Open Carry

[blume357]

To be honest they may have changed it now, but right after 911 the patriot act had in it that federal buildings could not be photographed as well as passenger trains.... I put my wife on a train here in town early one morning and I had just bought a new camera and it had rained that night and it looked like some good pictures of the wet platform and train with the lights reflecting.... I was taking pictures when a guy just appeared from no where.. I think he was out in the bushes and told me I was breaking the law taking pictures of the Amtrak train.....

 

[BearBiologist]

I live in a free state and I OC when I want and I CC when I want and any one who don't like either one can FO.

Wow!! The ultimate, discussion ending argument!! Where is the sarcasm emoji when you need it!

It's amazing, with an attitude like that, more people are not comfortable around firearms!

 

[codebreaker]

To be honest they may have changed it now, but right after 911 the patriot act had in it that federal buildings could not be photographed as well as passenger trains.... I put my wife on a train here in town early one morning and I had just bought a new camera and it had rained that night and it looked like some good pictures of the wet platform and train with the lights reflecting.... I was taking pictures when a guy just appeared from no where.. I think he was out in the bushes and told me I was breaking the law taking pictures of the Amtrak train.....

The Patriot Act did not have any restrictions on photography in it.

 

[blume357]

I just wasted 20--30 minutes trying to read the patriot act... what a joke... and I guess you are right... but I was sure I was because I had read it here on the internet.
And I'm not making up the part about the guy showing up and telling me it was illegal to photograph the Amtrak train.
As for "Living in a Free State" ..... always reminds me of the scene in the Steve Matin movie "The Jerk". when he has a job at the carnival guessing people's weight and if he is wrong they get to pick a free gift off the display.... pay a dollar for him to guess and they win a 25 cent koopie doll.....

 

[kmoore]

Many years ago I read the Patriot Act. I don't remember any ban on photography from or in a public place. After 911 we got calls on all types of people taking photographs in public places as they had done for many years. It was a waste of police services, not illegal and they were normally gone when arrived.
I had to work at PDX, (Portland Airport) not a choice. They took 8 to 10 cops at of patrol to allow the Airport to reopen for months after 911 happened. The reason was FAA made a mandate of the number of cops needed in each airport to reopen. PDX was short staffed. The airport could not open until the correct number of cops where there on the property. The Airport has it's own PD. We back filled the empty slots, so it could open. NG supplied 6 troops on the lobby area. Several times a NG Sgt. had come to my post demanding I stop or arrest someone for taking photographs. I couldn't leave my post and even if I could I told him it was not illegal. Each time they said these words "Well we don't like it." Well, it's not illegal so I don't care what you like or dislike.
I am guessing the person who told Blume it was a crime, really just didn't like him taking pictures. Now if it's posted, all over the place so everyone knows it's not allowed then it could be, but likely it was just "we don't like it."

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

Show us the law saying we can't take a picture from a public way of anything we want. For real??

Don't know about public buildings or weather the laws are state specific, but here in NJ you cannot film or photo private property without the owners' permission no matter where you ( or your drone ) are. External security cameras may not be aimed to pick up others' property either. Street is the limit. Pretty serious about privacy laws here, and that's fine by me.

 

[codebreaker]

Don't know about public buildings or weather the laws are state specific, but here in NJ you cannot film or photo private property without the owners' permission no matter where you ( or your drone ) are. External security cameras may not be aimed to pick up others' property either. Street is the limit. Pretty serious about privacy laws here, and that's fine by me.

I don't believe that is 100% correct. I can go to Google Maps and find plenty of photos of private homes.
This thread really wandered off topic and I guess it's my fault. Sorry.

 

[Pál_K]

Don't know about public buildings or weather the laws are state specific, but here in NJ you cannot film or photo private property without the owners' permission no matter where you ( or your drone ) are. External security cameras may not be aimed to pick up others' property either. Street is the limit. Pretty serious about privacy laws here, and that's fine by me.

I would like to see the written law. That may be true if the photo is used for profit making or perhaps other public display, but for private use I believe the law is that anything that can be seen from a public vantage point can also be photographed.

