Just who do you think you are? What gives you the right to take my picture? The answer is the First Ammendment! That's right folks. I as a United States citizen have the right to take photographs out in public. Imagine that. And I don't need to explain it to you either or ask permission. It's not illegal. If you don't want to be photographed or video taped then please stay home. That is pretty much the only place you have an "expected right to privacy".
Why am I telling you this? I am tired of being harassed, confronted, threatened and intimidated when I am taking pictures. Photography is my passion and I enjoy it tremendously. This is what I do. This is who I am!
This gentleman thought it was his business on Friday to harass and confront me. We had a nice long discussion and I hope I enlightened him on the subject of photography in public. Somehow I don't think I got through to him though. He stormed off to get his wife and tell her what I was doing because he thought she might have a problem with me too. He never came back. I told him if he thought I was breaking the law by taking photographs downtown he was more than welcome to call the police. He declined but did say "this is how you will get your camera broken", etc.
So if you see this nice gentleman downtown, make sure you take his picture and say hello for me.
Photographer, Syracuse
