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The Constitution - What Does It Mean To People?

No, this is NOT a political commentary.  Those of you who either really know me, or were with me for the Norfolk Photowalk back in July, know that I had an encounter with a Wackenhut/G4s security guard who told us that we could not take pictures of any of the buildings in the Financial District in Downtown Norfolk (Commercial Place area).  I immediately challenged him, reminding him that neither Wackenhut nor Bank of America make the rules on public property; that is the bailywick of that pesky document called the Constitution.  I went right on taking photos, ignoring his alleged authority.  The following business day, I contacted the local General Manager at Wackenhut, talked with him about the encounter, and told him that I expected his staff to be more knowlegable when they confront the public like that.  I even e-mailed him a copy of "The Photographer's Right" by Attorney Bert Krages.

It seemed like the situation was quelled.  How wrong I was!

Today, I was again in Downtown Norfolk doing some shooting, and I was over by the fountains (the one that is a city block long with all of the concrete cubes in it) and a Wackenhut rent-a-cop said I could not take pictures of the bank buildings.  I turned on my video camera.  The rest of the story is now posted on YouTube!

This is a case where the law is CLEARLY on my side, and I made it clear to this little lady.  I would have followed through with asking for their arrest if they had bothered me any more.  Her superior officer came out, but never bothered me, other than to make some funny faces at me while I was shooting the buildings.  People, we HAVE to be willing to stand up for our right to photograph.  There is NO logical, reasonable or actual reason to forbid people from taking a picture of a 40+ year old building!  Or anything else for that matter.  The best part of the day was when I spotted a police officer; I flagged him down to confirm I was within my rights, and he infact, did!  NO ONE can make up rules that take away your rights under the law - not Wackenhut, not Bank of America, nor anyone else!  And I for one, will not stand by for it.  If we don't stand up for our rights, who will?  Just ask the people of Poland, Italy, France and many others who survived WWII.  

Take care, and thanks for letting me ramble on tonight!  And remember, don't let ANYONE take away your RIGHT to take a photograph.  If we don't stand up for our rights, soon we won't have any!

-- Tom

9/24/2010 update

This morning, I had a very cordial conversation with John M., the Bank of America security manager. He called from an anonymous number, and while we were exchanging some anticdotal material, we got disconnected. I then returned the call (he was shocked that I had his number, since he called blocking his number. I explained that he could NOT hide his number from me, it was available to me at anytime!) Anyway, he sounded appalled that Wackenhut/G4s did this.  He checked the BoA policy manuals, and it is very clear that no one, without permission, may take photos ON BoA property. His belief is that the rent-a-cops at Wackenhut/G4s are misreading the word “ON” into the word “OF.” Again, that was just his opinion. He assured me that they understand that people can take care of the building, and will clarify this to Wackenhut/G4s.

During our conversation, he asked me why I was taking photos of the buildings. I explained to him that I don’t have to have ANY reason; it is a constitutionally protected activity, and is in no way illegal. he kept asking until I guess he got tired of asking.

I am sure I am now on some sort of Bank of America ‘watch list” and expect the FBI any time. But, the whole incident was interesting, and enlightening. I hated being a hard-ass with that little guard, but if we don’t stand up for our rights, we will soon not have any!

- Tom

Truth With A Camera

(from the TCC website)

The Visual Arts Center of Tidewater Community College (VAC) will present Truth With a Camera: Shooting for Good, September 12 through November 4, 2010. The Opening Reception will be held on Saturday, September 18 at 7 p.m.; a Gallery Talk by Josh Meltzer, Photojournalist-in-Residence, Western Kentucky University, will precede the opening at 6 p.m. Events are free and open to the public.

In Truth With a Camera, 29 emerging photographers and three professional photojournalists, Stephen Katz, Norfolk, VA; Josh Meltzer, Bowling Green, KY; and Christopher Tyree, Portsmouth, VA, provide a   documentary exhibition that depicts the living conditions and humanitarian work being done in Guadalajara, Mexico and Quito, Ecuador. Professional work will also include a selection of images from Africa and the Philippines.

