observations on landscape character and the relationship between people and place, between people with each other, in the environment they live in, through time....
Showing posts with label asymetric power relations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asymetric power relations. Show all posts
...and very much as depicted in the Canaletto. Historic landmarks such as this help define the character and identity of a place. It lies on the banks of the Avon, and is now very much a tourist attraction, but once was a seat of immense power and prestige.
Throughout the City of London there is a forest of CCTV surveillance cameras - and rightly so given the importance of the area and the potential for terrorist attacks. However, when ordinary photographers try taking even landscape photographs they have been stopped by security guards of neighbouring buildings. There is no legislation, not even a byelaw, that prevents people taking photographs in a public place - it seems some security officers have become overcautious, perhaps because they're confused by repeated alterings of "threat levels", or perhaps their cheap-and-nasty firms have too little skills within them to train them in legislation or the limitations of their power and responsibiity. Either way,
ordinary photographers have a right to take ordinary photographs in public space without harrasment.
The area where photographers have been repeatedly stopped is the historic City of London, centred on the walled area of the Roman and medieval cities (see map below). Particularly affected Paternoster Square, which is owned by the Mitsubishi Estate Company or perhaps by the Church Commisioners and just leased to them. This area is regarded as a private estate by the security guards. I would be interested if anyone has had similar experiences in the wider metropolitan area - or whether this is a specific City of London issue. Also, if a photographer is being intrusive and you don't want your picture taken, by all means ask them not to take your pcture - no-one supports the excesses of freelance press photographers (who seem to get police escorts to positions the public can't get to)
