Do your guy see any security here

[spada]

Hi
Today I went to coles supermarket at Roseland Shoping centre to buy discounted cat food ( Whiskas at only $0.88 a can ), after shoping I saw Santa going around the centre, so I put everything in the car and get my camera back to center, after the 1st picture , a man in a nice black suit came to tell me that cameras are not allowed in this centre because security reason. I politely told him " really " and put my camera back to my bag, then I realize around me are million of PS cameras firing their flash, there are even a few camcorder around too , and before I walk away ( in my experience it waist time talking to this type of people )I told him look " those PS, camcorder are not cameras " ,any way here is the picture , SLR cameras is a big security problem and PS iisn't ( I 've seen 8MP coolpix in the crowd ).




Regards
spada

[Geoff]

Spada, unfortunately it's a sign of the times. It makes no sense to me either but we are restricted unfortunately by this people. I like the shot that you did get, the cheeky grin on the boy in the left hand corner is priceless. There's a lot happening in this image. Santa's helper is working her lines, the audience in the background on the right, Santa, the tree. Good work Made me smile looking at this photo.

[Willy wombat]

That sucks to be singled out like that - just because you have a good looking camera. Perhaps he just wanted an opportunity to come up and chimp?

[leek]

Spada,

Next time this happens, ask to speak to his/her manager... This always instills a level of self-doubt and he/she will either allow you to carry on shooting, or it'll give you enough time to do the same while he/she fetches / phones his manager...
Also make a great show about taking their badge number or ask them for their name... This usually has the same effect...

If all else fails, carry on shooting anyway and become the first DSLRUsers martyr for the cause...

[Nnnnsic]

Next time, ask him if you can take pictures on your point & shoot or phone camera like everyone else.

Then, when he's confused as to what to do, tell him that you're being discriminated against for using a larger camera when everyone else is allowed to use smaller cameras.

[kipper]

It's usually the ones being discrete/covert in what they're doing you should be worried about, not the ones that are bleeding obvious

[sirhc55]

As the majority of P&S are silver my approach would be racial discrimination against a black camera - I would like to see them answer that one

[Wombat124]

Spada

Great shot.

Wondeing - was there a sign up saying that photography was not allowed? If not I would think that they (he) has no legal right to say you can't take photos. It is a call if you want to push that line I suppose. Thought we still lived in a "free" country.

Steve

[radar]

Wondeing - was there a sign up saying that photography was not allowed? If not I would think that they (he) has no legal right to say you can't take photos. It is a call if you want to push that line I suppose. Thought we still lived in a "free" country.

In a mall, you are on private property, so you usually have to go by their rules

But if they allow P&S cameras, then it is a double standard.

Great capture Spada.

Cheers,

radar
note, IANAL

[Zeeke]

Just tell him he's being Digitally Racist... if he says he's not racist just go "Im Not Racist Either... i have a colour television!"

im not into people photos... i just dont feel comfortable pointing a camera at someone and taking photos... (cept fishing photos ) so i probably wont run into this problem... but then again... you never know... one day i could be taking photos of a beach in the middle of central queensland with a lighthouse in the center with Santa running around chasing worker elves with a chainsaw and have a Security guard tell me im a terrorist and a rock spider because i carry a SLR Camera...

Tim
p.s. Im not a terrorist... i just strike fear in those who meet me and let me drive there boat
p.p.s Im not a rock spider either... id soon as crush one of those bastards as i would smile at ya and say g'day! ... btw.. wouldnt mind crushing a few of them pricks.... starting with there delicates... got a bloody big vice in the shed.... NICE AND SLOW!

[PiroStitch]

If you have a camera phone, just stick your camera into your bag and bring out your camera phone.....

[oli]

Wondeing - was there a sign up saying that photography was not allowed? If not I would think that they (he) has no legal right to say you can't take photos. It is a call if you want to push that line I suppose. Thought we still lived in a "free" country.

In a mall, you are on private property, so you usually have to go by their rules

OK, IANAL either... But I have enquired about this with the police to confirm what I've read online. Malls are so called "publicly accessible" property. This means that nobody has a right to tell you that you cannot photograph there. The only time you are not allowed too photograph in a publicly accessible area is if there is a sign specifically stating that photography is not allowed.

So unless you're in an art gallery or museum or anywhere that has signs specifically banning photography then nobody has a legal right to tell you you can't take photographs there.

Security Guards can not do anything at all to stop you without breaking the law themself.

