DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Amateur Photographers Facing Unfair Discrimination From Law Enforcement?

May 6, 2015 by Tiffany Mueller 17 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Just days after a man was tased in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for illegally operating a drone, photographer Jason Lanier, has shared his personal experience with park rangers and law enforcement, which he describes as discrimination. On his Youtube channel, Lanier shared a 7-minute long clip of two separate interactions he had with law enforcement while on a non-paying shoot with a local photography club.

Take a look:



In my personal experience, park rangers working for the National Park Service (USA), have been some of the most kind, understanding, and, dare I say, helpful members of law enforcement I’ve come across. In the case of the Volcanoes incident, I side with the park ranger–wholly. I visit and photograph that specific park on a near weekly basis and have grown to know many of the rangers on a personal basis during my excursions there.

It’s apparent my experience differs greatly from others such as Lanier; however, despite having a “professional” setup (tripods, sliders, motion control, multiple DSLR’s), never once have I had a negative interaction with any NPS employee. In many cases, they’ve actually helped me out by offering up some especially scenic, off-the-beaten path shooting recommendations. In trade, I make an effort to build a relationship with the parks I visit, especially the one’s I frequent. They share my photos on their social media, bringing traffic to my website. I’ve allowed them to use one of my photos of Papakolea Beach at South Point on NPS.gov (and try not to complain too much to them that it’s inaccurately credited). For me, it’s been a give and get back relationship.

To that end, I also recognize that a lot of my good luck was just that–luck. In Lanier’s video, the first interaction shown came to me as a surprise and I find the officer’s unwillingness to listen and understand what was actually happening completely inexcusable. In Lanier’s blog post on the incidents, he makes several valid points. One of the most potent being:

photographers-discrimination

If anything, I would hope this trend of photographer discrimination opens up a civilized discussion between photographers and park officials. It’s easy to see the stories solely from the perspective of the side in which you are most closely associated with. As photographers who typically geek out when they see a bunch of expensive lights and photo gear, we may not recognize how setting up a mobile studio affects other non-photographer park visitors. On the other side of things, park rangers may not understand the difference between an amateur photographer, an individual professional photographer, or a huge film crew, whether it be from honest ignorance of the subject or an unwillingness to learn.

In no way am I defending the actions of law enforcement officials who are clearly abusing their power–there will always be that one jerk who you’ll never be able to get through to. But, when you’re out there shooting, engage with the park rangers. Spark up a friendly conversation with them, let them know what you’re up to so they are not forced to make an assumption about what your intentions are. Ask them for some of their favorite spots. In most cases, I think you’ll find they are more than willing to help, and you may even be able to teach one another to have just a little more compassion for each other’s line of work. It’s a two way road, and though it may seem to be a little too idealistic, it has worked 100% of the time for me thus far.

[ via Jason Lanier ]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

‘Police Buffer Zone’ Bill Attacked By Law Enforcement Groups and Legal Experts Are your social media photos ending up in a law enforcement database? Patent Law Fails Again: Amateur Photographer Sued For Holding Online Photo Competitions Photographer charged and beaten by police for shooting a lockdown enforcement in South Africa

Filed Under: news Tagged With: national parks service, photography is not a crime

Tiffany Mueller: from diyphotography.net

About Tiffany Mueller

Tiffany Mueller is a photographer based in Hawi, Hawaii. You can follow her Twitter here and her personal life here.

« Sony’s New FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Takes On Canon’s 100mm f/2.8 In Lensrentals’ Resolution TEst
radioSTROBE is the World’s First Off-Camera Speedlight System »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • Sony unveils three wireless microphones for content creators
  • This is why you should stop shooting music videos
  • First look at the Laowa Proteus Flex interchangeable flare optics
  • The Fotodiox RhinoCam Vertex shoots medium format images on L mount cameras
  • San Francisco filmmaker tracks stolen camera gear, police do nothing

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy