What laws do you break to get the shots you want?

[Heroique]

What laws have you broken, and why? When is it justifiable?

...I don’t think a shot is worth breaking the law for.

The work of our friend and fellow forum member, Chris Jordan, occurred to me in light of these remarks. Many here will recall his photo series, “Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of American Mass Consumption.” To get some of the shots, Jordan explained in his 2007 PBS interview w/ Bill Moyers that he jumped the fences of private container yards (in Seattle) on early Sunday mornings – not easy with 8x10 gear:

“A lot the photographs I took back then, I had to trespass,” Jordan says. “I had to sneak in or climb over gates or over fences on Sundays to take these photographs. I worked with this camera that was about, I don't know, three and a half or four feet wide. It was an 8x10 view camera. And a tripod that went up 11 feet.”

I’m inclined to call this photo-taking behavior “justifiable” since its aim was to raise public awareness about the trashy consequences of mass consumption. But when such behavior serves only personal, artistic aims – not important, social ones – do you think it would merit the same consideration?

[Roger Cole]

Mostly the laws of physics and chemistry.

Well, I've been known to try, anyway.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Occasional flaunting of the Rule of Thirds

[Ari]

What laws have you broken, and why?

Whadda ya got?

Rather than break a law, I try to get someone to let me temporarily bypass a law, in pursuit of a higher ideal, namely my portfolio and photography career.

[Heroique]

Whadda ya got?

If Ash is our Rebel without a Cause, you must be The Wild One.

A dangerous gang of film photographers.

Fence jumping & illegal parking suddenly seem so tame!

[Two23]

I do some low level tresspassing to photo abandoned farm houses, railroad shots, and so on, but don't push it too hard. I do a lot of night photography in winter, and when it's 20 below no one seems to bother me much. I don't see tresspassing to take some political type shot as being any more "noble" than just taking a regular shot.


Kent in SD

[Brian C. Miller]

You cannot break laws when there are none!



Laws are a fiction of society. When all is ash, justice is what you make!

-- Brian "I didn't do nothin', I swear!" Miller

[jnantz]

i get hassled too much already to
go out and break laws on purpose.

[John Kasaian]

I haven't broken any laws which I am aware of. I'm not sure why I would feel the need to.
Even on military installations I've been able to get permission if I go about it honestly and professionally and had a good reason.

In fact the only place I recollect that I couldn't get access to was inside a convent of cloistered nuns!

[John Kasaian]

You cannot break laws when there are none!



Laws are a fiction of society. When all is ash, justice is what you make!

-- Brian "I didn't do nothin', I swear!" Miller

Nope. Not even close. Justice requires restoration in addition to restitution to be truly justice. Nice boom stick though!