Tripod restrictions in London?

I plan to spend a few days in February photographing some of the architecture of London and hope to be

able to use a tripod for dusk/night photography along the river. Are there any restriction on using tripods

in London public spaces?

Generally not with some exceptions. If you are on a road or pavement and not causing an obstrucion, then there is no problem.

 

Private places like Trafalgar square and by the London eye are a different matter. Security guards near the eye will move you on rapidly. You may get away with it in Traf. sq.

 

I mainly use a bean bag, on railings or other street furniture. Just as good as a tripod but not so obvious or a target for muggings. Remember, if you use a tripod and someone moves you on, that's all. You won't get arrested!

I hope to photograph some of the typical postcard architecture in the city center (Houses of

Parliament, tower bridge, etc.). I would assume these properties are Ok as public spaces and

safe to photograph at night. Correct?

Hi,

 

There is now terrorist paranoia in the UK and especially in London since the underground bombs. If you go anywhere near sensitive places like the houses of parliament with a camera you may well get stopped by police..just be prepared for it..

 

cheers Steve (UK)

Just bring a table tripod that has a ball head on it with you. You can put it on a wall, bench,railing ,lean it against a wall or doorway,and It will not break your back carrying it around all day.The Tower Bridge at sunset is a great photo. Good shooting

When I was in London in the winter of 2005, my boyfriend and I (along with another couple of photographers) were asked to move along when we were shooting near the London Eye. We didn't have any issues anywhere else with our tripods. We weren't really given a reason either but rather complied because there were a couple of security guards around. It seems to me to be a hit and miss kind of thing.

In general you should be OK and indeed I've used a tripod a lot in and round central London. But there's no accounting for the mood and attitude of people who may consider they have the power to either intervene or let things pass. London has as many of these as anywhere else.

 

Anywhere on private land you could be stopped from using a tripod. In a mall or a store you probably will be. A lot of ground that looks public is in fact private though allows public access. Even in the Parks you could in theory be stopped( as you can in NYC and Paris for that matter). The UK seems to lead the world in density of cctv cameras which has two effects. Firstly it makes it easier for you to be spotted. Secondly it gets the guards worried that unless they act on events caught on camera their boss will query it afterwards.

 

In practice I think its very likely you can use a tripod along the river and from bridges without interference. The majority of these areas are public.

 

In Trafalgar Square the best time to photograph is very early in the day at weekends, before the tourists and the pigeons descend. At that point its possible you might be able to get away with a tripod at least for a while.

Are there as many restrictions in smaller cities like Cambridge or Oxford? After reading some of the responses here, I may just pass on London and spend more time elsewhere. Would a photographer be more welcome elsewhere in UK?

Frankly I don't think your reaction is necessary. What you're being told is that when on private property or in parks you run a risk that you may be interrupted if you use a tripod. Also that increasingly its hard to tell whether you're on private property or not when the public is allowed to access freely. I've certainly had no more hassles in London than I have in New York or Paris for example and there is nothing especially restrictive about London.

 

It is very simple. Photograph where and how you like until someone tells you that you can't. You reduce the chances of being stopped if you're quick and if you hand-hold with fast film its pretty unlikely. When it happens ask why and make a decision about whether its worth a debate. You meet some awful people and occasionally a really decent bloke like the guy in the Empire State Building who told me that my tripod permit was good only for views from not the inside, but went on to say that he needed to go get his point of view confirmed and would likely be gone for fifteen minutes!

 

I have photographed pretty extensively in Oxford since one of my daughters was at the University and I made a portfolio for her. I can't recall having any problems using a tripod in the courtyards there, provided of course that they are open - which they sometimes aren't. They can get kind of busy though as Oxford is clearly a major tourist centre. But you still have to understand that the college courtyards are private, that being there is not a right, and that if a porter did happen to suggest to you that you should stop using a tripod then you have to do so unless you can talk him out of it.

I agree with the above post. Use your camera and tripod wherever it appears to be a public place. You may get moved on but it has not happened to me yet. Cambridge is fine but you may get run over by bicycles. The colleges are sometimes accessible for a small fee though the photography rules will vary - so ask. Some cathedrals such as Ely allow tripods for an additional fee. St Pauls in London forbids all photography inside but that is for financial reasons as far as I can see. Outside St Pauls tripods are ok.

<p>I agree with the last two posters. Tripods do sometimes atttract attention if you use

them on private land, but you're not breaking the law and won't be arrested. All that will

happen is you'll be asked (usually very politely) to move somewhere else. That said, I've

photographed all of the major attractions in London with a tripod, and was only asked to

move on once. And even then, the security guard was kind enough to let me take the shot

that I'd spent such a long time setting up.</p>

 

<p>You'll have no problems at all shooting from a tripod along the river; this is where

almost all the good shots are to be found. The only places you need to be aware of are the

ones that are private - directly outside City Hall, London Eye and in Trafalgar Square. But

all of them offer alternative vantage points that are just as good.</p>

Due to the Paranoia about pedophiles in UK; photographers should be very careful about taking photos in playgrounds and around schools. Professional photographers have been virtually outlawed from operating on beaches and in schools unless they have had been vetted by the police.

 

There have been a number of incidents in recent years where police have arrested innocent photographers photographing children in parks or near schools as suspected pedophiles.

Most rational thinking people would realize that the real child molesters will not be open about it.

 

In police state Britain the cops are no longer rational; they will not see the architecture which you may be photographing with kids in the foreground to add scale or photographic interest. You may be seen as a potential pervert so be warned!

Monopod is an excellent alternative, useful also in the event of attempted muggings which although not frequent can happen.