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Thread: NYC "tripod law"

  1. #11

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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Blank View Post
    Having a business card...
    There is a funny aside to this.

    When I told the second officer I was just a hobbyist. He paused and said, "How do I *KNOW* you are just a hobbyist?"

    A friend was along with me keeping me company and later at dinner we started laughing about the fact that you can't prove you are an amateur at something. You can't take out documentation that shows you have no professional associations or make no income from your hobby. By definition, you have nothing to show.

    I guess I could show the business card that I have for my real job (I didn't have any on me), which would at least prove I do have another line of work, but that still doesn't prove I'm not a professional photographer also.

    At any rate, professional still photography (as long as it follows the rules in the doc I linked to above) is not regulated any differently in NYC.

  2. #12
    brian mcweeney's Avatar
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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    [QUOTE=John NYC;566720]There is a funny aside to this.

    When I told the second officer I was just a hobbyist. He paused and said, "How do I *KNOW* you are just a hobbyist?"


    Next time hand them a card that "proves" you are a hobbyist ...

  3. #13
    Weekend Warrior Sanjay Sen's Avatar
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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    I have been shooting in Riverside Park / Fort Washington Park (uptown Manhattan) recently, using a tripod, mostly MF but I've used the 8x10 once. I have been lucky so far that no one has approached to disturb or hassle me. It could also be because there is hardly anyone in the park this time of the year. I have also shot the George Washington Bridge, and from below the bridge, without issues (so far).

    A couple of weekends ago, I had setup the tripod on the side of the road, but I was partly on it. Then a pickup truck with a plow came along, so I lifted the tripod and stepped aside (there was not much room because of all the snow piled on the side). The pickup slowed down, and one of the occupants (both were park officials) commented on my camera, saying that he "really liked it". It was my Bronica SQ-A, and I had a square hood attached to the lens, which I guess makes it look "professional".

    I have been lucky so far, but then I have not shot anywhere else in the city with a tripod.

  4. #14

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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    Quote Originally Posted by John NYC View Post
    I'm complaining because they don't know their own laws (see my post just above) and it is ridiculous to hassle someone engaged in such a peaceful activity, who is following the rules, in a free country.

    Also, he didn't let me continue. He forced me to take my entire setup down before he relented. In the meantime, the light had completely changed (sunset) and I didn't get to take the original shot I had set up for.
    In the end, he let you continue. He knew that as a commercial photographer you would need a permission. He was just human in his daily job - wanted to know. Perhaps if you showed him the inside of your camera first and explained kindly, he would let you continue right away?

  5. #15

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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    Quote Originally Posted by John NYC View Post
    I'm complaining because they don't know their own laws (see my post just above) and it is ridiculous to hassle someone engaged in such a peaceful activity, who is following the rules, in a free country.

    Also, he didn't let me continue. He forced me to take my entire setup down before he relented. In the meantime, the light had completely changed (sunset) and I didn't get to take the original shot I had set up for.
    He did know his laws, he was simply having a little power trip and counting on you to not know your laws enough to stand your ground.

    Being nice to such people brings you no benefit whatsoever. What you need to do is be civil but firm and keep insisting on your rights, one of which is to get his name and badge number and write a bunch of complaints - to his superiors (not much use, just for the sake of generating paper trail), to the local Congressman, to the media and to the local ACLU chapter.

    There was a string of lawsuits and settlements recently about just this kind of harassment, most of them in NYC. The figures, at least those that made the news, were in the 20-30K range, depending on the incident.

    Once their budget gets chipped significantly enough, they'll start paying attention.

  6. #16

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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    Quote Originally Posted by GPS View Post
    In the end, he let you continue. He knew that as a commercial photographer you would need a permission. He was just human in his daily job - wanted to know. Perhaps if you showed him the inside of your camera first and explained kindly, he would let you continue right away?
    GPS, if you are a professional still photographer and not doing anything differently than an amateur, you don't need a permit in NYC. The permits are meant to regulate film crews, not still photography. Read the linked doc a few posts back.

    I don't have any idea why you are taking up for this person. You weren't there, so you don't know how he was acting towards me. It was not pleasant at first. He wasn't "just wanting to know." I was only able to convince him to let me start again WHILE I was taking down my camera. He didn't give me the option to explain beforehand.

    Maybe we should go out shooting together in NYC and then you might understand that there are much larger problems in NYC on every corner than a man taking a photograph by himself with no one within 100 meters.

  7. #17

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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    [QUOTE=brian mcweeney;566728]
    Quote Originally Posted by John NYC View Post
    There is a funny aside to this.

    When I told the second officer I was just a hobbyist. He paused and said, "How do I *KNOW* you are just a hobbyist?"


    Next time hand them a card that "proves" you are a hobbyist ...
    This is great!!!

  8. #18

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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    Quote Originally Posted by Marko View Post
    He did know his laws, he was simply having a little power trip and counting on you to not know your laws enough to stand your ground.

    Being nice to such people brings you no benefit whatsoever. What you need to do is be civil but firm and keep insisting on your rights, one of which is to get his name and badge number and write a bunch of complaints - to his superiors (not much use, just for the sake of generating paper trail), to the local Congressman, to the media and to the local ACLU chapter.

    There was a string of lawsuits and settlements recently about just this kind of harassment, most of them in NYC. The figures, at least those that made the news, were in the 20-30K range, depending on the incident.

    Once their budget gets chipped significantly enough, they'll start paying attention.
    You are right. This is what I will do next time.

  9. #19
    Weekend Warrior Sanjay Sen's Avatar
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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    Quote Originally Posted by GPS View Post
    In the end, he let you continue.
    But John missed the shot, because the light had already changed. John was not breaking any laws, so he shouldn't have been hassled in the first place.

  10. #20

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    Re: NYC "tripod law"

    Quote Originally Posted by John NYC View Post
    You are right. This is what I will do next time.
    You need to be very certain about your rights and local regulations. This might help with photographers' rights in general.

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