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September 23, 2010
I see that the antagonism to photography in public places continues to gather momentum. This time it is Perth's Cottesloe Beach in Perth, Western Australia. Some of the proposed regulations make sense: a ban on ball games, alcohol, smoking, dogs, selling things, glass, flying kites and urination.
I appreciate the photography ban is on commercial photographers without a permit---ie., the photos you want to sell or make money from. You can still take photos of your friends and of the scenery while visiting the beach, but you couldn't setup and take you swim suit shoot for Maxim on the beach without getting approval. Fair enough.
However, overzealous police and council officers could take this further. It has happened to me. The camera is part of the profile of lurking pedophile. The police hassle you because you have a camera. Presumably, this results from the "threat of pedophiles" taking the photo of children at the beach--- a commonly waved red flag for cultural conservatives these days. I cannot see a pedophile ring being smashed because someone was caught by the police taking the photo of a child at the beach.
There is an underlying or unconscious hostility around photography, bodies and sex these days that sits just below the surface. I no longer even consider taking photos of people a the beach.
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curiously enough, I was just reading this morning about overzealous NYPD not allowing moms to take pictures of their own kids on the public playgrounds. I too understand the premise, the rule is to hinder someone with a zoom lens taking pix of kids that don't belong to them. The NYCLU (the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union) has started logging complaints by the everyday folk who just want to take a picture of their kid on the swing and not get strong armed by the cops. How to enforce with common sense?