Terrorists seek to instill fear. When that is done, their mission is accomplished. Are your local, state and national officials, and some of the populace too, afraid of you taking pictures?
Many wise generals and leaders, since long before Sun Tzu, have realized that the most effective weapons in any conflict can be psychological. Fear, lack of will and resolve, and more can be implemented through self-induction by the enemy. Terrorists do this with the smallest amount of effort: no one has to invade your shores with an army when attacking 0.0001% of the people or country will instill world-wide fear.
You have to ask yourself if you and your country are willing to go the extent it takes to win the current 'war', or is it better to try to survive in fear? Oddly, it looks like one of the most effective weapons western cultures have in this 'war' is significant reduction in use of fossil fuels. That's a funny thing, isn't it? We support our enemy by depending on their exports, we fund them and sell them weapons....
Photography may become a safe practice again when we screw our heads back on right and observe the world right in front of our noses. You will still need a model release to publish photographs with recognizable people in them for non-editorial purposes, in the US -- other countries vary, some day by day. Property that may be confused as to ownership or aegis in its trademarked or copyrighted design would need a property release. You invade privacy when you go beyond a 'normal' or normally available view -- such as using a 50mm lens on an FX or 35mm frame to take a picture from a public sidewalk of someone or something that has no expectation (explicit or implied) of privacy: such as activity in a privy. Private activity carried out in public, such as cleaning your nose with your finger does not carry any expectation of privacy, but it may represent a person in a bad light. Most editors will stay away from privacy and bad-light issues when they choose a picture to publish.
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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Fear and Loathing of Photographers in Public
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2 comments:
Limiting photographers because someone may take a picture that may result in some act of terrorism is like shooting a gnat with an elephant gun.
The terrorists win when we use up our resources, give up our freedom, and waste our time limiting ourselves because we are afraid.
Kind of like making everyone take their shoes off before getting on a plane b/c someone may have a weapon in there .... the terrorists have won a significant victory by making us go to all the trouble. Limiting photographers because someone may use a picture for some nefarious reason? Talk about using an elephant gun to kill a gnat.
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