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Photography under threat: The shooting party’s over


Richard de Florennes

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"In the most spied-on country in the world, with an estimated 4.2m CCTV cameras tracking our moves, people are now suspicious if Joe Nikon presses his shutter button."

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article7050481.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1

A little bit off topic, but: Does this mean, I could be arrested in the UK when taking pictures of some fields, landscapes or implements at work on the fields, even when asking the farmer??? Maybe becouse there is a high voltage power line in the background which might be interesting for terror attack??

My plans for a photo tour in the UK this year might be reconsidered - sounds much like I might end in London Tower's dungeons just for a picture of an old Standen Rapide harvester or other old iron on the fields which might be part of those "certain critical areas".

Do those UK officials have BSE in their brains?

I'd rather stay in Germany, Belgium or France, countries of almost unlimited freedom for reasonable photographers considering the normal rules of human co-existence.

Cheers!

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For some reason there is a part of the Establishment that is starting to become rather paranoid and over reacting to people doing innocent and everyday things. Maybe it is hyped up in the media with tacky "news" stories about paedophiles and/or terrorists on every street corner or maybe is is just a gross over reaction by those who have an over rated sense of their own importance,  :-\ :-\ you decide, I couldn't possibly comment  ::) ::)::) .

I don't think you will have any problem with a farming and photography tour of the UK if, like me, you always approach the drivers first and ask permission, after all, it is basic courtesy. If you do decide to come over then I will look forward to your pictures.

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Well I was just typing pretty much what Mike has just said... so I'll do nothing other than to agree with him.

Ask nicely... explain who you are and you'll have no problem... in fact... you'll find that us 'downtrodden' Brits are a very friendly and welcoming bunch.. especially in the farming community Sasha

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i wouldnt worry sasach, most farmers wont have a issue with you getting pics over here, especially if you check first to mate, afterall you aint exactly going to blow a beet harvestor up are you :D :D :D :D  a jd mind we can accept thats fine ;)  some places will always be iffy, like military sites someone was collared getting a pic of the dockyard recently from the top of a hill, no way could they get any detail from that shot, but the police still arrived, worlds gone mad since 9/11 sadly, and its the 99.9% of us normal people that suffer from the agro, not the .1% we need to worry about

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the way i see it the UK has become terrified/paranoid by security, but not in a practical sense such as border control etc. All these rules,regulations and so called freedom doesnt actually make for freedom.

Although most farmers here wouldnt mind about photos being taken, you should be aware of landowners ie: Mod, Crown property, government ministers, celebrities that all own land that maybe in the view of your shot.

.

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I still have to meet the farmer that does not want pictures taken, most farmers i meet are in a hurry but always friendly and proud of there machines/farm.

I don't think it makes a bit of difference in what part of the free world you are  ;)

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I say **c* em all with my two fingers to them

well they cant arrest us all soding beurocrats [glow=red,2,300]FLEACKS [/glow]to the lot of them

Got to have a numpty for miss spelling that  :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:

?Ahhhhhhhhhhh ummmmmmmmmmmmm yes um well um yea the word

fleacks is an old saxson slang word from around these parts ....................maybee thats why you have never heard of it

what was it you thought i miss spelt  ;)  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

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I say **c* em all with my two fingers to them

well they cant arrest us all soding beurocrats [glow=red,2,300]FLEACKS [/glow]to the lot of them

?Ahhhhhhhhhhh ummmmmmmmmmmmm yes um well um yea the word

fleacks is an old saxson slang word from around these parts ....................maybee thats why you have never heard of it

what was it you thought i miss spelt  ;)  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Yay! Anarchy in the UK!!!  :laugh:  C'mon, let's stick it to the man!  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Oh, by the way, Sascha, you ain't taking my picture... god knows what you could do with it... it could be enough to take down the national grid.... in fact, I don't trust him.... what's he want to come here taking photos for? Lock down the borders... he's not coming in....bloody terrorist!!!  :of  :laugh:

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Oh, by the way, Sascha, you ain't taking my picture... god knows what you could do with it... it could be enough to take down the national grid.... in fact, I don't trust him.... what's he want to come here taking photos for? Lock down the borders... he's not coming in....bloody terrorist!!!  :of  :laugh:

Finally someone that sees the potential danger of such things! British government is right. Photographers are a wierd bunch of people.

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I'm sure the British government will have better things to be doing than trying to stop people taking photographs,It would put so many tourists off coming to holiday there plus all the hassle of trying to prevent people from taking a snap.

Go on your Holiday Richard and take all the photographs you can

Say cheese

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In spite of the scare stories in the press, the laws on photography in the UK remain the same, and many of the reported incidents are due to over reaction by members of the public (or sometimes the police) who do not know what the law says.

The fact is that you are free to take photographs of most things in Britain. Obviously military sites are a no go (though there are plenty of aircraft photographers who regularly take pictures from outside RAF bases, and rarely have problems (and it usually only takes the form as a freindly warning from the RAF police when they do).

In general, (apart from specifically prohibited areas) there is no law against taking photographs of anything (or anybody) on public property, but it is polite if you are able to ask permission first. 

There is no law against photographing private property, or a person or object on private property when the photograph is taken from public property. 

You do need to have permission to take photographs from private property.  However, if you are trespassing, all the property owner can do is ask you to leave.  If you refuse, there is little more they can do unless you are committing a crime or causing damage (NB. if you have taken a photograph whilst trespassing, it could be invoked as breaching privacy laws).

This link may be useful to read: http://www.photographywebsite.co.uk/photography-and-the-law-c638.html

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i know when i was younger my grandad used to take me to milldenhall air base  they actually had proper parking bays arround the site inc one on the end of the runway, the only time they ever moved people on from them was when the blackbird spy plane came in, usally twice a day as they had 2 based there, most would just cross over the road and they did nothing, weird that the extra 20 odd m's to the other pavement was ok, but not by the fence

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Sean i remember the parking bays, theyve gone now, our rep sat in his car in gateway of a customers field adjacent to Mildenhall airfield doing paperwork whilst having his lunch, he got moved on after just a few minutes. I came out of a field on the Mog opposite the new entrance which was formerly a parking bay, as i was waiting they swung the gun mounted on the Hum straight at me.

Whilst i was in a shopping centre the other day  i noticed a sign saying any form of photography was prohibited, it didnt mention the CCTV but i feel like demanding all footage of me.

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