Representing five countries and 11 U.S. states, all participants in the Guadalajara program (May, 2009) and Quito program (January, 2010) were part of the Truth With a Camera workshop, a highly respected photography program with deep roots in Hampton Roads and specifically Tidewater Community College’s Visual Arts Center. Originally a regional effort, the workshop was reinvented in 2008 to provide direct learning experiences for young photo-graphers in developing countries. This cooperative venture allowed the student photographers to provide compassionate and gripping stories about the humanitarian efforts going on in these places; for the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), it provided images for promotion.

Imagery presented in Truth With a Camera will elicit a wide range of emotional responses from viewers. Educational information will complement the exhibition.

-- Tom

Shoot For Good

From my friend Sephen Katz, both an inspiration and a photojournalist (who has spoken at the club):
 
Stephen Katz has proclaimed Oct 9th as "Shoot for Good" day.  
 
SHOOT FOR GOOD began as an idea that a few friends came up with while sharing some (quite delicious) onion rings at the New Belmont in Norfolk, VA in June, 2010. We were talking about an upcoming photography exhibit for Truth With A Camera at the Visual Arts Center in Portsmouth, VA when what is now Shoot For Good was born.
 
All of our lives and careers are touched by photography in one way or another and we all truly believe in the power documentary photography has to inspire and educate. We wanted to create something, a means to encourage people to grab a camera, explore their community and feel empowered to document positive activities that will motivate others to act. We wanted to give people a vehicle through which to share all the right things that are happening around us in Hampton Roads, because it’s simply too easy to get preoccupied with what’s wrong. We know that there are great organizations and devoted, caring individuals here and so we decided to create a gathering place of sorts where all can turn to for inspiration and motivation.
 
Shoot For Good is a labor of love. It’s something that we believe in to our cores. And like you, we are volunteering our time to do something to make our community better. There is an unusual, yet beautiful, kinship between photography and volunteerism. Practitioners of both seek to reveal and correct injustices, both often work behind the scenes with passion and conviction, and both pursue opportunities to teach and celebrate the human spirit. We’ve worked hard to make October 9 the day these two worlds converge and it’s our expectation that something quite extraordinary will come of it.
 
Please recognize that Shoot For Good is in its inaugural year, and like all new things, there will be some growing pains. Feel free to share your thoughts, comments and suggestions with us, so we may continue to evolve. You can send us an email at: shootforgoodVA@gmail.com, add comments on our fan page or use the form at the bottom of every page on the site.
— the Shoot For Good team.
 
There is a video from Stephen here:


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I hope you will consider participating - I know Renee and I will be!

-- Tom

Flo Womacks Opening Reception

Just a quick note to let everyone know that FLO WOMACKS reception has been rescheduled for Saturday, 9/4/2010, 2:30 p.m - 4:30 p.m. at the Virginia Beach Central Library.  Unfortunately, the library staff made a change and never bothered to notify Flo!

Her photos are incredible, and I urge everyone to come out and check them out!   See ya there!!

-- Tom

Va Beach PhotoWalk Is Full - Norfolk PhotoWalk Is Now Open!

UPDATE:

The link to sign up for the Norfolk Photo Walk is here, and the flickr group is located here.

See ya there!!

 

July 12, 2010 - The Virginia Beach PhotoWalk, a part of the World Wide PhotoWalk is now at capacity - 50 people have signed up and are ready for the walk!  It is going to be a lot of fun!  Just think, 50 terrorists photographers (depending on your point of view, Sealed ) will be decending on Towne Center for a morning full of image making, fun and fellowship with other photographers.

What?  You want to attend, but haven't signed up yet?  Well, all is not lost!  You can STILL attend the walk, but you will not be eligible for the prizes.  But this will give you a great opportunity to hone up your visualization skills, and still hook up with other photographers in the area!

