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Original poster

DH got pulled up by cops for taking pictures of/near Euston Station yesterday... gotta waffle!

32 replies

MrsBigD · 07/07/2006 08:27

Paranoia gone too far imho.

O.k. fair enough it's the anniversary of the London Bombings but ffs he was just wandering around taking general pictures of the local buildings as he's down there doing a course. He did a photography course a couple of weeks ago and obviously now loves playing with his super dooper camera . So took it with him to take some 'dreary' London shots.

Tuesday he got lip and 3rd degre from a cop for the first time... dh would't have minded a friendly 'what are you doing' and he would have explained, which he actually did, but that wasn't good enough for the cop, who was one of those volunteer ones (not that I've got anything against them but that one obviously suffered from some power delusions and got fresh. DH used to be in the forces so went 'get me your superior' who then duly appeared and dismissd the matter, i.e. dh taking pictures.

Then yesterday dh got the 3rd degree again from 2 female cops. They just couldn't understand why he would be interested in taking pictures of a busy main road in London. Erhem it's called the artist's perspectie... but never mind that. They 'requested' ID from DH and phoned it in!!! C'mon... he more looks like a Redneck than a terrorist!

DH actually took their badge numbers and they were from Southall so nowhere near their area. Looks like the Met is pulling all the troops to the main stations.

Then he got stopped twice more and trailed!

It's great that they are so alert, but aren't the going a bit too far? If dh werea terrorist and planning something big then he would have done the recon ages ago and not on the day before! Especially as he's been forces and knows how to 'organise' something like that!

Rant over better get ready for work now

OP posts:
Alan · 07/07/2006 08:36

they are just on high alert
Intelligence information suggests there will be more attempts so i suppose they ahve to seem vigilant

Hope he got some nice arty pics though

GeorginaA · 07/07/2006 08:40

Yep, I've heard similar problems from photographer friends in railway stations at the moment. Apparently if you want to take photos INSIDE a railway station, you are supposed to inform staff that you are doing so (friend just collects silly pictures of stick figure signs, so hardly likely to want to inform staff JUST in case he sees one ).

What has been suggested is that people make up business cards giving details so that if you get a query from a policeman you can hand it over so you're completely transparent about what you're doing. For my friend he keeps a card with his Flickr account details on there, so they can look up his site on the web and see he's just a slightly daft photographer Perhaps a business card with the course organisers?

There's a very useful UK Photographers' Rights Guide which is worth printing out and carrying with you. Such a shame it's needed :/

(I'd also be inclined to be sarky and say if I wanted to be surreptitious I'd be using a camera phone not a fecking HUGE SLR... but it'd probably get me in trouble)

Northerner · 07/07/2006 08:47

Glad to see they are doing their jobs IMO. Keeping us all safe.

sadandsickened · 07/07/2006 08:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

poisson · 07/07/2006 08:51

duid he have a beard though

alligator · 07/07/2006 08:56

WHile its good to see they are doing their jobs, it'd be better to see that they were doing their jobs politely and with due respect for the people going about their own business. This seems to be a very important part of the job that a some police people seem to have forgotten about (or maybe they were ill the day that training session took place). After all the goodwill, respect and help from the general public that the police need to operate successfully can only be fostered if the police themselves are polite and well mannered in all their dealing with the public.

Northerner · 07/07/2006 08:57

If I were in the police I'd think it odd if folk were taking pics of train stations in the current climatre tbh.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/07/2006 09:28

wow I actually got responses

GeorginaA, thanks for that I'll print it off for dh and for myself, as I'm doing a photography course this weekend and then it'll be me hanging out in strange places with an expensive SLR ;) As for being sarki... I was very proud of dh that he didn't go sarki or political (he's got issues with the terror act) but simply 'pulled rank'

Northener, yes it's great that they are on high alert trying to keep us safe. As for 'odd if taking pictures of stations ...' for all they know he could be a journalist, but also the artistic sort are known for doing weird stuff and taking pictures of ugly things is only part of it.

alligator my point exactly, dh wouldn't have minded a polite question and curteous listening to his explanation...

