InternationalLiving

The other day I was transferring in Doha, which still uses parking out on the tarmac with bus transfers. Over the past few trips with QR I have taken exterior pics of the aircraft when walking between the bus and aircraft... a great way to get closeups of large aircraft in a way most people can't see them these days. Well, I was boarding A7-BAN, a B773 just a few months old, when one of the ground personnel says "no picture", signalling with his hand.

My question is, are there any rules against this sort of photography, either internationally, in Qatar, or as airline policy? Or was this guy just uninformed and suspicious?

CPRich

At my local airport, PIT, there is a sign just before the security entrance that says no photography allowed beyond that point. I haven't a clue on the legalities of photography in Qatar, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are as/more restrictive.

exerda

There aren't international rules against it, but YMMV per-country, per-locality, and even per-airport, as each may have variously-strict rules.

I watched a UAX ramp agent at IAD scold and force a tourist to delete a photo she took after deplaning while waiting on her bag. He was livid, as if the tourist were about to blow up the airport or something. And he was completely in the wrong, too, as it is NOT against the "rules" or the law to take photos on the apron at IAD (or, for that matter, most of the US).

InternationalLiving

Thanks for the responses... I guess that is as I would have expected, probably varies where you are and who's watching you. I don't remember any signs prohibiting it at Doha, however clearly some people take matters at their own discretion.

The incident at UAX you describe seems incredulous though, I would surely have complained...

CubsFanJohn

Only place I have ever had a problem was LHR with some Rent-A-Cop thug then again that was from the gate. Though regarding the UAX thing when I was at JFK on the DL Connection Ramp I didn't have a problem taking photos there.

Wally Bird

There may well be rules (local, state or national) but ground staff and baggage handlers don't get to enforce them.

Only a police officer can order you to delete photos in the US and it's debatable whether that's a legal demand anyway. I might not argue with a cop but anyone else can bite me.

Polar Man

No No No
A cop can not legaly order you to delete a photo in the US. You may however have to make decisions on how far you wish to pursue your rights.

CPRich

Actually, see The Photographer’s Right for details in the US. Anyone on private property can forbid you from taking photos on their property. Specifically
So the owner of the property can indeed tell you to stop photographing and I suspect have you arrested (maybe after he bites you )

Obviously this is one lawyer's interpretation of rules in the US, and it doesn't apply to Qatar in any way, but Mr Krages is widely known in the photography community for his expertise/opinions.

I've had two experiences:

PPG Place - a guard asked me to stop photographing the building - said their restriction was "above eye level" - you can take pix of you and your friends around the fountain, courtyard, etc., but not architectural/building photos. She did give me the contact information of the property manager to get permission - given the uniqueness of the structure, I suspect lots of stock photo agencies, advertisers, etc., want images of the buildings. She did ask me if I had already taken photos that violated those rules. I just said "yes" and nothing else. She was confused for a second and then just said OK and left. I think she was waiting for a "I'll be sure to delete those" which never came.

FCO Airport baggage claim - a soldier with a gun and an attack dog stepped in front of me as I put my camera up to my eye and gave the universal "oh no you don't" finger wave. I chose not to discuss the place of photography in the Italian legal system and put my camera away.

Just to tempt fate, for fun, here's one from PPG

tex1899

I took a photo of my EK 773 at MLE and no one said anything...and a QR 321 that had arrived earlier. I took a photo of a plane landing at AMA as I was walking from the plane to the gate and again, no one said anything.

The best advice, use discretion. Questions to consider: what are you photographing and where? And if you see an employee, ask them if you can take a photo of the plane, or they take one of you and the plane (not my cup of tea, but hey...score some brownie points).

InternationalLiving

CPRich: Thanks for clarifying the law... and for the amusing story!

tex1899, seems like good general advice Maybe I should ask for a pic with the whole crew lol, then they'll think I'm nuts!

CPRich

Ummm, huh?

pacer142

If you're on the public highway, at least in the UK, they have no right to stop you taking photographs of whatever you want (military installations excepted). Hasn't stopped some security guards trying, though.

Neil

roberto99

Thank you for sharing your insight!

Travelsonic

The issue was being forced to delete photos or not. The same article states that nobody has the right to mkae you to do that.

And an airport is not usually private property so far as belonging to an individual airline

And to have somebody arrested you need a real reason - taking photos in of itself, and then telling you to bit them after refusing your demand to delete their photos, I suspect, is not one of them.

And frankly, my incidents not-airport-related have made me more defensive than submissive... cops being the exception, of course.

I think I mentioned the time an engineer on the local [relative to me] railroad harassed me for my videography despite it being legal, and allowed by the railroad specifically. I tried reasoning with him, showed him the memo from the railroad, the ....... threatened to call homeland security. I called his bluff as he was pulling away, nothing happened.

A couple of minor run-ins later, a week to be exact, I'm waiting on the other platform at this station. His train is pulling in, he sees me and stops the train on the overpass right before the platform.

After a moment or two he pulls in slowly, giving me some crap and gong "You better not be trying to get on my train."

Something inside me snapped, I turned to him and said "Hey, kiss my ...!" and walked off the platform, kept filming from the sidewalk. God, it felt good.

exerda

I did send an e-mail complaint in later and got the expected, vague, "Thanks; we'll pass this along to the local staff," response.

I should have said something right on the spot, because the tourist clearly didn't know what was going on and let herself be bullied by the ramper. I figured the only way it was going to go was badly if someone got in an argument with the guy, though, given his attitude, and I didn't want to ruin my traveling day to save a tourist's photo of a CRJ's stairs.


Same in the US.

If you are standing on public property, there's really no recourse the private folks have to prevent you from taking pictures of their property. Of course, they'll claim it's "against the law" and will try to bully you.