Street Photography
"Everything is changing. How we take photographs, manipulate them, share them, store them - even how we pose for them. Our tools are mutating quickly, promising ever faster, clearer, bright and cheaper pictures". Taken from [Street Photography Now], Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLean.
In the present time, Photography plays a major part in life. In the 1st world country, we are almost all the time confronted with images either trying to get us to buy a product or to spend money in some sort of way.
In this blog I will be looking at how street photography fits into society, how it is recognized by the public and the responses that are got from both the street photographer taking the image and also the final shot.
Throughout this chapter I will be looking into several different aspects of street photography. I will be covering these areas:
- The law and how street photography becomes more of a terrorist threat
- The Bust Card
- Google street view
- Street portraits… Do we really need a model release form?
The Law
"These are not easy times for street photographers, for whom acting suspiciously is an occupational hazard and loitering with intent a modus operandi. Tightening privacy laws and fears about terrorism have created an environment in which to stare, pry, listen or eavesdrop is increasingly to invite suspicion." - Taken from [Street Photography Now], Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLean.
A poster campaign run by the London Metropolitian Police in 2008 summed up the idea " Thousands of people take photographs every day. What if one of them seems odd?" It asked, Encouraging the public to report anyone with a camera who seemed to display unusaul levels of curiosity. It has become much more common for street photographers to be reprimanded informally, to have their film or memory card confiscated, or even be stopped and searched. Some have responded to this by setting up or supporting campaigning websites such as "I'm A Photographer Not A Terrorist" and "Photography Is Not A Crime"."
Photography and Section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000
"Officers have the power to stop and search a person who they reasonably suspect to be a terrorist. The purpose of the stop and search is to discover whether that person has in their possession anything which may constitute evidence that they are a terrorist.
Officers have the power to view digital images contained in mobile telephones or cameras carried by a person searched under S43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to discover whether the images constitute evidence that the person is involved in terrorism. Officers also have the power to seize and retain any article found during the search which the officer reasonably suspects may constitute evidence that the person is a terrorist. This includes any mobile telephone or camera containing such evidence.
Officers do not have the power to delete digital images or destroy film at any point during a search. Deletion or destruction may only take place following seizure if there is a lawful power (such as a court order) that permits such deletion or destruction." - Retrieved 4 May, 2011, from http://www.met.police.uk/about/photography.htm
This piece of law states that only if a police officer suspects the photographer to be a terrorist can they stop and search. However, Although this piece of law is very simple, photographers are often finding themselves being stopped and searched at an alarming rate. When this happens, Many photographers are not clear on their legal rights and they are often told that they are not allowed to photograph in certain areas.
However, On 1st March 2011, The home secretary Theresa May announced that "given the current threat enviroment" she had concluded that the police do need the powers more quickly and that the most appropriate way of meeting the legal and operational powers exercisable without the counter-terrorism stop and search powers exercisable without reasonable suspicion is to make a remedial order in the interests of nation security.
This order replaces sections 44 to 47 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
What is the difference from section 44 and section 47A?
Section 47A will give a “senior police officer” the power to make an authorisation in “relation to a specified area or place” if the officer“reasonably suspects that an act of terrorism will take place”and “considers that the authorisation is necessary to prevent such an act.”
Under Section 44 the police had to go to the Home Office for authorisation now the police will have a Code of Practice to follow.
Under Section 47A a “constable in uniform” will have the power “to stop a pedestrian” in the specified area and to search them and “anything carried by them”.
