Pictures Near The Port (and the police)

[Kitsune]

Be careful when taking photographs -- you never know which ones will end you up in jail.

No, really. A night that I had fully suspected would end up netting me nice pictures of a glowing downtown Tampa and the Port ended with me being confronted by a sheriff. The reason? You can't take pictures of the Port, or areas around the Port.

Since when?

But that is what was explained to me because, you know, "nine-eleven". Channelside (a shopping area) Security caught me with a camera and tripod taking pictures from the top level of their parking garage and told me I couldn't take pictures "for security reasons". I told the guy I was willing to leave peacefully and so they let me go, but I was stopped at the exit gate by another security guard who told me to pull off and wait for the sheriff. Sheriff shows up, wants to see the pictures I've taken (thank you, digital camera), and he goes on to explain that there are concerns about the security of the port and it is illegal to take pictures of it.

So what about all those tourists who take pictures when they get off the cruise ship? What about the families who take pictures of the boat and the area around it?

You would think that this is a universally known thing -- that taking pictures of a public place of transportation is breaking the law. So why, then, was I invited to the top level of the parking deck and shown the best places to take pictures when I asked Tampa International Airport about photography of planes taking off and landing? Its a popular pasttime, it seems, watching the passenger jets come and go from up there.

Could I have been breaking the law this entire time? Gasp!

The officer reviewed all my images, asked me some questions, and let me go. Never did a background check, never checked the tag on my car, and never actually found out who I was. I think being a student and having a look of extreme confusion helped out a lot.

For any of you who do carry your camera around, I highly suggest you print this out and carry it with you.

The Photographer's Rights Card

Anyways, its downtown Tampa on a rather cool November night taken from Channelside. Not the skyline of my hometown, Atlanta, but I still love it.