For both still-photography and videography I have obtained both model releases and location releases for my work that has been sold. That was a while ago, but I don't think the basic law has changed.

I have photographed dams, power stations, and railway yards without problem and not needed permission; nobody confronted me.

In the photo community it is well known there are some security guards who vastly overstep their authority and will try to stop you from photographing an interesting building downtown - they try to intimidate the photographer - but they are completely wrong.

 

[kmoore]

Don't know about public buildings or weather the laws are state specific, but here in NJ you cannot film or photo private property without the owners' permission no matter where you ( or your drone ) are. External security cameras may not be aimed to pick up others' property either. Street is the limit. Pretty serious about privacy laws here, and that's fine by me.

Yep, laws regarding what can and can't be done on, near, towards public and private property do vary.
Basically, not always, in a public space open to the public. It will be legal to take photos. They are some public places it might be posted illegal to take photos. Public places that have limited entry or restricted entry can post all types of rules/laws including no photos.
Private property open to the public can post their own rules. If there really legal for the property owner to enforce will normally be learned in a court ruling involving a case against the property owner.
Private property as in a home, has different rules. And those apply to police differently than a citizen. Even local police and federal police can have different laws regarding private property rights. There are legal terms, open view, plain view, curtilage. That apply to private property and a police act.

 

[GunnyGene]

I don't believe that is 100% correct. I can go to Google Maps and find plenty of photos of private homes.
This thread really wandered off topic and I guess it's my fault. Sorry.

Top secret?? Satellite photo of Area 51 taken 3/1/2024

 

[Jeepnik]

In 2017 I was photographing a local bridge. Harbor police came by and told me I couldn't. I ask what the specific ordinance was. Answer was because they said so and ignoring police orders was illegal.

 

[Pál_K]

In 2017 I was photographing a local bridge. Harbor police came by and told me I couldn't. I ask what the specific ordinance was. Answer was because they said so and ignoring police orders was illegal.

They're full of it. But they know people are highly unlikely to fight them and then take it to court.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

I just wasted 20--30 minutes trying to read the patriot act... what a joke... and I guess you are right... but I was sure I was because I had read it here on the internet.
And I'm not making up the part about the guy showing up and telling me it was illegal to photograph the Amtrak train.
As for "Living in a Free State" ..... always reminds me of the scene in the Steve Matin movie "The Jerk". when he has a job at the carnival guessing people's weight and if he is wrong they get to pick a free gift off the display.... pay a dollar for him to guess and they win a 25 cent koopie doll.....

Who was this guy ?
Did he have any credentials , like a badge ?
Who did he work for ?

 

[blume357]

He did not identify him self, I actually think he had an Amtrak uniform on but it was a while ago and dark and rainy . Also, if he had been a police person and identified himself then I would have had to disclose to him that I was not only carrying a camera but also a handgun. (there back on target for a bit)

Sometime around then I was in Hersey, PA at a convention and some folks were being a bit rowdy late at night. I wasn't, I was just sitting out by the pool in the snow in my underwear with some friends. The local police were called. Guy from a trade magazine took a picture of the two cops and they told him that it was illegal to take their picture.

 

[WalterEmrick]

He did not identify him self, I actually think he had an Amtrak uniform on but it was a while ago and dark and rainy . Also, if he had been a police person and identified himself then I would have had to disclose to him that I was not only carrying a camera but also a handgun. (there back on target for a bit)

Sometime around then I was in Hersey, PA at a convention and some folks were being a bit rowdy late at night. I wasn't, I was just sitting out by the pool in the snow in my underwear with some friends. The local police were called. Guy from a trade magazine took a picture of the two cops and they told him that it was illegal to take their picture.

That's a real fine line. The police can call it obstruction but I highly doubt it would hold up in court. I was talking to an off duty policeman yesterday while I was selling him floorcovering. He was talking about how much things have changed as social scrutiny increases. No officer wants to be plastered all over media, either social or commercial. A lot of infractions are simply not being enforced for fear of being put through hell for doing their jobs.