Picture New York Without Pictures

Picture New York Without Pictures
Originally uploaded by lorenzodom

Picture New York Without Pictures

I’m joining my fellow artists, photographers and New Yorkers in a protest against prospective new city regulations that significantly hamper your first amendment rights to take pictures in the city.

I've been harassed by law enforcement three times in the past, threatened to be "taken in for a minimum of five hours" and have been forced to delete photos I've taken around the city. I recently heard that the courts affirmed our rights to take photos, yet the Mayor's Office now wants to surreptiously hamper our ability to exercise them.

The issue as summarized by PictureNY.org:
“The Mayor’s Office of Theater, Film, and Broadcasting, which coordinates film and television production and issues permits around the five boroughs, is considering rules that could potentially severely restrict the ability of even amateur photographers and filmmakers to operate in New York City. The NY Times reports that the city’s tentative rules include requiring any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour (including setup and breakdown time) to get a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance. The regulation would also apply to any group of five or more people who would be using a tripod for more than ten minutes, including setup and breakdown time.”

PictureNY has set up an e-petition and needs your signature before the upcoming deadline of August 3, please click here to sign it today.

I’ve signed the petition, and I encourage you to do the same, regardless of where you are from, because if you love New York City like I do, you’ll probably want to preserve your right to take pictures whenever you visit. Moreover, the passage of such municipal regulations only lets other cities follow suit—and so yours could be next!

For a discussion on this matter here on flickr go to: Picture New York

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,
Lorenzo