Fence and Security Guards

Last Updated on Thursday, 24 June 2010 06:40 Thursday, 24 June 2010 05:32

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I went out yesterday to photograph "THE FENCE"... the security fencing they put around parts of Downtown Toronto for the G20 Summit.

I will leave my political views about if this should be happening to another time and place, but the security they have put together for this event is staggering.

As I was walking along King Street, past the Scotia Tower, the other photographer I was with and I started taking images of the building.

A security guard came running out to us shouting "It is illegal to take picture here"

I usually deal with security guys in a calm manner... by explaining that what they are telling me is bullshit, and then slowly move along.

( For those who don't know, you can take pictures anywhere on public property of anything that is visible.  You can NOT use it for personal gain without permission of the owner of the property, or of the people you photographed ( I don't know about putting on the net...remember they can have better lawyers then you).  If you are on private property, all they can do is charge you with trespassing, they can't see your images, or ask they be erased.) *** I am not a lawyer so this is my understanding of the law as it was explained to me... a judge may have a much different view so take this for what it is...useless advice on the Internet.

I was on the sidewalk, which I believe is public property, he disputed that it is... so I kept snapping images of him... got a great one of him foaming at the mouth... which I can't use anywhere :( ( he told me out right I did not have permission to take or use his picture... half right, I can't use his image)

We moved along.. got the same talk from a guard at the TD centre ( my friend was on their property, taking pictures of another building).



As we walked past another building another guard shouted at us "you are not allowed to take photographs" at which I shouted back "yes we are"  and kept on walking.

When we reached the higher security area we started interacting with the police.  They were calm, cool, nice and easy to deal with.  I was shooting with a lensbaby ( strange looking lens) which got some comments. 


The questions that were asked, in conversation, were also checking us out.  None of them said we were not allowed to take photographs.  The closest that someone said, very close to the convention centre, was that "for security reason photographs are discouraged"  I can live with that.

Most of conversation were about who do you work for ( freelance artists) what a weird looking lens ( here have a look to see what it does)...

One conversation was about if we were planning on photographing the demonstrations... "No we plan on staying away" "Good idea, with your equipment you might be targeted by some of the professional rioters we are expecting"

It was an interesting day
.