Amateur photography in New York enquiry

[azi]

I am planning on going overseas in the second half of this year to visit some friends in New York and Hong Kong.  I have heard that the NY police don't take too kindly to photography in NYC.

I was wondering whether there will be any problems with general travel / sightseeing photography within NYC, and if the choice of camera equipment plays a role.  Would I be OK if I just used a point and shoot (eg Canon IXUS)?  How about a Canon G10?  What about a digital SLR?  Or is it location specific?  I'm not taking any commercial images.

Thanks.

[dalethorn]

I am planning on going overseas in the second half of this year to visit some friends in New York and Hong Kong.  I have heard that the NY police don't take too kindly to photography in NYC.
I was wondering whether there will be any problems with general travel / sightseeing photography within NYC, and if the choice of camera equipment plays a role.  Would I be OK if I just used a point and shoot (eg Canon IXUS)?  How about a Canon G10?  What about a digital SLR?  Or is it location specific?  I'm not taking any commercial images.
Thanks.

NY is *much* better than London, Beijing, or Moscow. Just use common sense. Small camera is better. Don't linger or loiter. Plan ahead on shots, then raise the camera and get them quickly and move away. And this was true of NY *before* 911, due to muggings. And BTW, it's best to dress like a street-wise NY resident.

[ddk]

I am planning on going overseas in the second half of this year to visit some friends in New York and Hong Kong.  I have heard that the NY police don't take too kindly to photography in NYC.

I was wondering whether there will be any problems with general travel / sightseeing photography within NYC, and if the choice of camera equipment plays a role.  Would I be OK if I just used a point and shoot (eg Canon IXUS)?  How about a Canon G10?  What about a digital SLR?  Or is it location specific?  I'm not taking any commercial images.

Thanks.

You can shoot with anything you like and nobody is going to bother you for the most part, but its best to get a permit if you're going to use a tripod in a busy area. Of course there's still some paranoia so you can't stand in front a police station shooting people going in and out, you're good otherwise, enjoy your trip!

[Gemmtech]

I go to NYC twice a year and have never had any kind of problems photographing anything.  Unfortunately you can't shoot these anymore!

[feppe]

I've shot around NYC with a pretty heavy tripod and never got any heat - and in Beijing for that matter. Just one off-duty FDNY guy came talk to me and wanted to see how the nighttime skyline showed up on the LCD. He was quite impressed, and I said to him to stay safe.

[canmiya]

You can shoot with anything you like and nobody is going to bother you for the most part, but its best to get a permit if you're going to use a tripod in a busy area. Of course there's still some paranoia so you can't stand in front a police station shooting people going in and out, you're good otherwise, enjoy your trip!

you actually do not need a permit to use a tripod or monopod on the streets of new york....you see tourist here from all over the world carrying everything from point and shoots to state of the art dslrs....bring what you are most comfortable with and enjoy!!

[wolfnowl]

As has been said, I wouldn't worry about it, but if you DO run into any troubles with the local police, remember the #1 rule.  BE POLITE.  Because if you're in an area where some misguided officer or security guard feels the need to hassle you, you can also bet you're both going to be on closed-circuit camera.  Don't lose your cool, and ask for substantiated proof of what they're saying.  But the odds of that happening are probably less than the odds of being run over by a wayward taxi driver.

Mike.

[John Camp]

Some commercial shooters do need permits to shoot in some places in NYC, but I don't know exactly what triggers the requirement -- it might have to do with the location (I know one park is off-limits without a permit, but I also think it may be a private park) and it might also have to do with entourage...how many people are involved, whether you're using light stands, and so on. I know this because I was once involved (in a non-technical, non-bureaucratic way) in a NY commercial shoot, and some of the limitations were outlined to me then, although I don't recall precisely what they were. Generally, though, when you go to NY you see people shooting everything up to MF cameras without anyone taking exception. I think one thing that might attract a cop would be if you set up a big tripod on a busy sidewalk at noon, and thus blocked traffic. Go stand outside B&H and you can see about every camera in the world coming and going...

(As I write this, I've got this thought in the back of my head -- maybe some NY shooter can tell me if this is right - that if you use lights you need a permit, but if you use reflectors, you don't. Is that correct?)

Basically, though, you're gonna have a good time. Go down to Washington Square and shoot the performers.

JC

[icke]

around 2004 i lived there for 1.5 years and walked around and used my 1ds and then 1ds mk2 a lot - no problems at all.
i stayed clear of areas like the bronx, harlem etc but i didn't go there even without a camera. that might just have been due to my personal paranoia problem though.  

what i remember though is that they have since banned photography on the subway/underground.
if you want to take train pictures you might want to double check if that ban is still in place.

[canmiya]

Some commercial shooters do need permits to shoot in some places in NYC, but I don't know exactly what triggers the requirement -- it might have to do with the location (I know one park is off-limits without a permit, but I also think it may be a private park) and it might also have to do with entourage...how many people are involved, whether you're using light stands, and so on. I know this because I was once involved (in a non-technical, non-bureaucratic way) in a NY commercial shoot, and some of the limitations were outlined to me then, although I don't recall precisely what they were. Generally, though, when you go to NY you see people shooting everything up to MF cameras without anyone taking exception. I think one thing that might attract a cop would be if you set up a big tripod on a busy sidewalk at noon, and thus blocked traffic. Go stand outside B&H and you can see about every camera in the world coming and going...

(As I write this, I've got this thought in the back of my head -- maybe some NY shooter can tell me if this is right - that if you use lights you need a permit, but if you use reflectors, you don't. Is that correct?)

Basically, though, you're gonna have a good time. Go down to Washington Square and shoot the performers.

JC

the park that is "off limits" is Gramercy Park which is a private park... you are right on a number of points...here is a link to a blog entry on photographing on the streets of new york
http://hdhd.wordpress.com/
regards

[Professional]

Great Great Great thread, it came on its time, because this year my trip will be to New York, and i was asking one question about that which is where i can find workshops [about lighting and/or photoshop] there, but i didn't ask about the permit or what to shoot and what not and how to behave/act there, so this thread enlighten me, and it will help me.

I went to Switzerland, Paris, Scotland, and New Zealand, and in all those countries i never had a problem of shooting anywhere, i am very polite guy and i respect everything and i don't stay if troubles are around me, but i hope if that New York is full of people all around the world so they don't got annoyed that i am from middle east [Arabic and muslim guy], i am so peaceful, kind, and friendly guy, and using tripod in fact i don't do use tripod in so crowded busy places, in the day time i just handhold the camera, and at night i try to find a place where there are enough space and i don't get into people ways, but i hope in all cases i don't face any troubles because of my arabic/middle eastern look like [my beard grown fast but not long at all, i always shave it in goatee before i travel, hehe].