Tags
First Amendment, Free Speech, Freedom of the Press, Mural, Nevada, Photography, Reno, Sculpture, Street Art
So, I have this brand new camera, and I have been busy confirming my lack of photographic skills whenever I get a chance. Alone for a day in Reno, NV, I decided to go check out some of the artwork around town.
So, I figured these pics might go up on Facebook, but this isn’t a photo-blog, so I really didn’t think my trip to Reno would end up here at the northy place.
That was before I got to the Bruce R. Thompson, United States Courthouse & Federal Building. It had kind of an interesting sculpture in front of it, so I tried a few times to get a decent pic; zoomed in and out, turned the camera 90 degrees, tried it again, …you know the drill.
Enter the security guard.
He walked up rather briskly and asked me if I was doing this for commercial purposes? I answered ‘no’, and he proceeded to explain to me that if I had been doing it for commercial purposes, then I would need to get a permit. As long as I was just doing it, because I thought it was an interesting building I was okay, but taking a picture for commercial purposes required a permit. Asked why this was the case, the guard simply shrugged and said the politicians always have their regulations. What they were, he didn’t seem to know.
I had my pictures, so I walked off.
…but this has been eating me. Oh, the guard was perfectly nice about the whole thing, but still it’s eating me. I’ve studied enough legal conflicts to know just how complicated and counter-intuitive these matters can get, and normally I like to sort through the particulars before saying anything. Still! Somewhere in the scope of the First Amendment, I just can’t help thinking there ought to be room for taking a picture of a perfectly public building from a perfectly public sidewalk.
…and it shouldn’t require a damned permit to do it.
At this point I have no idea what the regulation is, or how broad its scope happens to be, much less how its framers envision its relationship to the rights of citizens. Nor do I know how much may have been lost in the translation from the particulars to what that guard said to me at that particular moment. But this is one case where I just can’t help thinking that no matter how the particulars shake out, it shouldn’t lead to exchanges like the one I had there with that guard.
Perhaps I am being unreasonable; I just don’t think so.
Since I’m thinking about it (airports and free time, you know how it goes), and since I now have story (however brief) to go with my bad photography, I am now going to inflict my pictures on those of you unfortunate enough to stumble across my blog today.
What did you expect? I’m a bad man!
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- Reno From Above
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- It’s entirely possible that the trouble began with check-in.
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- Now that’s a climbing wall!
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- They actually use it!
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- Reno, Mural 1
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- Reno Sculpture 1
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- Church in Reno
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- A river passes through Reno. It’s quite beautiful.
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- The Rover Again
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- So, …my new camera ain’t much, but it beats a cell-phone!
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- Duck!
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- Reno, Mural 2
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- Reno Mural 2, Close-Up
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- Reno Mural 2, Close-Up 2
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- Reno Mural 2, Close-Up 3
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- Reno, Sculpture 2
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- And here is the infamous sculpture!
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- The Federal Building
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- Federal Building and the Sculpture in the Same Shot, Oh yeah!
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- Reno, Mural 3
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- Reno, Mural 3
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- Reno, Mural 4
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- Reno, Mural 5
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- Reno, Mural 6
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- Reno, Mural 7
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- Reno, Mural 8
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- Reno, Mural 8, Close Up
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- Reno, Mural 8, Closer-Upper
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- Reno, Mural 9
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- Reno, Mural 10
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- Reno, Mural 11
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- Reno, Mural 12
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- Reno, Mural 13
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- Reno, Mural 13, Close-Up
northierthanthou 
Probably, I am 100 per cent incorrect, but it seems to me that since the age of terrorism, anyone photographing a public building is perhaps suspect. The photographer could be scoping it out for illicit purposes, e.g. an attack of some sort.
After reading up, there does seem to be a lot of increased harassment since 9-11, and it’s sad. I think a lot of people act on a vague feeling that something may be a problem, but they don’t know what the problem is or just what they are really allowed to do about it. …and sadder still, what will be effective. I think it’s important to make people with security concerns clarify their approach, both because we need to protect our rights, and because sloppy vague approaches to security do not actually protect us.
Taking pictures of businesses where logos and identifying names of businesses are visible and using those images for commercial purposes is in conflict of copyright law. Also, buildings and public art work is designed and created by creative professionals which means the work is protected under copyright law as well.
It’s possible that this is the reason the security guard asked you about the purpose of your interest in taking photographs. …. or as Juliana points out it could be for other reasons. 😉
I love murals and public art. Thanks for sharing your photos.
