7 Reasons For Not Shooting 7 Government Buildings, As Quoted From Us Officials

Time and again we shared stories that show how photographers are given random instructions to avoid photographing in public places. I guess after Benny Johnson‘s report on getting kicked away from 7 of the US Government Buildings it is no longer random.

Benny, a Buzzfeed staff member, was doing a piece on The 7 Ugliest Government Buildings In DC. For that story he went ahead and tried photographing 7 concrete buildings. The interaction he had with each of the building’s guards, spokesmen and security personal resulted in an even better story, showing how he was kicked off property or sent away or banned from photographing any of those buildings.

Just to make it clear, Benny’s way of shooting the buildings seemed pretty legit to me, though I am not a layer:

I stood on the public sidewalks in front of the buildings, along with all the other tourists and pedestrians, took pictures, and then hopped on my bike and went to the next building.
I did not cross any police barriers, nor did I ever take any photos inside the buildings.
I did not cross any police barriers, nor did I ever take any photos inside the buildings.
And while it is very obvious that you are being watched …
…there are definitely no signs prohibiting you from taking pictures of the massive, ugly buildings from the street.

The reactions that Benny got ranged from

• Telling him that “only photos of the front of the building are allowed” through
• Through telling Benny that he “was no longer allowed on the property and to go across the street immediately” and after he crossed the street he was asked to leave because “You would not want people taking photos of your office, would you?”
• To a situation where “…three armed guards approached me. “You cannot take photos of the building entrance. You have to delete that,” one demanded”.

You can head over Buzzfeed to read the full tale of the seven skirmishes, and then see the originating post on ugly buildings in DC.

So, what do you think? A collection for random ignorance or a directing hand?

[via Tenchiro]