Pro-Imaging

18 May 2009

Attached is New York Police Department "Operations Order" dated 4/3/09 and directed towards its own officers.  It is rather clear on the rights of photographers to shoot in public places, including transit facilities.  It also references what inquiries and efforts the police may make under certain "suspicious" circumstances.

We suggest that those of you who shoot in New York City, even occasionally, read the Order and then keep a copy of it with your equipment in the event your shoot is "interrupted".  Repeating that which we have recited for years:  keeping a cool head, maintaining low volume and engaging in impeccable behavior on your part is critical. Remember that the odds are good that you are being filmed by someone else or more likely, "an eye in the sky" and thus a record of any confrontation is being made.  Hot head photographers look really bad to judges and juries on surveillance film.

.   See our "A Day at The Zoo" column (with Jack Reznicki) in the March 2009 issue of Photoshop User Magazine and/or our "Bonus Interview" on www.photoshopusertv.com for more practical suggestions on dealing with police and security guards during a photo shoot.