http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/nyc_photography_petition An entire Lightstalkers thread via RSS/XML. en-us NYC Photography Petition There has been a proposal for restricting photography and filming in New York City. Mayor Bloomberg will require permits and insurance for groups of 2 or more people, photographing or filming in one location for more than 1/2 hour. Also, if 5 or more people got together with a tripod and camera, they would have 10 minutes to set up, shoot, and breakdown without such a permit and insurance. Many of you are photographers, students, actors, and artists yourself and hopefully understand the negative implications this proposal could have on amateur photographers and independent filmmakers. Please read more about the proposal below and help by signing the Picture New York petition. Also, please pass this on to others. Sign the Petition: http://www.pictureny.org/petition/index.php Read the New York Times article from Sunday, July 29, 2007: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/nyregion/29camera.html?ei=5090&en=7113 Read the proposal from the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting: http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/downloads/pdf/moftb_permit_regs.pdf Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:56:18 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/nyc_photography_petition I think the restrictions are partly a response to what has been going on in Times Square for years, where crews from TV shows, sometimes with just smaller video cameras are shooting reality style in the street, with PAs etc. Its a big problem there and has been for years, with renegade productions sprouting up all over, and its an understandable response, I suppose. <br><br> I think is important to distinguish between commercial production and what I consider to be news gathering, documentary and educational work, and I would hope that whoever meets with the mayors people can make that point. <br><br>I am pretty sure that any judge will agree on the 1st Amendment arguments here as far the right to take pictures in public place, but I don't think it needs to come to that, and I don't think that this is really the intent-- of course, better to protest first, and figure that out later. Good luck.<br> Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:38:03 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/nyc_photography_petition#83852 As I posted before, as 'well intentioned' these new rules might be as Andy mentioned, it is a 100% guarantee they will be abused, twisted, missinterpeted and used as a challenge by the NYPD when ever they feel like it. A judge might agree with us and the 1st ammendment but he's not going to be on the street enforcing it. Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:38:37 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/nyc_photography_petition#83879