It wont post at all at the moment Muno. Some of TravelBlog code is being changed, so some things are not working right now. The photos will be showing again on the forum posts as soon as possible. 😊
Reply to this We have traveled all over the world and have run into many situtations where photography was not permitted. Many museuns throughout the world forbid flash photography and in some cases non-flash photography. We always try to comform with local rules and policy. It just isn't worth losing my $1200 camera for a couple of photos. I also note some of the posters have had issues in malls ,etc. I see more and more in the US and some surrounding countries signs in shops that prohibit photos. This has always been true in casinos, however some of the shop owners apparently belive they have something that is so unique that photos are unacceptable. A couple of weeks ago we came through West Memphis, Arkansas and saw a brand new Burger King which is where we stopped. On the door to enter is a permanent sign that reads "No Photography Allowed". Unless it was some kids birthday party why in the world would I want to take pictures inside a Burger King? (s) former U S Marine Corps photographer and commercail photographer.
Reply to this Hmm let's see...
The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican (Still joined in with the hundreds of others snapping pics)
The Statue of David in Florence (Got a bunch of wicked shots on the sly by holding my camera at my chest)
The Mona Lisa in the Louvre (Unfortunately when I visited all photography was banned, and was enforced by two guards standing next to her so I am photo-less)
Those are the big ones that come to mind, although I'm sure there were plenty of other times!
Reply to this Apparently, photographing police on duty is now forbidden in the US.
In at least three states, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer.
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The legal justification for arresting the "shooter" rests on existing wiretapping or eavesdropping laws, with statutes against obstructing law enforcement sometimes cited.
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Quote from
Are Cameras the New Guns
Reply to this a display of the inauguration of the current King, no photos allowed!! I faked a big hacking cough fit so Scott could snap away unknowingly!!
Reply to this I can understand banning flash photography, esecially in art galleries as it can damage the pictures, but I never undrstand why so many museums and galleries forbid cameras.
Interestingly in Madrid recently my friend and I were banned from taking a photo in an art gallery... not a photo with my camera, an actual framed photo previously bought! I suppose they thought we might try to make a quick swap in he gallery or something!
Reply to this I was 'taken aside' by police in Banjul, Gambia. They yelled a bit in the local tongue before realizing that they weren't actually in my photos, at which point they just said "ok" and walked off.
I do think that some travellers should be told off more often though - so many times you see tourists with huge lenses right in some local's face, or leaning inside someone's front door to photograph their kids playing or something. Makes me cringe.
Reply to this I tried to get a picture of David but took to long lining up my phone camera and got busted. Boo. there's always to two replicas outside available for snapping away at! I know it's not the same.
Reply to this well Oilerguy - it was no problem to take a snap of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre - or anywhere else there, in Sept. 10 (no flash of course). And yes I did innocently take a classic picture or two in the Sistine Chapel before I realised it was banned in 1995. European art galleries are generally a no no - but in Louvre and Pompidou in Paris (Sept.10) it was all OK - but Musee d'Orsay strictly no - ditto van Gogh museum and elsewhere in Amsterdam - but no problem in Brussells etc etc.
However it is not just the Third World - in LA, on the weekend, a closed office building, taking an architectural shot in May10- and the security guy comes out and tells me NO - now that is 9/11 paranoia! This also happened in the Historical House precinct in Oakland in US on the weekend - that was so absurd - I had a SLR but camera phones today can easily manage that.
Go to India - the kids (well the boys anyway) especially just love their pictures being taken. I am not a people photographer normally at all - I get embarrassed somewhat - but there not a problem at all - the problem there is if you want to photograph just one kid you get 8 of his mates in it as well.
Reply to this further to above - I have been warned about taking photos a couple of times in shopping malls in Sydney by over-officious security - with nothing better to do in my view. But if you are on a "licence" to stay and "behave" as a condition of entry this might include not taking snaps - pretty pointless though IMHO.
Reply to this We were in the Frankfurt airport going through security when the gal in front of us starting taking photos of the guards with their guns. They took the camera and made her delete the photos.
I was accosted by a street person in Rome for taking a photo of his dog. He was grabbing at my camera and demanding money when the polizia showed up. The interesting thing is we were planning on offering him some money for the photo but he became so hostile and then the polizia were there to assist us.
If wen see a scene along a public street I will often ask to take the photo or if we are a distance away I will take the photo and offer then a bit of money when we get closer. I didn't get the chance on this occasion.
Reply to this Sistine chapel and a She and Him concert. I took them anyway by acting like I was just holding the camera and literally pointing and shooting. Gracias autofocus!
Reply to this I was stopped for taking a picture on the London Underground.
Reply to this I was told off for taking pictures of civil aircraft at Bahrain Airport and I have also been admonished several times for trying to take pictures inside Vietnamese night clubs. God alone knows what that is all about!
Reply to this The famous Qin Dynasty Terracotta Warriors in Xian, China were found in 1974 by three farmers digging a well who found a terracotta head.
The three farmers became 'celebrities'...retired from farming...and employed to sign autographs at the 5 Star Tourist Site.
I was in Xian for the first time in 2003. My Chinese Aussie friend Pauline wanted an autograph from the 'celebrity ex-farmer' on duty...which was allowed as she had bought an expensive souvenir. I offerred to photograph the signing.
This was refused...
"You are not allowed to do that. He is old and flash hurts his eyes"...then after a pause...
"but if you pay him (some exhorbitant amount) he is prepared to endure the pain!"
Pauline paid...I took the photo...he smiled in a tired...satisfied way...as I recall!!!
Reply to this I didn't have a camera with me in the Sistine Chapel but did film it with my video camera, when I got home my video camera stopped working and I lost the film :-( a little bit spooky maybe?
I got a picture of the Mona Lisa no problems.
I too paid the fee for the picture with one of the "famous" Xian farmers.
On the next blog I'll be publishing (once I finish sorting out the pictures) I write about taking a picture of Michelangelo's David in Florence......and getting told off, I got a cool pic though :-)
Reply to this This video was featured on PetaPixel the other day. Its an interesting look at how photographers get treated in London. The police handle things quite well, I can't quite say the same in the next video on American photography rights.
http://www.petapixel.com/2011/07/20/six-photographers-test-their-right-to-shoot-in-london/
As a comparison, check out this video on American photographers.
http://www.petapixel.com/2011/05/27/the-governments-war-on-cameras/
Reply to this My first week in Burundi, I took a picture of the president's convoy as he passed by. Bad decision! A truck full of army men made a U-turn out of the convoy, jumped out of the car, and the army captain confiscated my camera. A huge crowd formed around us, and everyone in the neighborhood was getting involved, so I had to leave. Turned out alright, though. Three days later, we got the phone number of the army captain, and he met us and asked me to delete the photos before giving it back to me. Miracle.
Later, I found out there are lots of things you can't take pictures of - the central market, for instance. Many people also have to pay bribes or get taken into the station before the situation is sorted out, too. Oops.
Reply to this I remember that I was told about not taking to obvious pictures of official buildings in Tirana before I arrived, but then when I went I had no problems with the official buildings. Instead I did get into an encounter with a big grumpy guard at the local 'market'. I was taking pictures of people shopping for used (alas stolen) mobiles. Perhaps trying to locate my own which I lost that year back home. I got out of the situation by pointing at a boring red brick building and gesticulating how fascinating it was. Today I still have that picture of the red brick building and it is one of my favourites.
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