Photogprahy law in Chicago

[pooria]

 

<p>Hi<br>

I am going to Naperville /Chicago for 3-4 month project.<br>

I will have my camera backpack and my SLR cameras and lenses.<br>

I have been living in New Zealand for 3 years and there is no restriction about taking photo in public or doing street photography and is also very safe.<br>

I want to know how is it in USA especially in chicago and naperville ?<br>

Is there any restrcition on taking photos in public places?<br>

Is it safe to walk with camera on your shoulder?</p>

Your help and advise is appreciated

 

 

[SCL]

<p>Naperville is pure suburbia, no problems, although some people are touchy about other people photographing their children. If you shoot pix of private property from a public spot, no problems, if on private property it is best to get permission from the owner. Chicago, being a large city is generally safe, with a few qualifications...there are some neighborhoods which aren't very safe in the daytime, much less at night. In fact, unless necessary, it is generally better to be accompanied at night rather than alone...I've never had a problem, but I'm used to watching over my shoulder and avoiding trouble. I think you will find your experience a lot of fun and artistically challenging, there is a lot going on in Chicago in the next several months. While safe to walk with your camera on your shoulder, just keep a hand on it, be self-assured, and don't present yourself as a "victim" to potential problem causers. There is very little street crime in the central downtown area, and lots of activity and photographic opportunity there and in Millineum Park.</p>

[luis_g]

<p>As with any big city, there are very unsafe places in Chicago, and at some hours, the odds of becoming a victim escalate exponentially. It is best to arm yourself with information from several sources, and be alert and aware.</p>

<p>In general, the south side and west past Greektown are less safe, particularly at night, more so after 11:00 or so. Be aware that during the summer months, even generally safe neighborhoods experience late-night hold-ups. There's lots of crime around El stations in bad hoods late at night.</p>

<p>Summer is the worst time crime-wise. Winter is safer. Criminals seem averse to cold weather.</p>

<p>Carrying a huge photo-backpack and cameras dangling from your shoulder designates you as a desirable target at a distance, and can increase your odds of becoming a victim in many places.</p>

<p>I lived in Chicago (just outside, in Oak Park) for years, used common sense (most of the time) and never had a problem, though more than once I strayed into places where my hair was standing on end. I heard gunshots, witnessed assaults, and came close one time to being injured on a train during a gang fight. Lots of people and photographers I knew at the time had been robbed, mugged, and one that was shot after being robbed.</p>

<p>http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/</p>

<p>http://files.chicagotribune.com/metro/crime/</p>

<p>http://www.illinoisatlas.com/illinois/crime/crime.htm</p>

<p>2nd best rule is <em>camouflage. </em>Blend in, dress the part.</p>

<p>When en route to photograph, I had my gear put away in a regular-sized (about 1500-1800 c.i.)backpack. I used a plain-jane black Lowe-Pro, with the label magic-marked out, which lots of Chicagoans do. Back when I frequented risky locations, I used a battered, soft-sided lunch bag to transport a minimal amount of gear.</p>

<p>Learn the transportation system, specially the last trains/buses in Chicago. There's few worse feelings than being stranded late at night.</p>

<p>Naperville is much safer.</p>

<p>Having said all that, I love Chicago. It is one of my favorite cities, with all the good, bad and crazy things big cities have to offer.</p>

<p>There's some good stuff in this thread on Chicago:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/street-documentary-photography-forum/00WW7g</p>

<p>Good luck with your project.</p>

<p> </p>

[harryjacksonjr]

<p>You guys sound like you're walking into wartime Beirut. Anything can happen any time in any city. Naperville is totally mushy whitebread. The big story there was that the city is so rich it doesn't need private schools and the school system there requires physical fitness and has found that grades increased with kids who took physical education.<br>

Very, true, be wary anywhere of photographing children. There are people who photograph children for some heinous reasons -- around playgrounds, schools, back yards, and if I were a father I'd get aggressive if a stranger clicked my daughter doing cartwheels even in a public place.<br>

I've not done foreign work, but I've shot in every kind of neighborhood across America and never had a problem that I wouldn't have had anyway. If you're walking into something that can be considered war zone photography, so be it. You're not the first.<br>

A few things that came from common sense and having been called names that still hurt my feeling: Don't use a flash, not because it attracts attention, but because it hurts people's eyes. Don't hold your camera in the shoot position, fast draw from the hip. Carry the smallest bag you can and two lenses max. That's the one thing I don't like about Canon -- those white lenses. I don't carry a camera bag when I shoot in touchy places and keep the extra lens in a pocket.<br>

Frankly, the best camera I've found for urban hot zones is a good smaller camera. I used my G10 once in a homeless colony beneath some streets in St. Louis and no one looked up. When I walked in with that 5DII the camp bully started talking sh?t and the residents withdrew and clammed up. <br>

The last lesson, learn to disappear. That's a psychic skill that takes time to develop, but to melt into a wall, especially when your presence is not contextual, is an art -- neutral clothes, soft shoes, no expression on your face, look no one in the eye, and you vanish into the background--sort of like being autistic, not joking.<br>

Until then, just be courteous and unintrusive. But that can be said about any place you go whether it's Chcago or Islamabad.</p>

[mrraz]

<p>When you are in Chicago, I really don't think you're going to have any problems. I was born and raised in and around Chicago. I still spend a fair amount of time on the street in areas some might consider questionable. I've never had problems on the street anywhere. That is not to say the use of a modicrum of common sense isn't required. Practice good situational awareness, and you'll be fine.</p>

<p>All that being said. Cameras are so ubiquitous in Chicago as to be standard issue for most everyone in the city. Enjoy yourself because street theatre in Chicago is great.</p>