Places you CAN NOT photograph?

Question

I should of know better but ever since I was a teenager I had great fascination about the maximum security prison a few towns over. I remember right after I got my license to drive I was doing everything road trips,back road parties and one night we drove up to the ever so creepy max security prison and hat spot lights shine on us from those huge towers. Anyway fast forward 10 or so years and I went up there during the day, hoping to get some cool shots of barb wire fences and those guard towers. I was lucky to catch a guard before he caught me. I ask him and he stated very fast "absolutely not!" Anyway I was just on some photog site which they were talking about homeland security looking for some man who took pictures of refineries.

Well all in all this got me thinking, I should have some sort of list for future reference. I have heard horror stories of people getting in this new homeland security system.

Answer 1

In the UK it is becoming extremely difficult to take photographs of anywhere where there are children as the country is paranoid about paedophiles. The Mayor of London was even proposing to put up signs warning against photography in places like Trafalgar Square. A guy was stopped by the police just before Christmas for putting up a tripod in a London park. Guidelines had to be issued as to what was and what was not permissible there. Such also had to be issued in respect of photography on railway (train) stations. Many shopping Malls won't permit photography either. Our leading heritage organisation, The National Trust, began to issue guidelines about who could and who could not take photographs on it's properties. Our leading photographic magazine, Amateur Photographer seems to have a new story every week about someone who has been stopped or even arrested whilst taking pictures. We live in an increasing fascistic society over here, full of jobsworths who like to throw their weight about.

Answer 2

Well It's Different Places But The Most Photographed Is Paris.

Answer 3

There is a general rule that I follow, if it looks like it would or could be a target for terrorist - don't even think about taking the camera out of the bag.

My list includes:
military installations
federal buildings
water treatment plants
gas stations
oil refineries
power stations
prisons
train stations
airports
train depots
fleet areas

and these are just a few on the list for Homeland "Security"

You have the "right" to photograph these things, but the government also has the right to protect those that would be impacted.

Answer 4

Inside the headquarters for the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. No photography was the rule at the Air Force station I was assigned in the mid 1970s (Onizuka AFS, then Sunnyvale AFS) and many location at the nearby Lockheed Martin facility in the south SF Bay area.

If you even had a camera with you....well the rest of your day would be ruined with inquires by the base SPs and the local police department.

One of the greatest shots I ever got was along Skyline Drive in the mountains just sort of south / southwest of the south bay area. From a parking area there, at night you could see the city lights all the way from San Jose to Oakland, San Francisco, and even further north to almost all the way to Napa in the north. It makes for a great picture with all the lights, and I left the shutter open for two minutes so you would get streaks of aircraft lights taking off from SF International and Oakland.

Answer 5

Add coal mines to the forbidden list. No one, not even an employee, can take a camera on a coal mine. The reason is NOT because of homeland security, but safety. People with cameras do stupid things and the last thing you want to do in a mine is step out in front of a parked truck forty feet with tires 12 feet high. The guy in the cab can't see you.

Oh, and you could get some really kicking shots off the high wall of the pit until you fall off that wall and head for the ground, taking tons of loosened rock with you to rain down on the heads of the miners below.

Yeah, keep your camera away from coal mines.

Answer 6

I just dint agree when it comes to taking photos outdoors because once u r out of your home u r free game. did you knew the average person is recorded on video 10-20X a day so whats the big deal about photographs. I understand if u r inside a Government building or classified area.

Try this :Go to Google maps and 98% of our planet has been mapped from satellites not photographers on the ground. Using the Internet u can find out all kinds of OPSEC info. US military base and classified areas too u just have to know where to look.

This is all a bunch of bull. If you see any signs that say NO PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED then dont take any photos bottom line.

Answer 7

Well, it is polite to ask someone if you can take a photo of their house or of their children, but techinically not required. As long as you are on public property, you are legally allowed to take a photo. Now, that doesn't mean that will stop someone from tackling you before you take a picture of their kid, so it is a common sense thing I guess. Oh, I have found that if you get a big @ss lens, it helps alot...they think you are a professional photographer. I have had many people ask me if I am with the newspaper..ha! They tend to trust me...not sure why they would do a thing like that, but its true.

Answer 8

While visiting Washington DC last year I was told NOT to photograph "inside" the Capital and "inside" the White House.

I live in San Francisco, and I have taken pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Oakland-Bay Bridge. But I have not tried recently the "Transamerica Pyramid".

Answer 9

well i almost got in trouble with takeing pictures of things such as that but i did find they dont mind you drawing them lol, i asked if i could draw it instead an they said yes. its not the same. kinda like the reason theres an artist in courtrooms because photos arent allowed but sketch artists are. so you either have to get your skills up or bring an artist friend along!

Answer 10

There are certain places where it is illegal also you may need Model/Property releases for the few you are able to photograph. Theres a list online depending where you are. look on your county or state sites.