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Are tripods allowed
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I was reading through a thread on this forum recently and there was some mention of tripods not being allowed in public parks. Does anyone know if tripods are allowed in public parks? I read through the park byelaws for the fingal county council area in Dublin and there was no mention.
I dont know if there is any restrictions or not, but I have never
been asked to stop using one, I think if you are careful where
you set up and are aware of people and especially children or
elderly, there shouldnt be a problem.Yep. Agree totally with Shutterbug. There was a furore in the UK because the use of Tripods were banned in certain areas because somebody decided that if you were using a tripod you must be professional and professional shots for publication were not allowed. I think they backtracked on it eventually after a storm of protests.
Like Shutterbug said..common sense usually prevails in public areas.
Robbie
8)Kinda reactivating this one. I was up in Carton House in celbridge recently just taking some low light practice shots.
I was asked getting some shots of the sun setting over the manor house itself.
I was using a tripod and was confronted by a man who asked me to stop taking pictures.
He said that he assumed I was a professional because of the equipment ( really only the tripod )
He said that commercial photography is only permitted with permission.
It took some explaining but he was eventually convinced of my beginnerness and allowed my to keep shooting.
Oh and be careful around the american emabassy in the Phoenix park. If they men is suits think your camera is pointing towards
the embassy you WILL be asked to leave.Later
Graham
I know that in the parks run by the Fingal County Council you will be approached and asked to stop taking photographs if using a tripod. Its the same for weddings etc. I know of one case where a photographer had lined up a set of shots in Newbridge Demesne in Donabate for a wedding couple, but was told under no circumstances could any “commercial” photographs be taken without written permission from the relevant section within the council. By all accounts this is relatively easy to obtain but permission must be applied for by the couple getting married, not the photographer.
If its for a client etc. its always better to check first.
Rgds
Kevin
Very similar stories to the ones I read in Photography magazines from the UK.
I just think it is so funny that these people assume that only “Pros” would use a tripod…
Probably the same goes for long lenses as well.
I suggest a badge with the legend “Stand back – I’m an Amateur”… :D
Robbie
8)I’ve been hassled about it before. I don’t think there are any hard or fast rules on it.
I got harrassed by street wardens in manchester who asked “what are you doing”… I kinda looked at them, looked at my camera, looked back that them, and advised “taking pictures”… Not sure what else they thought I was doing with a camera…
They asked me “why”, to which I replied “because I want some pictures of the city”. They then said “sorry to bother you – I’m sure you appreciate we have to ba careful about this kind of thing” and walked off, leaving me thoroughly confused… Obviously not enough violent crime in Manchester to keep them busy….. :D
My personal view is that I’ll take my tripod along if I want to, and if anyone has a problem, they can come and tell me. And I’ll be as polite and cordial as you like, but unless they give me a seriously good reason to stop taking pictures, they can go fish… :D
Tim
:lol: :lol:
Good one Tim. Reminds me of the Bill Hicks story, where he was having lunch in a diner in some backwater town in Middle America and was reading a book while waiting to be served when the waitress asked him why he was reading? Not WHAT he was reading..but why??
And I think his answer was…so I don’t end up as a waiter in a greasy spoon cafe. Touche.
Robbie
8)Expresbro wrote:
There was a furore in the UK because the use of Tripods were banned in certain areas because somebody decided that if you were using a tripod you must be professional and professional shots for publication were not allowed.
Just make up a few business cards that say Monkey Cage Cleaner, Barista, Duck Pond Water Sampler, or whatever to throw them off the scent.
The law in the UK is fairly strightforward on taking photos in a public place and I can’t see that it would be any different in Ireland. The are only three legal prohibitions to taking photos in a public place,
(1) The proceedings of a Court of Law. (seems simple enough, but a Court might visit the seen of a crime for example, in this case the Judge, council, and any witnesses could not be photographed without breaking the law).
(2) A MOD establishment where photography is prohibited, (there would have to be a reasonable assurance that you were aware of the prohibition when you took the photo to be in breach of the law. If there was a sign on the fence which read “Ministry of Defence No Photography” and the photo was taken from 20 metre away then you don’t have a chance, you’ll be shot at dawn. If however you shoot a landscape, perhaps across a river or from a hill top and are to far away to be aware of the sign prohibiting photos then you are OK, except perhaps in Greece were you will still be shot at dawn.
(3) Currency, (strange one this, you are not allowed to photograph the National Currency)
Other than the above you can photograph anyone or anything, wither there are objections or not..! You can even photograph private property so long as you remain on public property. You can for example photograph a celeb in a private garden or a private beach so long as you remain on public property, or ajoining private property if you have permission from the property owner or their agent to do so. The owners of private property can make it a condition of entry that photography is prohibited. In such cases you would be commiting a trespass if you breached these conditions of entry.
This applies to all public areas and as the name implies “Public Parks”. The local Council may impose restrictions on Commercial Photography but this does not apply to amatures, no matter what sort of camera equipment they may have. Even a Police Officer cannot require you to stop taking photos and he most definetly cannot confiscate you camera. If someone objected to you taking their photo in a public place and became aggressive then a policeman may feel that a breach of the peace was likely and he could arrest BOTH parties.
As to the matter of Tripods, in a public place these could cause an obstruction, which is an offence. If you happen to be on a narrow footpath then this is open to interperation. If you are in the middle of an open area then an official would have to show reasonable cause to belive that and obstruction was likely.
I have had occasion a few months ago to meet such a ‘Job’s Worth’ who objected to me taking photos in a public park and who threatened to seize my camera if I did not stop. I made it perfectly clear that if he so much as tried to touch my camera I would club him senseless with my metal tripod, and then make a citizen’s arrest for assult. He called the police, but they declined to intervene and I continued to take photos as I wished.
ps I think that my night classes in Diplomacy are starting to work.
weeles wrote:
I made it perfectly clear that if he so much as tried to touch my camera I would club him senseless with my metal tripod, and then make a citizen’s arrest for assault.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Nicely put!
Tim
weeles wrote:
I have had occasion a few months ago to meet such a ‘Job’s Worth’ who objected to me taking photos in a public park and who threatened to seize my camera if I did not stop. I made it perfectly clear that if he so much as tried to touch my camera I would club him senseless with my metal tripod, and then make a citizen’s arrest for assult.
Yet another good reason to buy a decent quality Tripod right? :wink:
I doubt he’d have been too intimidated by my cheapy Hama aluminium yoke…!!
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