That’s interesting. I would normally assume that a moral or statue in a public place was fair game or at least limited to civil action rather than prior restraint. Good point though; it definitely has me looking for more information on the topic.
If you find out more, keep me posted. Would like to hear of what you learn.
Aww, shucks… why should you be any different from any other photographer… new camera or no?
My fascination with photographing commercial airliners landing at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona got me, I’m certain, on every national security database in the United States.
I’ve been approached numerous times by Phoenix PD and, stupidly, gave them my ID when I had photographed airplanes landing.
When doing consulting work one time outside Washington DC a few months after 9/11, I accidentally stumbled into the NSA headquarters at Ft. Mead looking for the nearby National Cryptographic Museum to photograph it. I went inside NSA and asked for directions. I got really strange looks.
Honest to God… I was followed by NSA spooks in black vans with tinted glass just like you see in movies for about 20 miles driving back to Baltimore. I was scared. At the time I was unaware that, because of 9/11, the cryptographic museum was temporarily closed.
Welcome to the club, buddy. LOL!!!!
Just so you know… there is a document written by a lawyer outlining the rights of photographers when taking pictures. I carry it in my camera bag at all times. I’ll send you a copy if you are interested.
Btw… Reno is a fun little town to play poker. Hope you got the opportunity to do so. 🙂
I’ve been looking around. Is this the one?
Click to access ThePhotographersRight.pdf
Yup! You got it!
I’m convinced its not the sculpture that got security’s interest in you but that high-tech looking weather thingy hanging from the light post. That’s gotta be some other-worldly technology there . . . probably from Area 51! Now that you’ve posted this I don’t think you fully realize the danger you’ve put yourselves (and all of us who’ve read this post)!!!
It’s not from Area 51, but i am not presently at liberty to discuss the details. Just be sure you don’t have any of those things within a hundred feet of your home or business, 200 if you have a swimming pool.
Wonderful collection!!! I love to take photo from different beauty. Camera always does the best job to take wonderful photo. I like your valuable writing. Thanks for your nice expose. 🙂
http://www.newsecuritycamera.com/
Thank you for your kind comments.
You probably had “that look” that triggers a gut instinct in highly trained security professionals to be on the lookout for trouble. I will be passing through Reno in late August on my way to Mammoth Lakes. I will seek out this sculpture and Federal courthouse and see if I have the same look…
Good luck. they may be on edge now. 🙂
The pictures are lovely! I have to admit, if this had happened to me, I would have felt the same way. I mean, it’s all public. This reeks of the fear of lawsuits and litigation to the point of being absurdly hyper-vigilant. A permit to photograph public buildings in a public space in broad daylight, no less. I suppose you with your camera comes off as SCARY in such an environment.
Actually, i am pretty sure the permit thing is wrong, or at least badly explained. Damned irritating, the whole thing was.
You don’t give yourself enough credit Northierthanthou! Many of the images you’ve posted here are just fine. Thanks, by the way, for contributing several recent likes at Pairodox Farm. Much appreciated.
you are very kind.
I’m gonna go with the “security threat” hypothesis. A security guard once tried to stop my husband from photographing the San Francisco Unified School District building for “security purposes”. It wasn’t that important (we live in the city and can go look at the building any time we please), so we left. But I agree, it’s bogus.
I think you'[re right about the security issue being the main thing.
Hm… schools could pose an interesting twist, especially with the possibility that the kids might actually end up in the photos. Still, I do think a public building from a public corner is pretty well protected by the First Amendment.
Well, that “Photographer’s Bill of Rights” thing someone above posted says photographing random children is allowed (though I agree — the creepiness factor would have me on edge). This was the school district building, though — no kids, just superintendents. In the end, wasn’t worth quibbling about, for us.
Well, I cannot really comment on the legality of photographing a building, but I did spend my K-12 years in the Carson Valley, so I appreciated you sharing the photographs.
For a ‘bad’ photogrqpher, you take a pretty good photo. I think your ‘duck’ photos look very much like my Pacific Black Ducks I photograph pretty often in Melbourne, Australia and post on my PhotoBlog.
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I know a security guard pretty well. He has some very interesting stories to tell, but no blog. Some of his encounters make me anxious for his safety. Maybe you should try a gig; you’d get something to write about, for sure.
Great captures and enjoy your new camera!
Regarding the security guard he is correct in saying that, but the real reason is if you use it for commercial use as in magazines or movies for profit you may have to buy the rights to use them or if it’s unflattering or shows up on an adult site they have the right to make you take it down. That’s the reason for the permit so can track you down if need be.