Once in a while security guard stop me from taking photos with my "professional" Nikon D3500, but they are fine with mobile photography. Do they really know that I can take a better photo with my phone? I'm talking about editorial photos of private property like shopping center and etc.
How's you experience?

Quote from: Unamas on November 29, 2021, 18:00
Once in a while security guard stop me from taking photos with my "professional" Nikon D3500, but they are fine with mobile photography. Do they really know that I can take a better photo with my phone? I'm talking about editorial photos of private property like shopping center and etc.
How's you experience?

Nice, to have another topic 

I can only judge the situation in Germany. As far as shopping centers are concerned, professional cameras are not welcome, in some cases prohibited. Many shopping centers have a notice on their website stating that the publication of interior photos, including editorial ones, is generally prohibited. The same applies here to train stations and airports.

I know our guards at the US federal courthouses don't like photo takers.  Also at the ports they restrict the phototakers a lot.

Quote from: For Real on November 29, 2021, 18:56
I know our guards at the US federal courthouses don't like photo takers.  Also at the ports they restrict the phototakers a lot.

Pen knives and nail clippers are also banned.

Quote from: Unamas on November 29, 2021, 18:00
Once in a while security guard stop me from taking photos with my "professional" Nikon D3500, but they are fine with mobile photography. Do they really know that I can take a better photo with my phone? I'm talking about editorial photos of private property like shopping center and etc.
How's you experience?

No they don't know, and yes you make a good point. You can take a phone into a concert, but not a camera?  Something about a "professional" camera makes some people all twitchy.

My experience has been pretty fair and good, but I have been questioned about what I was shooting, by local authorities. They were very nice about the whole thing and after I explained, hobbies and stock photos, they said "people really do that?" I've had more angry people just saying I was invading their privacy or questioning why I was taking photos, where they were plain wrong about the laws.

Just something we can all learn to deal with and not get upset, because so many people and some police, don't know what the laws actually are.

Inside a mall, on private property or  anyplace that has security, which means it's generally not a public place, if they ask, I apologize and leave. They are usually right... but if it's not posted, we are fine, until someone says "you can't do that".

On a side note, no one can make you erase images, take your camera or try to force you to hand over anything. At least not legally in THE US. Other countries, everyone needs to know your rights and laws.

I don't mind to follow legally posted signs, but obviously I have no time for confrontation with security guards. Recently I was taking a photo of commercial property exterior from public sidewalk and security guard driving around told me that I cannot do it. Of course he's not right, but I just walked away. 

Anyway it's interesting that people don't realize how good a modern phones. 

Quote from: Uncle Pete on November 29, 2021, 20:08I have been questioned about what I was shooting, by local authorities. They were very nice about the whole thing and after I explained, hobbies and stock photos, they said "people really do that?"

Sometimes I see that people taken the photos of a strange things and I'm sure that they are microstock photographers. My usual explanation: I'm taken a photo class and the instructor told us to shoot something as a class assignment.

Quote from: Unamas on November 29, 2021, 20:19
My usual explanation: I'm taken a photo class and the instructor told us to shoot something as a class assignment.

Clever answer!

Toronto Canada here:  Even in a public space doing street level stuff what works best for me when I am out with the camera and tripod is to wear the orange/yellow safety vest, maybe not the hard hat but I've have on occasion, hiking boots and maybe throw a mini safety vest over the camera or maybe not but either way everyone just assumes you are doing land surveying.

I'm not the only one doing this, saw someone else last year in exactly the same attire but I also notices the DSLR camera on that tripod

Indoors, transit, malls, stores, wearable (chest harness) GoPro with the lens poking out from winter jacket or just use phone and even then it's hard.

Actually for stock I filmed a sign in a parking lot of a store that explicitly bans all camera and phone video and photography in the parking lot and inside the Canadian tire store, there was a sign on every light pole in that parking lot.

It's illegal to film video in Toronto city parks and the skating rink at City hall so for the skating rink I pose as a tourist and pretend to be filming the Toronto sign, usually works.

Sadly, the revenue from stock video has dropped so low it's just not even worth the effort to try to sneak video anymore.

The phone cameras are getting better and better and with so little money to be made in this industry I am tempted to go all cell phone for most of the stuff and not bring out the real camera and tripod as often.

What about shaking when you take videos with a mobile phone and without tripod? I only ever took 5 videos. Never managed to get into this. Always have photos in my head only. Do street photography photos sell? I never tried street photography. It's a total waste of time and money to take photos of food. Nearly 1 million photos of bread. Who needs another photo of bread?They seem to have thousands of photos of everything.

