This morning Fabrice Drevon told me about this video that has been getting quite a bit of buzz online about 6 photographers who stand their ground and take photos in London of private buildings from public property. Long story short, all 6 photographers get confronted by private security who assert that they have no right to do so (when in reality they can shoot from a public space). Not only that, but in 3 cases police were called as well (who fortunately were very reasonable and well-versed in the law).
The video is a bit long (16 minutes) but I advise everyone to watch it. The photographers all use common-sense and are reasonable when confronting these doubting private security officers (and have the balls to stand their ground). Here are some takeaway points I got from watching the video.
1. Know your rights
All of the photographers in this video knew that shooting private property in a public space was legal in London (and the UK). Every country differs a bit when it comes to photography law, so you should figure out what is legal in your country and assert it whenever people question you. If you are in the US, you can take photos of private property as long as you are in a public space (the same law applies to the UK–although they can arrest you for “reasonable suspicion”).
Print these out below and keep them with you:
2. Be reasonable
Honestly these private security guards didn’t know any better and were simply doing their job by telling the photographers that they couldn’t take photos of their buildings. They weren’t informed of the law, so when confronting these individuals it is important to speak reasonably and not make a huge fuss. I think these photographers did a fantastic job at speaking calmly, with courtesy, while standing their ground.
3. Don’t act suspicious
When people are asking why you are taking photos, tell them that you are a photographer and you are doing it for yourself and nobody else. It also helped that all the photographers in the video looked like photo-journalists or were well-dressed (the nice chap in the pink sweater). I suggest when you are out shooting in public don’t wear a black sweatshirt hoodie and look suspicious. Wear what everyone else is wearing in the area you are shooting, which will help you blend in.
4. Smile
There have been several times I have been confronted by private security about taking photos. However just a simple smile goes a long way in showing that you are harmless. If you smile at someone, they are far less likely to treat you negatively and often times will smile back. This is probably the best piece of advice I have.
5. Don’t stop shooting
When I was watching this video, I was glad that the makers put it together in order to educate the public about how private security often react to street photographers. However, I was very concerned that by watching this video–many street photographers would feel deterred to not take photos in the streets. Do not let this video scare you.
The only reason I suspect the private security offers confronted these photographers is because they stood in front of these private buildings for long periods of time and shot the buildings. Typically when I work in the streets, I don’t stick around in one area for long enough to get flagged by any security or police officers. However regardless of what your style is, use this video as a solid template on how to interact with security guards who will not know the law and stand your ground and assert your rights.
Have you ever had a similar issue and if so–how did you deal with the situation? Share your stories and experiences below!