Photography in NYC

[tim atherton]

Don't tell me common sense has prevailed...:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/ny...KplZ3777cUUOYw

(though some of the wordign still seems ambiguous... especially re LF?)

[David A. Goldfarb]

Yeah, Bloomberg has generally been fairly commonsensical about such things. I'm sure it takes some of the heat off of him in areas where he takes more of a Republican stance--business and real estate.

[tim atherton]

more info with links to the proposed regs here

http://www.pdnpulse.com/2007/10/nyc-tries-again.html

(the definiton of "hand-held" seems a trifle confusing...)

[David A. Goldfarb]

It seems that tripods are allowed as long as you leave 8 feet or at least half the sidewalk open for pedestrians, whichever is greater, to pass.

A tripod has a footprint of about 3 feet (I just measured mine), and a NYC sidewalk is usually 10-15 feet wide. Maybe some in historic districts like the West Village are narrower and in midtown some are wider. Streets often have parking lanes on both sides, so I suppose that on a narrow sidewalk, one could set up a tripod with a leg in the parking lane to be sure to leave 8 feet. I've seen a painter set up with an easel in the parking lane in the Jefferson Market area.

[Jeff Conrad]

Tim hit it on the head in observing that the definition of "hand-held devices" needs work.

For example, "hand-held devices" include items carried by the photographer at all times and tripods used to support cameras, but they don't include cameras supported by tripods ... Depending on how the wording is construed, "hand-held devices" don't include "cables" (which aren't given any further definition), so use of a hand-held flash connected to the camera with a synch cord might require a permit. Also, a permit appears to be required if the photographer ever set his camera bag on the ground.

I don't think these things really were the intent, but that's the way the proposal reads.

[Terence McDonagh]

I'd bet this will get enforced like the jay-walking laws. NYPD will enforce it if you're causing a disruption, but otherwise couldn't care less. They have enough other laws o abuse you over. They can tell anyone to "move along" based on loitering laws, and if you don't, they'll enforce the "failure to comply with a lawful order".

That said, I've found NYPD cops to be a lot friendlier and accepting of my tripod and camera than a lot of other police departments.

[Mike Chini]

This is fantastic news although I've never had a problem. I do know of others who have however. I just wish this mentality would spread to the federal level!

[paulr]

Great news.

I assume "cables" means lighting cables that film crews drape across sidewalks from generator trucks.