This is about technique and your personal ability to keep the camera movements steady, maybe some training also. Software does the magic but limited. For 1/15 and sometimes 1/8 i go without tripod. Of course, the object should be still, like architecture or plants in the calm weather. "Fly around" camera movements for festivities i did only with a phone, because of its weight, but without helping gadgets.

My highest earners are all editorial videos. I shoot inside airports, stations, metro, mostly in Western Europe. I never shoot the sequrity checks, or even try to. What I do is never go hidden. I go in the middle of the rail track, or waiting area, making clear I shoot. I was only told to not record in two airports (runways in Greece and Spain) where the airport is also a military one. I also always avoid shooting children or lower the camera when crowd is close. When there is much crowd, I either use my 8K mobile or the latest GoPro 10 that is 5.3K and then scale down to 4K. People tend to find these smaller ones less intrusive. As for shaky mobiles, here is a contradiction. The latest models have O.I.S. but this does not work if you are shooting with FilmicPro and a higher bitrate. Maybe this is just the case with my S21. It says it is using O.I.S. but it does not. The latest GoPro 10 (November firmware update on) really improved stability when moving slow. It is almost as using a gimbal. Suggestion: I also use GoPro with my Ronic SC but I add some extra weight. I bought two SmallRig ones at 100g and 200g that do the job and Ronin balances the GoPro Really good. You only get that though. No other support. But that beats the purpose of portability, so to summarise, for editorials mobile and action cams are more than ok.

Quote from: bestravelvideo on November 30, 2021, 09:20
My highest earners are all editorial videos. I shoot inside airports, stations, metro, mostly in Western Europe. I never shoot the sequrity checks, or even try to. What I do is never go hidden. I go in the middle of the rail track, or waiting area, making clear I shoot. I was only told to not record in two airports (runways in Greece and Spain) where the airport is also a military one. I also always avoid shooting children or lower the camera when crowd is close. When there is much crowd, I either use my 8K mobile or the latest GoPro 10 that is 5.3K and then scale down to 4K. People tend to find these smaller ones less intrusive. As for shaky mobiles, here is a contradiction. The latest models have O.I.S. but this does not work if you are shooting with FilmicPro and a higher bitrate. Maybe this is just the case with my S21. It says it is using O.I.S. but it does not. The latest GoPro 10 (November firmware update on) really improved stability when moving slow. It is almost as using a gimbal. Suggestion: I also use GoPro with my Ronic SC but I add some extra weight. I bought two SmallRig ones at 100g and 200g that do the job and Ronin balances the GoPro Really good. You only get that though. No other support. But that beats the purpose of portability, so to summarise, for editorials mobile and action cams are more than ok.

I often shoot in airports, metros, etc & have never had a problem, even had some security pose after I asked.  only prohibitions are immigration, customs & TSA (screening)  - all w DSLR & monopod braced in camera bag

I was visiting the Meteora monasteries in Greece 2 wks ago - they didnt allow photos inside, but they did let us stand outside and take pictures thru the open door!

I shoot mostly landscapes in the UK, farmland mostly and you would not believe how many times farmers have stopped and asked me "are you from the ministry?" Gamekeepers too often ask what I am up to which is fair enough.

Being Greek, I can say that Meteora is another story! When I was a kid I remember that the monks would not allow shooting of 007 movie For Your Eyes Only. They actually did everything they could to stop the production. In some Greek churches that gather a lot of crowd, like the Tinos Cycladic island church, there is a sign forbidding shooting. There are religious destinations in Europe that require you ask in written a permit in prior or that you have to give them a copy of your content! They usually only grant you access for a documentary or education work. What has zero worth for stock as a property release is the small amount you have to pay on site when you see the sign: Photographic fee. That's nothing. Maybe you are better to light a candle, if you are a believer!. In Asia, if I remember correctly, Bali temples can be visitted for free but you need to respect the area.

Quote from: emjaysmith on November 30, 2021, 17:55
I shoot mostly landscapes in the UK, farmland mostly and you would not believe how many times farmers have stopped and asked me "are you from the ministry?" Gamekeepers too often ask what I am up to which is fair enough.

Reminds me of filming editorial stock on a snowy day in Ontario Canada and I saw a crew of roofers replacing a roof on a house, I set up from a distance on tripod at full zoom, they all had their safely lines hooked to their belts and all looked but but I get they thought I was with the ministry of labor when one of them spotted me.

I don't think I've ever seen 10 guys get off a roof that fast, there was deep snow and most just jumped, a couple used the ladders but the others just jumped off into the snow.