[thaddeus]

oli

I don't know of any case law or legislation which supports your view. Can you please give us a source for your information because it does not sound right to me.

[oli]

oli

I don't know of any case law or legislation which supports your view. Can you please give us a source for your information because it does not sound right to me.

I'd link to a wiki page over on the Overclockers Australia website but it's down right now. I'll update this post with the link tomorrow.

I spoke to a guy at the SA Police who confirmed what I'd read on the wiki.

If you don't know of any case law/legislation that supports my "view" do you know of any which opposes it?

I should have added that the only time security guards can ask you to stop is if you are causing a danger to them or anybody else.

Of course common sense prevails. If you are in a shopping centre taking photos up a stairwell trying to catch womens knickers then you'll get in trouble. (The bloke I spoke to at the police made this comment).

Edit: Here's a google cache of the wiki, the information in the bottom part titled "Your Rights if confronted by Life Savers, Life Guards, Security Guards, or other officials" is correct. I've confirmed this with the police. Feel free to do it yourself if it makes you feel better.

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:vnMB ... =firefox-a

[thaddeus]

Thanks oli. I read the link and didn't find it convincing because the key point is merely an assertion. It simply says "The general rule in Australia about photographing in a public place seems to be..." and offers no case law or legislation as backup. That being the case, I believe none of it!

In the absence of any specific law, in NSW this would be covered by trespass under the Inclosed Lands Protection Act. I am not sure of the law in SA. Regarding shooting up skirts, in NSW it far more than just commonsense: there have been amendments to the Summary Offences Act to make it an offence to do so.

I don't see any need to discuss this with a police officer given that I have a law degree and they probably don't.

The main risk here is simply believing other people's assertions about the law. It's good to be interested in the law, but it just adds to confusion if assertions become repeated as fact. Most of the law is not difficult to discern: it's written down in legislation or cases, most of which is easily confirmed on the net. If people can't point to a particular case or piece of legislation, chances are they are just repeating something they heard somewhere else and it's getting lost in the chinese whispers. It would be a real pity if someone relied on incorrect advice to their detriment.

[birddog114]

This is happenned to me and other in the past, am not surprised.
There's a private property and you have to get their consents to tka photography inside their building.
Rent A Cop has their rights to stop you but do not have their rights to touch you or your properties, do they know what camera is a lethal weapons? NO!!!!!
Next time, don't go there and shooting, find something else more interesting.
Or perhaps they knew: you suppose to go there shopping cat's foods but taking photos instead of

[spada]

Hi
Thank all for advices, I think I am in their private property, if they not allow photohraphy I have to stop , it is waste of time talking to them and now there are really security problem everywhere so all of them will base on security for everything.At least I bought 60 cans of cat food at a discounted price and a carton of VB... next time I will be equiped with 10MP PS silver camera , BTW The S2 with 85mm prime was the biggest and black amongs the crowd at that time that why they see it straight away.

Regards
spada

[oli]

Thanks oli. I read the link and didn't find it convincing because the key point is merely an assertion. It simply says "The general rule in Australia about photographing in a public place seems to be..." and offers no case law or legislation as backup. That being the case, I believe none of it!

That is fair enough too, and it's the exact reason why I called the police so that it was clear in my head what is and is not allowed. I don't want to go and get myself into trouble because I've mistakenly believed some document I've read on the Internet.

I guess in every state the laws are going to be a little different. For the time being I am only concerned about what I can shoot here in SA.

I don't see any need to discuss this with a police officer given that I have a law degree and they probably don't.

The main risk here is simply believing other people's assertions about the law. It's good to be interested in the law, but it just adds to confusion if assertions become repeated as fact. Most of the law is not difficult to discern: it's written down in legislation or cases, most of which is easily confirmed on the net. If people can't point to a particular case or piece of legislation, chances are they are just repeating something they heard somewhere else and it's getting lost in the chinese whispers. It would be a real pity if someone relied on incorrect advice to their detriment.

I don't have a law degree, but it seems sensible enough to me that if I find some document online then talk to the police to confirm what it says, or what it asserts, then I should be fine. If I am ever hassled by security in a publicly accessible place I will stand my ground and make it clear that I have spoken to the police who have made it clear to me what the law is, and if they have a problem they'll have to call the police themself.

I'll never get hassled anyway because my Canon 350D is silver!

[gstark]

I'll never get hassled anyway because my Canon 350D is silver!

And nobody would ever mistake it for a camera, would they?

[oli]

Exactly.