Oh?  You want prizes too?  Well, in THAT case, you are in luck, because FLO WOMACKS was just selected to lead the PhotoWalk in NORFOLK, that evening!  Yep, you can attend the Va Beach walk in the morning, rest up, grab a bite, and then attend the Norfolk PhotoWalk, which will be at Town Point Park and surrounding areas.

So, check the World Wide Photo Walk website, and drill down to the NORFOLK VA USA photowalk.  As soon as the link is available, I will post it here for you!  Thanks to everyone for your interest, and remember, you don't have to actually join the photowalk for any reason other than to win prizes - but what the heck, come on out and have some fun!!!!

 -- Tom

3rd Annual Scott Kelby Photo Walk Announced - Virginia Beach Walk Is Ready To Join!


VIRGINIA BEACH , VA – June 1, 2010 – On Saturday, July 24, 2010, Hampton Roads photographers will join the whole world and will be walking again with Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and #1 bestselling computer and technology book author, in the Third Annual Worldwide Photo Walk™.

Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk is the world’s largest global social photography event in the history of photography itself. It takes place on the same day around the world where photographers of all walks of life and skill levels gather together, usually in downtown areas to socialize, learn new tips from each other, and explore their corner of the world through photography.

Tom McElvy, a regional photographer and Vice President/former President of the Virginia Beach Photography Club (http://vbpc.org<) will again lead the Virginia Beach Photo Walk. “This year we will be placing an emphasis on ‘urban Virginia Beach,’ with the walk taking place in Town Center. The area is a great place for photography, and many incredible images have been shot there” said McElvy. "The walk last year, along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, was a huge success, and everyone who attended had a wonderful time. Many new friends were made, and we all learned new tricks and got new ideas. It was a very rewarding event."

“In 2008, we had 241 walks,” said Scott Kelby, founder of NAPP, editor-in-chief of Photoshop User magazine, and president of Kelby Media Group. “Last year, we had over 900 walks with over 32,000 photographers participating. We did the math… your average photographer will take upwards of 300 photos during a photo walk. That means that nearly 10 million pictures were taken in that one single day that may never had happened otherwise. I think that’s pretty cool and we all can’t wait to see what happens this year.”

There is no fee to participate but pre-registration is required. Just go to the Worldwide Photo Walk site, find a walk near you, and join in on the fun.

Anyone can participate too. All you need is a camera. It doesn’t even matter what kind of camera either. People have showed up with disposables in the past, had a blast, and left with a new appreciation for photography.

Kelby credits the success and popularity of the event to the social aspect of photography the world over. “Photography is usually viewed as a solitary activity, but the truth of the matter is that people love to shoot together, compare notes and just have fun with photography,” said Kelby. “The Worldwide Photo Walk is a social phenomenon. I’ve had group leaders contact me to tell me that they’ve turned their walk into a monthly event. Other people tell me that they’ve made friends at the very first Photo Walk that they’ve kept to this day. It’s the joy of shooting with friends, new and old that makes this event so special.”

The social aspect of this event has also transcended into the online world of social networks as well. Participants in the Worldwide Photo Walk post updates to Twitter before, during and after the event under the #WWPW hash tag, they share their pictures on Flickr (view pictures from last year’s Flickr group), and get updates from NAPP via its Facebook page.

In addition to enjoying a day of photography with other like-minded individuals, participants may also be eligible to win prizes from the Worldwide Photo Walk’s sponsors if their photo is chosen as the best photo of the day by their walk leader. Each winning walk photo is then entered into a global competition where Scott Kelby picks the single “best photo” of the event along with 10 runners-up. Full details are available at: http://worldwidephotowalk.com/The direct link to sign up for the Virginia Beach walk is at http://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/virginia-beach-va-usa/ Should other local walks appear, I will post a message about them.

Scott Kelby’s Third Annual Worldwide Photo Walk is sponsored by NAPP, Adobe, Adorama, Peachpit, Mpix, Wacom, and Kelby Training.