I had to erase some pictures in front of a security guard one time.... they were not very good, I would have erased them anyway...

Years ago I lived by the US border and regularly cycled the boundary to take pictures and submit to agencies. When I described the image as a US farm I was being technically accurate. The border has official markers indicating exactly where the border is and I would many times step into the US to improve the framing of my shot. One day a US Patrol Officer drove up after I stepped back into my country. He explained that the rules were strict. I apologized and told him that that would be the last time. He was very good about it and even allowed me to take a photo of him standing beside his patrol car. That all changed very quickly. US Border Patrol
helicopters began following me every time I cycled the border. I think they didn't like what I was doing and would do whatever they could to make me uncomfortable.

Quote from: bestravelvideo on November 30, 2021, 18:12
Being Greek, I can say that Meteora is another story! When I was a kid I remember that the monks would not allow shooting of 007 movie For Your Eyes Only. They actually did everything they could to stop the production. In some Greek churches that gather a lot of crowd, like the Tinos Cycladic island church, there is a sign forbidding shooting. There are religious destinations in Europe that require you ask in written a permit in prior or that you have to give them a copy of your content! They usually only grant you access for a documentary or education work. What has zero worth for stock as a property release is the small amount you have to pay on site when you see the sign: Photographic fee. That's nothing. Maybe you are better to light a candle, if you are a believer!. In Asia, if I remember correctly, Bali temples can be visitted for free but you need to respect the area.

right, i have absolutely no problem with no photography rules - just amused that it made some difference depending which side of the door i stood!

in India many sites charge extra ($1-2) for camera, but phones are muddying the waters

Quote from: Asthebelltolls on December 01, 2021, 03:48
Years ago I lived by the US border and regularly cycled the boundary to take pictures and submit to agencies. When I described the image as a US farm I was being technically accurate. The border has official markers indicating exactly where the border is and I would many times step into the US to improve the framing of my shot. One day a US Patrol Officer drove up after I stepped back into my country. He explained that the rules were strict. I apologized and told him that that would be the last time. He was very good about it and even allowed me to take a photo of him standing beside his patrol car. That all changed very quickly. US Border Patrol
helicopters began following me every time I cycled the border. I think they didn't like what I was doing and would do whatever they could to make me uncomfortable.

i can understand why they're so strict - if we don't come down hard on those Canadian 'photographers', soon we'll have thousands of Afghans & Syrians crossing the border to 'take pictures'

just finished 'Infinite Jest' again, where Canadian border problems play an essential plotline

Quote from: cascoly on December 01, 2021, 19:52

Quote from: Asthebelltolls on December 01, 2021, 03:48
Years ago I lived by the US border and regularly cycled the boundary to take pictures and submit to agencies. When I described the image as a US farm I was being technically accurate. The border has official markers indicating exactly where the border is and I would many times step into the US to improve the framing of my shot. One day a US Patrol Officer drove up after I stepped back into my country. He explained that the rules were strict. I apologized and told him that that would be the last time. He was very good about it and even allowed me to take a photo of him standing beside his patrol car. That all changed very quickly. US Border Patrol
helicopters began following me every time I cycled the border. I think they didn't like what I was doing and would do whatever they could to make me uncomfortable.

i can understand why they're so strict - if we don't come down hard on those Canadian 'photographers', soon we'll have thousands of Afghans & Syrians crossing the border to 'take pictures'

just finished 'Infinite Jest' again, where Canadian border problems play an essential plotline

The invasion will come from Canada !!! 

I have a couple of the Canon pancake lenses for exactly that situation - the same camera with a low-profile lens doesn't attract any attention but they are quick to notice if you have a "professional" lens.

We must shutdown the borders ASAP and build a wall 

Speaking of risky shots, can't believe I got away with this one...

It has sold a few times but doesn't even come close to justifying the risk!

Most of them don't allow to take picture inside.

I remember i did one shooting in a mall in manilla with dji ronin and red helium, so not really discreet 

I started my shooting normally in the middle of the mall like i had all the permission. Nobody came before 1h.
After 1h, one guy came and asked me if i had the permisssion and i said "oh sorry i didn't know that we need it !" and he asked to stop.

But i didn't finish my shoot so i went in an other place of the mall (there are so big in philippines) and continu shooting. From this moment started a race between them and me! as soon as i saw a guard coming to me i moved to another place till i finish my shoot. at the end there was like 4 or 5 guard trying to find me and the model haha.

hopefully they didn't catch me and i started to sold the footage pretty well !

so never give up !!!!