Renowned Aussie landscape photographer Ken Duncan has unleashed a furious rant on Facebook, after security at Sydney’s Barangaroo tried to have him arrested for taking photos of parkland in the area.
Duncan – if you’ve ever been near a coffee table, you’ve probably seen one of his books – says he was in the recently redeveloped area when he decided to snap a few photos for friends at Gosford Quarries, who provided the sandstone.
Soon after he whipped out his tripod, though a pair of rangers approached him, insisting that he could not take photos in the public area without first paying a fee and obtaining a permit.
From there, shit escalated quickly:
They informed me that I had been seen taking photos by big brother on a video surveillance camera and they had radioed the Rangers to come and stop me.
The Rangers pleaded our case to their management as one of them had previously been a photographer but management would not budge.The Rangers informed me that if I didn’t stop the management said they would call the police. So I said go ahead and make my day as people need to know how silly this is. It will make a great headline for Bangaroo, an Australian Landscape photographer arrested for taking photos.I said what law am I breaking? And they could not answer me. Even if they did come up with some laws of their own they can’t take away my common law rights to photograph in public areas. I said tell management to send the police as they will not know what law they can stop me under either.
Also I said there are no signs saying that I could not take photos.
So it is OK for you to video me without my permission but I am not allowed to take photos. They went on to say but you have a tripod so you must be a commercial photographer so you definitely need to pay and have a permit.
Duncan maintains that he was not taking photos for any commercial purpose, and was merely a private citizen – albeit one with some schmick-arse photograph equipment – taking photos for a friend.
He slammed Barangaroo management for wasting police time, saying:
What is it with some bureaucrats, have they lost all touch with reality? They pay movie makers millions to do pictures in Australia to help promote Australia and then harass landscape photographers.
Well I for one am not going to back off on ridiculous or over zealous regulations.
Fortunately the police did not come. How sad a day that will be when police are forced to become the photo police.
Stand up for our freedom as photographers.
Duncan’s Facebook post quickly went viral, and Colleen Kempess, who says she works as a police officer in the area, offered her support, saying:
You’re right. There is no law against you taking photos. I’ve no idea why you’d be required to have a permit. Possibly the council trying to impose a “photo tax”. If I’m ever called to such a job I’d probably ask for your autograph and wish you a good day! Your photos are amazing and any council should be proud to have you taking photos of their city.
Love your work, Colleen.
A representative for Barangaroo told Fairfax that they are “currently investigating” the incident.
Image via Ken Duncan / Facebook
