situation in Germany?
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