August Snaps 18 August

Wed, Aug 19, 2009

“Straight Ahead Into Emptiness.”

As glorious a day as yesterday was, as bad a day I have had today. I shall not bore you with all the details of what went wrong, but suffice to say that it didn’t help when the parking attendant at the parking lot where I had parked started making comments about me taking pictures! Sure, I looked a little suspicious lurking around a car park at 10pm at night with a camera, but I just wasn’t in the mood for it today.

While I know it’s generally a lot better an approach to just relax about these people in so-called authority and be nice and polite, I barked right back at him! “What does it look like I’m doing?” (with a camera held up to my eye?)

“Are you photographing the mirror?” the parking attendant asked completely dumbfounded.

“Yes, I’m photographing the mirror!”

I moved on when the parking attendant gulped up some sort of laughter.

10 mintes later I was photographing what was quite a cool looking piece of machinery near one of the boom gates when an intercom sounded nearby. It was the dumbfounded parking attendant again! Talk about big brother! I ignored him at first. I could’t believe it, but then he continued carrying on:

“Wot rrr u doin naaw?” a robotic sounding voice asked, although there was still no mistaking it for the dumbfounded parking attendant.

“I’m taking pictures as I told you before, mate.”

“U rrr fotograffing the hole carrr park. We hav it on CCTV. Wot for?”

“For the sake of art, my friend. For art.”

I just couldn’t be bothered with this character. In the end I walked over to my car and finished up for the day.

In total I made 38 images today.

I have converted today’s image to black and white in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 and then added some film grain and gold toning using onOne Software’s PhotoTools 2.0 Pro Plugin.

Use the coupon code 24SEVEN to get a 20% discount on any of onOne Software’s plugins when you check out.

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Black and White, Compact, Inspiration, Software

This post was written by:

Thomas - who has written 202 posts on Photography 24/7.

Thomas is the editor and founder of Photography 24/7. He lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and two daugthers. If you liked this post, why not receive updates when new posts are published? Subscribe to the feed via RSS or EMAIL to get instant updates on new posts.

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6 Responses to “August Snaps 18 August”

Barb Trimble Says:
19. August 2009 at 2:06 am

That is too funny! The things we put up with to photograph what we want at times. I like the end result though. You should have asked if they were recording everything and if so could you get a copy:) Hope today goes better than yesterday.

Mike Says:
21. August 2009 at 12:20 am

Good on you for persevering.
I had a similar situation once. I worked on a technology park next to one of Europe’s biggest chemical plants. I thought it would be a good idea to get up early, and photograph the skyline of cooling towers against the dawn sky. Just my luck that a security guard inside the fence saw me stop, then proceeded to drive his van backwards and forwards on his side of the fence, in order to block my view. This went on for some time, all the while he leant out of the van window, threatening to call the police (I was on the public road, so was within my rights to take any photographs I liked). In the end I got in my car, drove round a corner, waited a few minutes for him to leave, then came back and got the shot.
Down with the jobsworths!

Thomas Says:
21. August 2009 at 10:38 am
Hi Mike, thanks for sharing your experience which sounds just as crazy as mine if not more, because after all I think the car park I was in was privately owned. Driving backwards and forwards in a van to block your view is just plain silly, but it still makes for a hilarious story! I try to follow Photo Attorney where Carolyn often reports similar stories or indeed stories that might even go a step further where a photographer might end up being detained or harassed by authorities.

Reply

Mike Says:
23. August 2009 at 8:51 am

There’s been a lot of cases of photographers being stopped in the UK recently. The government introduced a new anti-terrorism bill, allowing the arrest of anyone taking photographs that inhibit the police from carrying out anti-terror operations. Many police have interpreted this as enabling them to arrest anyone who points a camera in their direction (incrorrectly).
A recent example is at http://monaxle.com/2009/07/08/section-44-in-chatham-high-street/ .