Poisson - no as I said dh could pass as a redneck (no offence ) he's 6ft tall, bulky, no. 1 hair cut and clean shaven

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GeorginaA · 07/07/2006 09:37

MrsBigD - from heresay it seems women aren't stopped as often. I do think it's such a shame there's such paranoia surrounding cameras at the moment - you're either a paedophile or a potential terrorist if you're not taking photographs in a "normal" tourist area. Completely daft, as I say, because if you were being underhand you'd use a discrete cameraphone not lugging around with a tripod, SLR, several lenses...

Oh well, just tell him he's suffering for his art

Good luck with your photography course too

Alan · 07/07/2006 09:39

so he looks like a thug then?

misdee · 07/07/2006 09:43

not your usual pictures

GeorginaA · 07/07/2006 09:44

Wow misdee - they're really powerful images.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/07/2006 09:50

yes they are indeed wonderful picture and proving the point that artists/photographers/people with imagination don't only take pictures of pretty things

Alan, hmmm come to think of it yes he could pass as a thug though he has an intelligent expression on his face most of the time and isn't covered in tatoos or piercings

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misdee · 07/07/2006 09:53

my dd2 is abit of a budding photographer, she takes picures of the most bizarre things. i imagine when she is older she will be taking pics of iron girders or the ceiling pattern at railway stations. people see beuaty in different ways. those photos of harefield make me feel all goosebumpy, things like the coat hanger.

but i suppose if i spent a lot of time at railway stations the same would apply.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/07/2006 09:58

misdee I love the picture with the two red chairs, simple but powerful!

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GeorginaA · 07/07/2006 09:58

I love pictures of light patterns - I'm always looking for odd light falling when I'm out.

Mind you, last time I got caught taking pictures in public, I was scrabbling on a pavement taking a macro of a \link{very interesting slug\flickr.com/photos/pewari/158739400/in/set-1495467/} (note: not in the same league as the harefield photos unfortunately!) - that earned me a very strange look, I can tell you.

GeorginaA · 07/07/2006 09:59

very interesting slug - but not that interesting obviously cos I messed up the link.

Twiglett · 07/07/2006 10:00

Glad to see the police are doing their jobs

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/07/2006 10:02

Twiglett I'm glad to see that they're doing their job too, but they could be a bit more polite about it and not jump to pre/conclusions straight away

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GeorginaA · 07/07/2006 10:02

Yes I agree Twig, that's why I like the idea of carrying cards around - it means that they can spend less time on the legit photographers (as it's quicker for them to check up that you are what you say you are) and spend more time investigating elsewhere.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/07/2006 10:03

GeorginaA I like the slug and yes we've been known to lie down on the floor to get a good close-up shot , last one was last weekend whilst at Whipsnade trying to get close to one of those wapitis (I think that's what they're called) that run loose all over the place... wild life photography eat your heart out LOL

OP posts:
GeorginaA · 07/07/2006 10:05

I am a big slug and snail fan - mainly cos the little bastards don't run away while you're faffing with the camera settings!

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/07/2006 10:08

ah that's what I've been doing wrong... those butterflies are just too fast LOL, not to mention my kids. I've had some great concept photos of dd and ds but the exposure ... That's the main reason I want to do the course to learn how to quick set my camera so I don't miss great shots due to the 'object of desire' having moved on

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GeorginaA · 07/07/2006 10:14

TBH, the best pictures I've got of the kids were when I was just taking loads and loads of pics on the auto repeat thingie (and that's the technical term )

my favourite of my youngest

my favourite of my eldest

I do end up doing a lot of post processing in Paintshop Pro though - mainly because I love computers, and I really enjoy trying different things, but also because my camera is "only" a compact (I have access to my dh's SLR - but it's a film camera, so most of the time I can't be arsed!)

I should really make more of an effort to go on a camera course myself. I did start a home study one once, but life just got too busy and it got sidelined.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/07/2006 10:32

great pics, glad to see though I'm not the only one who has 'lighting' issues . But isn't photoshop cs2 great?!

I'm doing a weekend course at the London School of Photography, sounds very posh doesn't it, but really it's a small room in a building off Oxford Street . The guy who runs the courses is Italian and has been round as a professional for yonks. I can find the URL for you tonight if you want, but then again you're probably not based in London

As it taught dh to be 'arty' it's a good course. DH is the archtypical tech/analyst

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