Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
Earlier this year, someone accidentally crash-landed a DJI Phantom drone on the the White House lawn. That situation helped escalate the legal issues surrounding drone use in the US.
Today, a man was detained for flying a Parrot BeBop drone at Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. [Read more…]
Officer: What you got in your bag?
Citizen: None of your f***ing business. That’s what I got in the bag.
Officer: Alright. (turns to leave)
Citizen: Honor your oath, scumbag.
Really? That’s the dialog we want with police now? Watch the video below to see that in a real life situation. (**Language warning**) [Read more…]
Photograph from Arne Svenson’s “The Neighbors”
Photographer Arne Svenson photographed people in a residential building across from his second-floor apartment in New York City. The images ended up in the Julie Saul Gallery in a show, “The Neighbors,” with prints for sale at up to $7500.
The images in the show drew a huge response by the residents appearing the in photos and, ultimately, led to a lawsuit against Svenson for invasion of privacy.
Last week, that case was dismissed in New York State court by Judge Eileen A. Rakower, who ruled that the images were protected by the First Amendment and that they did not violate New York State civil rights laws barring the use of photos for commercial purposes without a person’s consent. The court order specifically noted that “[a]n artist may create and sell a work of art that resembles an individual without his or her written consent.” [Read more…]
As a guy was recording protests in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey with what appears to be a DJI Phantom quadcopter and GoPro camera, police shot it out of the air. [Read more…]
Not only does this video win the cheesy award, but the advice it gives to the target audience (apparently those with drastically reduced IQs) flags warning signs for things both pro and amateur photographers do on a daily basis.
Not really what we need the government telling us right now given the current attitude of law enforcement to photographers in public spaces.
[via Chase Jarvis]
This post attempts to highlight Alaska laws that may be relevant to photographers (please read disclaimer below). It is part of my ongoing effort to catalog the various state laws relating to photography. You can see more on the main photography laws page. If you are aware of other significant Alaska statutes or cases that relate to photographers’ rights or duties, please use the contact form to pass them along. [Read more…]
This video is an interesting look into how modern technology, specifically cell phones, has given average citizens a powerful tool to combat police misconduct. The examples shown in this video demonstrate why the right to photograph or record video in public is so important.
[via PetaPixel]
As seen in the above video, Marlon Kautz, an Atlanta man attempting to document police activity, had his cameraphone seized after he refused to stop filming them in a public place. Those police officers then deleted the photos/video of the police activity.
In addition to the $40,000 in damages the City is paying to Kautz to avoid a civil rights lawsuit, the Atlanta Police Department is adopting new operating procedures that prohibit police from interfering with citizens who are recording police activity.
It’s nice to see official police procedures catching up with the First Amendment, eh?
The US Department of Homeland Security issued an “Information Bulletin” concerning “Photographing the Exterior of Federal Facilities” last year. The New York Times passed along the bulletin last week when it obtained a redacted version. [Read more…]
Jacqui Smith, the British Home Secretary, has sent a letter to the British Journal of Photography. It’s a very worrying letter, affirming that while there are no legal restrictions on photography in public places, local chief constables are allowed to restrict photography in their jurisdictions.
The letter is a response to earlier correspondence from the BJP expressing concern about ongoing police surveillance of journalists, specifically photographers.
If the British government cares so little for the rights of photojournalists, it’s scary to even think about their views of photographers with less clear credentials. What are artists, hobbyists and grandparents wanting to record memories supposed to do in such situations?