Stopped by security guards while taking photos of buildings

[mountaintortisesg]

I have 2 bad experiences while taking photos outdoor, being stopped by security guards

1) Inland Revenue House
Was impressed by the round fountain, so thinking to take a photo. Immediately the security guard appeared and said "no photogrpahy allowed". So I just left.

2) Millennium Walk
At the open compound of Millennium Walk, where there are a few colourful sculptures and a wall water fountain there. While happily taking few portrait shots with the scultpures and fountain as background, again the security guard appeard and said "no photography allowed". This time, I was so pissed off. So I questioned the guard and his supervisor and their answer was
a) this open compound is a private property, not public
b) it is a policy set by their management
c) their tenants are very concerned and don't feel easy when they see people taking photographs of the buildings

But one thing I don't quite understand. If no photography is allowed, why don't they put up a sign outside ? If I see that sign, of course I would be very happy to comply. I questioned the supervisor and he said he would feedback to their management. Morever, I am taking not taking for commercial use.

So where is consider public and where is consider private ? I am quite confused and puzzled.

Anybody encountered this type of experience before ?

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

yup... kena when i shot the sg's 'twin' towers... hehe... but they are nice lah, they kindly tell me to go off, so we obliged...

think if have to blame, then blame Pearl Harbour & 911... cos they made the inconvenience in all of us... take pics = spy...

 

[yanyewkay]

I have 2 bad experiences while taking photos outdoor, being stopped by security guards

1) Inland Revenue House
Was impressed by the round fountain, so thinking to take a photo. Immediately the security guard appeared and said "no photogrpahy allowed". So I just left.

2) Millennium Walk
At the open compound of Millennium Walk, where there are a few colourful sculptures and a wall water fountain there. While happily taking few portrait shots with the scultpures and fountain as background, again the security guard appeard and said "no photography allowed". This time, I was so pissed off. So I questioned the guard and his supervisor and their answer was
a) this open compound is a private property, not public
b) it is a policy set by their management
c) their tenants are very concerned and don't feel easy when they see people taking photographs of the buildings

But one thing I don't quite understand. If no photography is allowed, why don't they put up a sign outside ? If I see that sign, of course I would be very happy to comply. I questioned the supervisor and he said he would feedback to their management. Morever, I am taking not taking for commercial use.

So where is consider public and where is consider private ? I am quite confused and puzzled.

Anybody encountered this type of experience before ?

i just encountered at wisma atria 'fish tank' i was snapping some fishes.. and the security guard came up behind me and said 'no shooting allowed please' and walked off. Then i only see his back.. so i shouted at him "IS THAT SO?" he didn't turn back and kept walking :angry:

I was holding only a P&S not some big mama lens. :dunno: I just felt it was very rude for him to just say something BEHIND me and walk off.

 

[waileong]

Challenge them. Take the pix. See if they dare to detain you or lay a finger on you or your camera. See who blink first.

Most of our security "guards" are not armed, and are in fact, not fit young men, so I don't think they can harm you physically even if they tried. Ha, I bet if he breaks your camera, the $$ will come out of his own pocket.

But more practically, there are plenty of threads on this issue already. Do a search. The legal stuff has been discussed ad nausem. In brief, if you are in a public spot (eg on a public road, in a park, etc), you can take pix of what you like, even if your subject is a private property.

However, there is a difference between what you can do legally, vs what might happen to you if you do it. Eg. if you stand at Geylang Lor 12 public road to take pix of the prostitutes and pimps, whatever legal right you have, I guarantee you that your camera will be damaged, if not your whole body.

So it's up to you how you want to play. Knowing your legal rights is just one thing.

Wai Leong
===

I have 2 bad experiences while taking photos outdoor, being stopped by security guards

1) Inland Revenue House
Was impressed by the round fountain, so thinking to take a photo. Immediately the security guard appeared and said "no photogrpahy allowed". So I just left.

2) Millennium Walk
At the open compound of Millennium Walk, where there are a few colourful sculptures and a wall water fountain there. While happily taking few portrait shots with the scultpures and fountain as background, again the security guard appeard and said "no photography allowed". This time, I was so pissed off. So I questioned the guard and his supervisor and their answer was
a) this open compound is a private property, not public
b) it is a policy set by their management
c) their tenants are very concerned and don't feel easy when they see people taking photographs of the buildings

But one thing I don't quite understand. If no photography is allowed, why don't they put up a sign outside ? If I see that sign, of course I would be very happy to comply. I questioned the supervisor and he said he would feedback to their management. Morever, I am taking not taking for commercial use.

