Suspicious photographers

[camperAL]

Hi Tom and all,

Looks like a dangerous group to me also.  ;D  No telling what they were planning with all those tripods.

I also understand the need to be careful and just having someone come up and talk to the group, survey the situation is acceptable. Wonder what Thomas Jefferson would think?

In a magazine I read, an astronomer set up a dobsonian telescope to observe in Canada at night time. Those look somewhat like a cannon. A car passed by and phone in the information to police. What the astronomer didn't know he was set up next to a military base. His eyes were night adapted for a half hour when everything went totally white and he was surrounded by a dozen or more police or military personnel. Totally blinded by the glaring light all focused on him.

After stepping away from the scope and talking to officials they all had a good laugh and he was allowed to continue. He decided he had had enough Adrenalin for one night and went home. This was well before 9/11.

Seilerbird cracks me up as it is just the way I think. Best to all

 

[Tom]

Aye Al, no problem with the approach here either.

We carpooled (2 cars) that day and, en route to the reservoir, our leader took a wrong turn on a small unmarked road. I followed, and we soon found ourselves at a fence and locked gate, with a guard giving us a thorough look over. I suspect this might have been an access road to the wind farm, which would definitely be a 'no go' area. So, maybe we inadvertently set off an alarm before we even got to the reservoir  ???

Looks like we might have an interesting sidebar at next week's Photo Club meeting.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to reviewing everyone's photos, camera settings, etc. This was the first field trip of a recently formed group and, I believe, only one of us knows what he's doing. I know I was surprised when I looked at my own photos that evening. A learning experience for sure.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to reviewing everyone's photos, camera settings, etc.

Reminds me of the group feedback I got with my first camera. Was in the destroyer force involved in the Suez Canal conflict in the later '50s. About 10 of us had bought Argus C-3 cameras from our ship's store. Whatever port we hit in the Mediterranean as part of the Sixth Fleet we shot 35mm slides of that area. Our developed slides would return as we picked up our mail by the time we hit our next port.

We all then looked forward to viewing of each other slides - and the feedback from other group members. It was a leaning experience for us all and a nice way to spend out evenings while underway - if not standing watch.  However, we didn't have an expert in the group, but we did have a very savvy group otherwise - and several "how to" photography books in our little ship's library. And subject matter that was hard to beat in ports such as Athens, Naples, Crete, the Riviera, and Mallorca after the conflict was over.

I still have my C-3.

 

[Tom]

... subject matter that was hard to beat in ports such as Athens, Naples, Crete, the Riviera, and Mallorca ...

They'd certainly make our local subject matter look quite dull 

 

[murphysranch]

I, for one, laughed out loud at the pic when I opened it up bigger. Yeah, threatening old geezers. LOL!!

 

[Mr Bojangles]

I was the FIRST individual to respond (post) to this "Posting".

just had time on my hands, and, could relate to situation Tom was commenting on......

As a result, my entry into this "posting" provided me a reason to follow other's entries (comments) and IT WAS A LEARNING and entertaining EXPERIENCE, as always. Thanks to Tom and everyone.

From my past memories, I can picture the Comedian GEORGE GOBEL ending this dialog with these words.
Just goes to show ya......

 

[Tom]

Aye Jim, we (I) learned once again how poorly this medium allows us to communicate. True to form, the discussion went off in several unrelated directions (aka thread drift), and I split off several messages into their own topics.

Hopefully, we can all continue to be friends  ???

 

[MN Blue Skies]

I enjoyed the thread and thought of the many encounters I've had over the last two years as I've lugged my professional photography equipment around the Minneapolis and St. Paul area.

First Story:  Good advice I received ....  Last spring I was taking pictures of the Federal Reserve building in downtown Minneapolis.  It's an interesting building next to the Mississippi river and across the river from the locally well known Grain Belt Beer sign.  Lots of good urban photo opportunities.  While I was taking pictures two armed guards approached me and asked me what I was doing. (I'm a 63 year old woman.)  I explained that I was a college student taking pictures for a photo assignment. They asked me for my ID which I had left in my car two blocks away.  They escorted me to my car.  We had a pleasant chat on the way to my car and it turned out that one of the guards lives in my neighborhood.  When we got to my car they checked my driver's license and student ID.  On the walk back to the Federal Reserve building they told me I was welcome to take photos of the federal building but suggested that in the future I let the front desk know what I was doing and also suggested I carry my ID with me.  Good advice and a pleasant encounter. 

