I'd like to provide a couple of examples where I have been questioned  
while on psychogeographical expeditions in public spaces. In both  
instances I was standing on public property and photographing signage  
and was on my own:

Summer 2011, saturday afternoon at Kirkstall electricity substation in  
the suburbs of Leeds. I was taking a photo of an old sign for the  
electricity board. It was barely readable and had peeled off in many  
places. The security guard came out of the hut and told me I couldn't  
take a photo of the sign. There was no-one else around except me and  
him, so I apologised, pretended to leave and then snuck back when he  
wasn't looking. He wasn't initimidating, just a 'jobsworth', but it  
would have been foolhardy of me to make a stance. We were the only two  
people around.

Winter 2009/2010, early morning, in the dark, approx 5.00am. On the  
periphery of the University of Leeds campus. I was making a note of  
what was on a sign belonging to the university. A man was driving out  
of the building next door. He got out of his car and told me not to  
take any photos of the sign next to the one I was looking at. He was  
quite intimidating. I don't think he was a security guard but a  
doctor/scientist who had been on duty. It turned out that the building  
he had left was a research centre belonging to a pharmaceutical  
company that specialises in pain drugs. They use the students at the  
university for testing the medication on. I told him I was a  
researcher and showed him my university identity. I am pretty sure  
that if I had stated my 'legal rights' he would have called security  
and I would have been taken off to the security building at the uni.

I include these illustraions because I want to highlight the  
difference between the theory of our rights and the reality of  
attempting to state them when you are being challenged by people who  
believe they have more power than you.

Tina


Quoting Matthew J Rippon <[log in to unmask]>:

>  Dear Tina,
>
> Perhaps you could provide some examples of the challenges you have
> faced either on or off the list.
>
> www.theregister.co.uk have a lot about photographers being stopped by
> the police and private security and the stories invariably make me
> infuriated!!!
>
> Matthew
>
>
> On 05/09/11 16:23, Tina Richardson wrote:
>> However, even though the law appears to give you this freedom, the   
>> reality is that you are constantly challenged when taking photos in  
>>  public places. I'm a psychogeographer and have been in situations   
>> where stating my legal rights would have most likely made the   
>> situation worse.
>>
>> Tina
>>
>> Quoting David Crouch <[log in to unmask]>:
>>
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> in view of the manic ethical procedures for research practie in    
>>> every other field [largely a v good thing] it is astounding that   
>>> you  can grab a camers and do what you like.
>>>
>>> interesting, worrying, worth a good debate- at least I`d hope    
>>> professional-crit geographers would exercise good ethics
>>> David
>>> ________________________________________
>>> From: A forum for critical and radical geographers    
>>> [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Deb Ranjan Sinha    
>>> [[log in to unmask]]
>>> Sent: 31 August 2011 10:51
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: Re: photographs in public places in UK
>>>
>>> while i am no lawyer, it should be OK according to this guideline:
>>>
>>> *Members of the public and the media do not need a permit to film or
>>> photograph in public places and police have no power to stop them
>>> filming or photographing incidents or police personnel.*
>>>
>>> http://www.met.police.uk/about/photography.htm
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Adefemi Kingsley Adekunle
>>> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Does this apply to being stoppend and searched by the police?  Can you
>>>> photo an officer who does that to you?
>>>
>>> _____________________________________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
>> _______________
>> Tina Richardson
>> PhD Researcher: Cultural Studies
>> School of Fine Art, History of Art & Cultural Studies
>> University of Leeds
>> blog: www.particulations.blogspot.com
>> collaboration: www.arcadespromenades.wordpress.com
>> twitter: www.twitter.com/concretepost
>
>
> -- 
> Matthew Rippon
> School of Geography
> Queen Mary, University of London
> Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS
>
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.geog.qmul.ac.uk/staff/ripponm.html



_______________
Tina Richardson
PhD Researcher: Cultural Studies
School of Fine Art, History of Art & Cultural Studies
University of Leeds
blog: www.particulations.blogspot.com
collaboration: www.arcadespromenades.wordpress.com
twitter: www.twitter.com/concretepost