So where is consider public and where is consider private ? I am quite confused and puzzled.

Anybody encountered this type of experience before ?

 

[yanyewkay]

you haven't seen mountaintortisesg before have you? hahah... he's not your regular zouk bouncer as well.. :bsmilie:

 

[mountaintortisesg]

Hahaha, I really a mountain tortise. Did a search and realised so many peoples have the same bad experiences. So I don't feel so bad now.

Now I am just puzzled, where and which open areas are considered public while which are considered private. And if there is no sign of "No photography", how can they expect us to know that no photography are allowed ? Then is it fair to us then ?

 

[vince123123]

I've always like how waileong summarises the points so nicely - I'm a little too wordy sometimes

His post should be referred to as a good reference point for these sorts of questions - at least on an initial reference basis.

Challenge them. Take the pix. See if they dare to detain you or lay a finger on you or your camera. See who blink first.

Most of our security "guards" are not armed, and are in fact, not fit young men, so I don't think they can harm you physically even if they tried. Ha, I bet if he breaks your camera, the $$ will come out of his own pocket.

But more practically, there are plenty of threads on this issue already. Do a search. The legal stuff has been discussed ad nausem. In brief, if you are in a public spot (eg on a public road, in a park, etc), you can take pix of what you like, even if your subject is a private property.

However, there is a difference between what you can do legally, vs what might happen to you if you do it. Eg. if you stand at Geylang Lor 12 public road to take pix of the prostitutes and pimps, whatever legal right you have, I guarantee you that your camera will be damaged, if not your whole body.

So it's up to you how you want to play. Knowing your legal rights is just one thing.

Wai Leong
===

 

[kosasih]

Same here, I was taking the orchids outside capital towers and the guards stopped me. I was aiming in the opposite direction from their main door...

 

[Inimatad]

I was once stopped from photographing the Chesed El synagogue along Oxley Rise for security reason.

 

[EOS10D]

those guys are nothing more than terrorist in uniform
they dont have anyone under them, so they bully small sized guys with cameras
or go home and beat up their wife or something

 

[trlnlty]

public property = fair game (this includes indoor shopping centers, you can legally take pictures but they have no right to delete ur pics or whatever, they can however ask u to leave)

If you are taking a facade of a building, and a security guard asked me to leave, i would ask him to get his manager to come and talk to me.

 

[Friday13]

Same here, I was taking the orchids outside capital towers and the guards stopped me. I was aiming in the opposite direction from their main door...

I guess you all paused too long there. For me, I do stand off recce first and get my camera settings rite. Then make a beeline to the location I want to shoot and then snap! :thumbsup: Finished then walk off. This is Hit & Run photography :bsmilie: Trust me, the guards will not have enuf time to tell you off.

 

[vince123123]

No need to hit and run, just do whatever you want outside their premises. If a guard stops you, tell them "Why not I call the police and you call your manager and we settle?"

 

[canoni5]

i encountered this while taking my wedding photos in changi business park... think the building is strategy or something... we were jus taking fotos on the grass in front of the bldg & the security came & chase us away... the background was very nice

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

i encountered this while taking my wedding photos in changi business park... think the building is strategy or something... we were jus taking fotos on the grass in front of the bldg & the security came & chase us away... the background was very nice

So its your strategy or his? :bsmilie:

hmm i can just picture it...

 

[jus]

My friend and I had encountered the security outside Singapore Indoor Stadium also... We tired to urgue tat The Indoor Stadium shld be a landmark of Singapore Why can't we take photos of it he just said tat it is the management policy and threaten to call the police if we continue to snap the building..

 

[markccm]

My friend and I had encountered the security outside Singapore Indoor Stadium also... We tired to urgue tat The Indoor Stadium shld be a landmark of Singapore Why can't we take photos of it he just said tat it is the management policy and threaten to call the police if we continue to snap the building..

should let him call.

when the police comes, he will shoot himself in his foot.

 

[zhang3feng]

i think all this shd be voice out in ST forum~ :thumbsup: speak up for our inncoent photographers :angel:

 

[canoni5]

So its your strategy or his? :bsmilie:

hmm i can just picture it...

not our strategy la... i mean the building name

 

[clokwerk oranje]

sometime we have to see from the security guards POV...

they don't set the rules and regulations...

in most cases, the instructions and commands that they received could be ambiguous... so its better for them to err on the side of caution, othewise they could be the one in trouble...

i doubt that security guards are in this line for the power trip...