Thomas Says:
23. August 2009 at 1:39 pm

Hi Mike, yes I have noticed quite a few ‘cases’ from the UK in the recent past and this is just another example. Thanks for sharing the link to the story from Chatham High Street.

I wonder how much the police consider the emotional impact of their actions when they arrest, detain and even handcuff a normal person who might never been in trouble with the law before, let alone arrested, and who is simply out enjoying their hobby. Lack of judgement from the police seems to be written all over this case.

I would certainly get somewhat shaken up if it had been me, and I would also be very frustrated and angry. The worst thing is that far from everybody would be inclined – or brave enough – to take it further and lodge a complaint as in this case.

It certainly is a fine line that the police has to walk sometimes, but when they so clearly seem to get it wrong, it’s only right that this is then also subsequently acknowledged by the police themselves as otherwise the concept of freedom is in jeopardy!

sophie Says:
2. September 2009 at 9:42 pm

Your parking lot story sounds a lot like my strawberry box one!!

I find it very annoying to be restricted for silly reasons and I feel more and more self conscious about where I aim my camera, constantly wondering if someone is going to stop me or ask me questions or ask me to move along…

Barb Trimble Says:
19. August 2009 at 2:06 am
That is too funny! The things we put up with to photograph what we want at times. I like the end result though. You should have asked if they were recording everything and if so could you get a copy:) Hope today goes better than yesterday.

Mike Says:
21. August 2009 at 12:20 am
Good on you for persevering.
I had a similar situation once. I worked on a technology park next to one of Europe’s biggest chemical plants. I thought it would be a good idea to get up early, and photograph the skyline of cooling towers against the dawn sky. Just my luck that a security guard inside the fence saw me stop, then proceeded to drive his van backwards and forwards on his side of the fence, in order to block my view. This went on for some time, all the while he leant out of the van window, threatening to call the police (I was on the public road, so was within my rights to take any photographs I liked). In the end I got in my car, drove round a corner, waited a few minutes for him to leave, then came back and got the shot.
Down with the jobsworths!

- Thomas Says:
  21. August 2009 at 10:38 am
  Hi Mike, thanks for sharing your experience which sounds just as crazy as mine if not more, because after all I think the car park I was in was privately owned. Driving backwards and forwards in a van to block your view is just plain silly, but it still makes for a hilarious story! I try to follow Photo Attorney where Carolyn often reports similar stories or indeed stories that might even go a step further where a photographer might end up being detained or harassed by authorities.
  
Mike Says:
23. August 2009 at 8:51 am
There’s been a lot of cases of photographers being stopped in the UK recently. The government introduced a new anti-terrorism bill, allowing the arrest of anyone taking photographs that inhibit the police from carrying out anti-terror operations. Many police have interpreted this as enabling them to arrest anyone who points a camera in their direction (incrorrectly).
A recent example is at http://monaxle.com/2009/07/08/section-44-in-chatham-high-street/ .

Thomas Says:
23. August 2009 at 1:39 pm
Hi Mike, yes I have noticed quite a few ‘cases’ from the UK in the recent past and this is just another example. Thanks for sharing the link to the story from Chatham High Street.

I wonder how much the police consider the emotional impact of their actions when they arrest, detain and even handcuff a normal person who might never been in trouble with the law before, let alone arrested, and who is simply out enjoying their hobby. Lack of judgement from the police seems to be written all over this case.

I would certainly get somewhat shaken up if it had been me, and I would also be very frustrated and angry. The worst thing is that far from everybody would be inclined – or brave enough – to take it further and lodge a complaint as in this case.

It certainly is a fine line that the police has to walk sometimes, but when they so clearly seem to get it wrong, it’s only right that this is then also subsequently acknowledged by the police themselves as otherwise the concept of freedom is in jeopardy!

sophie Says:
2. September 2009 at 9:42 pm
Your parking lot story sounds a lot like my strawberry box one!!

I find it very annoying to be restricted for silly reasons and I feel more and more self conscious about where I aim my camera, constantly wondering if someone is going to stop me or ask me questions or ask me to move along…