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Australia now reaches the bottom of the barrel


simonpg

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Sadly during the last week Australia has reached the "bottom of the

barrel" in terms of attacks on amatuer photographers.

 

In the state of Queensland a Government school headmaster announced

his biggest initiative (my take on it) for 2006 is that "all

photography of children playing sports will be banned in the

interests of preventing paedophile activities".

 

What the hell taking pictures has to do with paedophillia is anyone's

guess. Where the linkage between owning cameras an being a paedophile

lies is also anyone's guess. He draws a ridiculously long bow that

should offend genuine law abiding photographers world-wide.

 

Like all things in life criminal activities are perpetrated by a

small minority. The evils of paedophiles are obviously conducted in

secret. No photo of a child is, per se, evil. It's the intent and use

of images that becomes evil.

 

This idiot's initiative was matched by security guards in the

regional city of Geelong. The local amateur photographer club drove

to the area of the Shell oil refinery to take industrial images only

to be challenged by guards who insisted "no photographs are allowed

to be taken of the refinery because you may be terrorists"!

 

Wisely the club members told the guard in plain English (as Aussies

can do so well) what they could do with that statement and returned

the next evening to continue their creative activities.

 

So, now here down under mindless fools concoct imbecilic ideas about

protecting the world from wrong-doers.

 

So, my point here is if these stories are similar to ones in your

country and neighbourhood - stand up and revolt; attack those who

would accuse you of evil because you use a camera; don't allow such

stupidity to take a never-to-be undone foothold; fight back and don't

be intimidated by them.

 

If we sit back and grumble without taking real action, so much of our

life events and day to day history will never be recorded for future

generations. We should ensure that the gifts of Cartier-Bresson and

so many others can live on.

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plain stupid.... but then again France and Quebec have fairly tough laws on the "use" of a person's image.

 

The worst part is that people with real cameras are the target of these laws when the dangerous/sick ones are using cell phone cameras to shot their crap!

 

BTW most of Cartier-Bresson's photos were done with actors (including the famous "Lovers Kissing" photo).

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Thanks Denis.

 

Yes, I was aware of HCB's often use of actors but he is identified so heavilly with the "street" image concept so helps my overll point.

 

I totally agree with your point regarding cell phones and other "secretive" tools.

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:D - there is INDEED a bunch of sick humans on this planet... and it makes some people have weird reactions............

a man came to me and asked me why I was shooting kids playing hockey??? FGS they are wearing a gladiator outfit and a full-face mask.... I don't see how it could be used for what anything else than what it is.... kids playing hockey! (but then again I'm only Photographer)

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A similar "kiddie photo ban" was attempted by a couple of local councils in Sydney a year ago. Both eventually dropped the idea after a lot of heat from the media:<p>

 

<a href="http://4020.net/unposed/photorights.shtml#beach">

http://4020.net/unposed/photorights.shtml#beach</a><p>

 

As for the VIC attempt to ban shots of oil storage tanks... er, so what? How many of us have been stopped from taking photos by security guards for mindless reasons?!<p>

 

Finally, here's a Doisneau "The Kiss" discussion link from a while back:<p>

 

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00ByOs">

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00ByOs</a><p>

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Well, conservative societies are not going to be concerned with art endeavor (unless it is suitable propaganda)...(while liberal societies will try to integrate psychological theme into art endeavor and thus also supporting art on condition). And there are two sets of law one where determined by court process and the other where the person can be reached without actual process. So for art to survive it must be either determined or profitable...

 

But I do see an issue. Photography of children's sports should be for the local community's use only. In other words a child playing an amateur sport should not be recognized as a public figure outside of the community...

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Thanks all. For us in Australia this is very bad and sad - our legacy is that of an easy going society but more recently one where "rocket scientists" and illogical bureaucrats are getting air time.

 

However, we have NO formal bans and our rights in the streets are well known to all so what we MUST do is resist such attempts to squash our enjoyment and fight back. The risk is that keen amateur photographers cowtail to those who intimidate us.

 

I have just been told my essay on this topic is likely to get published in our largest circulating daily newspaper. I decided that I should act rather than grumble.

 

So, I encourage all who are concerened about similar developments to do the same.

 

Keep shooting and use lots of film!<div>00F68f-27902884.jpg.4f2ef7b36dad557ed04d6af2590120ee.jpg</div>

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"What is happening here in the UK is leading me to think that the "Mother of Parliaments" has spawned a control freak agenda that I do not understand."

 

What is happening everywhere is that the profitable Cold War of the 1940s - 1980s collapsed and nothing (on the right scale to justify the continuance of the enormous spending of the industrial/military/Government/corporate machine) came along to replace it. Until 'Terrr' or 'The War against Terrr'. (We are not even allowed to pronounce it properly!)

 

Now everyone in a uniform feels especially enabled to fight 'Terrr' wherever they think it exists even if they are a shopping Mall guard.

 

This will continue for about 40 years like the 'cold war' did. Ordinary people will still have no real idea why they were supposed to hate other ordinary people in other lands but 'War against Terrr' will give them the official excuse.

 

Read 1984 by George Orwell. It is all there. In the year 1984 we all said how wrong George Orwell had got it. By 2004 it all made sense. He just got the year wrong.

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Trevor - I suspect you and I are coming to this from two very different directions. All I would say in addition is :-

 

 

1. A uniform is not a prerequisite for this kind of behaviour.

 

2. Any law that gets approval from all sides and is rushed through is a bad law.

 

3. I have always had a healthy disrespect for politicians of all persuasions - that disrespect is now changing to an intense disrespect.

 

4. Give a politician and inch and he will seek to take a mile - now it looks like a league ( I'm not into metrification either ).

 

5. I hope that I am again part of the silent majority and I hope that they will for once stop being so ....... silent.

 

So back to square one - Simon go for it.

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I agree Bill.

 

However there is a little light at the end of the tunnel. Blair lost a vote for the first time ever recently. (He wanted authorities to be able to lock up anyone under suspicion of terror for up to 90 days without having to charge them. He lost.)

 

The Law Lords recently ruled that NO evidence obtained by use of torture (wherever the torture occurred) can be admissable in a UK court of law.

 

The government is coming under a lot of pressure to admit they know about (and permit) the transition (or rendition) of prisoners via UK airports and RAF bases to places of torture. They have now admitted they were aware of such 'renditions'. It remains to be seen what they will do to stop them.

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