Second Story:  When enough is enough ..... Hennepin County has  lots of libraries (old and new) and many have interesting structural features, murals, ceilings, etc.  They have become one of my favorite places to shoot when it's below freezing in Minnesota and I have photo assignments due. Until recently I was never allowed to take photographs inside the libraries.  I was told that library system had a policy that didn't allow photographs to be taken of the buildings.  One day I took my camera into the library because I didn't want to leave it the car.  I was approached by a guard who told me I couldn't have a camera in the library.  I explained I wasn't taking photos, I just didn't want to leave my camera in the car.  He politely repeated that I could not have a camera in the library so I left. (Later I wondered about cell phone cameras ...  hmmm.)  I also wondered who made up the rule.  I know most of our County Commissioners and just didn't think they would vote for such a rigid policy.  So I decided that enough was enough and started researching.  Well I discovered that the County's written policy clearly states that people are welcome to take pictures of County property.  However photographers taking pictures for commercial reasons must get a permit and have proof of liability insurance.  Now that makes sense.  Subsequently the County sent a memo to the library staff clarifying the County's photography policy and I received a nice letter from the County thanking me for my time and apologizing for any inconvenience.  Another happy ending.

 

[SeilerBird]

Cell phones are causing a lot of security people problems. It used to be that at a concert you were not allowed to take photos. But now that almost everyone has a cell phone in their pocket it is impossible to control. And when Google Glass becomes common that will open up another can of worms. Spy cameras are cheap and they are another problem.

 

[Tom]

Some time in the 80's, long before it became a mecca for casinos and tourists, I took a ferry from Hong Kong to the island of Macau. When we entered the only casino on the island, I looked up and saw some elaborate artwork painted on the high ceiling. I instinctively laid flat on the floor and snapped a shot of the ceiling with my SLR (film) camera.

The thought of being approached by security guards didn't occur to me, but I was worried about being trampled by the crowd entering the casino 

I suspect that picture is in one of the boxes of print photos around here. Some years ago, I started cataloging them, but I don't think I finished. Some time later, I started scanning them, but again haven't finished.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

Tom,

Your story about photographing the casino ceiling reminds me of another encounter I had with the authorities in a local park. 

I was lying on my back among the trees in the middle of the 4,900 acre Elm Creek Park Reserve near our home.  I was lying there with my camera pointing toward the sky taking a picture of the beautiful fall leaves overhead. (A fun perspective.) Next thing I know a Park Ranger pulls up with his lights flashing.  He rushes over to me and asks "Is everything alright ma'am?" I guess he'd never seen a 63 year old women lying on her back with a camera pointed to the sky in the middle a huge park reserve. 

Now that I think about this I wonder how he knew I was there?  If I was a paranoid person or someone who watched too much "Person of Interest" on TV I might begin to think that there are security cameras everywhere! 

I will spare you a story of another encounter I had with a Park Ranger that resulted in my husband getting a ticket.  Since my husband got the ticket and not me he wasn't very amused. 

 

[Bob.n.Carolyn]

We apparently attracted attention, and were approached separately by a couple of "officials". One guy apologetically explained "I'm required to report any unusual activity, and we don't normally see a group of guys taking photos of our infrastructure".

You guys probably startled them when the flash powder went off ;D

 

[Tom]

You guys probably startled them when the flash powder went off

LOL, I didn't think of that one.

 

[AlGreg]

In the early days of digital cameras my wife and I were in Lowes and saw a unique kitchen cabinet.  My wife's daughter was remodeling her house and we figured that the best way to tell her about it was to send her a picture.  I went back to my truck and got my Nikon 2 megapixel camera and took a picture of the cabinet.  A Lowes employee told me that it was against their rules to take a picture inside their store.  I told him I was sorry and would delete the picture and try to find something like it across the street at Home Depot.

 

[Mr Bojangles]

Algreg:
That's probably what I would have said/done.......
I want to thank you for input..., I now know what may have been better action to take.

Explain to Salesmen/clerk your reason for photo, offer to put camera away (with picture) or get manager involved before deleting picture (to continue helping wife's daughter decide).

Lowe's policy with regard to "someone taking Photo's" has value and good policy. But Common sense could have worked here.
Your posting, as well as all before have helped my thinking for future.

 

[Tom]

I wonder how many folks take pictures in Lowes with their cell phone, and go unchallenged  ???

We've taken pictures at model homes and studied them later to help decide what features we wanted or didn't want in a home.

 

[Mr Bojangles]

Makes sense Tom.....

 

[Joezeppy]

I don't often read this topic but I got a kick out of this post...the first thing I thought of when I saw Tom's picture was the movie "Space Cowboys"!  ;D

 

[rsalhus]

Tom, I too remember taking a ferry (hydofoil?) from Hong Kong to Macau back in the mid '80s.  The only difference is that I went there to gamble.  The casino there was very busy (crowded) and the people in the casino wanted to gamble but there weren't enough slot machines or chairs around the blackjack tables to accompany everyone.  I finally managed to collar an open chair at a blackjack table and was surprised to find people who I didn't know that were standing behind me placing their blackjack bets on top of (or beside) my bet.  I had never 'shared' a gambling chair like that before in a casino so it kind of caught me by surprise.  But now that I think of it, they had 'shared' bathrooms (men and women together) in Hong Kong at that time too.  That too was a surprise that also took some getting used to.

Sorry for the thread drift but I wondered if you had the same experience.

 

[Tom]

Rolf, if you google Macau you'll find that it's become a mecca for high end casinos, nothing like what you and I previously experienced.
Edit: Fixed typos.