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

[jp]

I don't think it's illegal, but it's against the letter of hosts rules; I've taken SLR cameras into concerts. I know they don't want flashes going off or film auto-rewinders droning on, or cameras chirping. I've gotten some nice pictures. I generally do this at concerts where if I got kicked out it wouldn't be the end of the world. Having the camera in your wife's purse is an excellent way to get it in; jacket pockets can do also. Security staff is mostly looking for people bringing in booze I think.

I trespass sometimes, but that's not a big deal in my wooded area. "Posted" generally means no trespassing if you are hunting or trapping or have a dog that will crap on their land. Or at worst, it's posted so that people won't see and snitch on their pot growing skills, their malfunctioning sewage system, or the trees they cut that were too close to the water to be cut. We don't have industrial sites to trespass on really.

Someone hiking through with a camera looking for nature scenes isn't a problem and would probably get you a good conversation going if you have antique LF equipment, as most of the local land owners are fairly antique as well. If you have a kindle or library access, read thoreau's "walking"; that's sort of our situation regarding trespassing and our ambivalence to it.

As far as keeping a hardhat and vest to look like a surveyor, don't dress too nice! I showed up a worksite (with permission) one day to take some photos of ledge blasting. I had a nice 3-season jacket and dress pants and clean shiny hardhat and pelican case. I didn't get far from the car and worked stopped; the workers were certain I was someone important from the state checking up on them. The property owner straightened things out. On the other hand at work we're often hiking through the woods near homes with a surveyor tripod and a optical fusion splicer, and we're often mistaken for surveyors.

I've camped where I wasn't supposed to (in a state park that was closed for the winter). I've urinated outdoors as God intended us to, but man would deem indecent exposure.

I've taken photos breaking the rule of thirds, I've put horizons in the center of some photos, I've taken handheld photos at shutter speeds less than the reciprocal of the focal length (without VR/IS), and I have ignored the sunny/16 rule.

I'm not overcome by rebellion in breaking laws, but it's impossible to do lots of normal simple things without breaking some laws. I wouldn't attempt dangerous activity while trespassing (such as base jumping or causing plainly visible OSHA violations) and prefer a leave-no-trace style. I don't want my presence to cause actual risk or damage to landowners. If more people trespassed like that, there would be little need to post land.

[paulr]

It seems to me just dang-near impossible these days for us to decide not hold someone else liable for what some lawyer can pitch as their negligence...

Rick "don't get hurt" Denney

Yup, which is why in a sense I'm doing them a favor by sneaking in rather than asking. The liability laws might be so ridiculous as to allow suits on behalf of a tresspasser, but I can only imagine that the plaintif would be at a disadvantage.

I'll take responsibility for not falling into a hole; I'm not going to take responsibility for a dumb legal system.

[paulr]

I wonder how many signatures I could get on a petition to repeal the rule of thirds. It would probably take a hard-to-follow, impassioned rant about its unfairness. The tea partiers would probably get onboard. They hate the thought of old socialist Europeans telling us what to do.

[Rider]

I definitely think some laws are really stupid, like the "no tripods on the sidewalk" laws in NYC, which is where I live. Say the law wasn't there... how many crazy people with tripods clogging up the sidewalks would there really be?

Not every block would get clogged up, but some of the more popular corners might regularly see photographers setting up a tripod to do time lapse photography for example. Overnight. Over two weeks. Two years. Who knows?

[paulr]

Instead of singling out photographers, there should just be a "don't block traffic on the sidewalk" law.

If it isn't busy and you're not in people's way, take pics to your heart's content. If it's crowded, expect a cop to tell you to wake up and leave. The same standard should be applied to street preachers, mimes, and people with double-wide baby strollers.

[Vaughn]

I highly respect the Law of Gravity. So far I have only been fined a spot meter lens cap and a lens shade (and once a soggy spot meter, but the fine was thankfully forgiven.)

Vaughn

[Frank Petronio]

I'm kind of wondering about doing pictures of illegal activity, like pot-smoking, a picture of joints or a bong, or maybe a pot farm...? Besides the common sense aspect of not wanting to get your ass kicked for photographing something that incriminates someone, do you think there is any responsibility on the photographer's part?

[AFSmithphoto]

I have without a doubt exceeded the speed limit on my way to/from photographing something, maybe even passed a vehicle or to on the right on a multiple lane road if I felt it was safe to do so.
I've probably also done the converse, driving in left lane while not in the act of passing to scope out something I might want to shoot.
I've pulled onto the shoulder many a time to get a shot, and have even been ticketed for doing so once.
I can't remember a time I've been aware of trespassing to get a shot, but wouldn't be surprised to learn I'd done so without knowing it, which is exactly the same from a legal standpoint.
I've slept in a car when the campsite I had booked closed the gates before I got there (and sometimes when I'd failed to book one) and set up a tent by a rest area. Both no-nos.
I remember one occasion when opening a new roll of 120 in high wind, the wrapper blew out of my hand and landed who knows where, which is littering.
Finally, I may or may not have routinely nudged some photos digitally with software that may or may not have been completely paid for, if at all, running on a computer with an operating system that may or may not have been installed on more machines than my license specified.
It's also possible I've omitted something here, though I'm not under oath to tell the whole truth, or any of it, which means it's perfectly legal.

[AFSmithphoto]

I'm kind of wondering about doing pictures of illegal activity, like pot-smoking, a picture of joints or a bong, or maybe a pot farm...? Besides the common sense aspect of not wanting to get your ass kicked for photographing something that incriminates someone, do you think there is any responsibility on the photographer's part?

I'd say, in the US at least, you have zero legal responsibility to report illegal activity in which you are not involved, so long as you don't lie to or intentionally mislead law enforcement officials when questioned about what you know regarding said illegal activity.
If you have a moral responsibility to report something is a far more personal question and would depend on exactly what that illegal activity is.

[Roger Cole]

I'd say, in the US at least, you have zero legal responsibility to report illegal activity in which you are not involved, so long as you don't lie to or intentionally mislead law enforcement officials when questioned about what you know regarding said illegal activity.
If you have a moral responsibility to report something is a far more personal question and would depend on exactly what that illegal activity is.

An exception would be child endangerment. Many states have laws requiring knowledge of such to be reported (and morally I agree - that's not something I'd ever let slide.)