edEx, you're right, you have the First Amendment on your side. Nobody should have taken your film and you shouldn't have been harassed. On the other hand, if someone is repeatedly asking you to stop taking their photograph, wouldn't common courtesy compel you to stop? Is it really so important to take one more artsy photo of a complete stranger, that will end up with the 2892849384234 others on Flickr, that you will completely disregard someone's wishes about being photographed or having their image publicly displayed?

And yes, I know that if someone is in a public place, they're fair game. I still think that if photographers want to be respected they need to respect those around them.

do we really need another picture of anything anyway?

What would WeeGee do?.

#34 - three second rule. I'll wait three seconds for a tourist to take their picture. After that, you've got to expect people to walk through the frame.

Of course, when I'm taking pictures I do my best to just...not stand where someone can walk through the shot. It's really not that hard -- but you've got to remember that a lot of the people taking pictures in New York aren't necessarily experienced in (a) photography or (b) living in such a crowded, busy place.

So while I don't think anyone's obligated to give those people three seconds, it's a nice thing to do. (Unless you're in a hurry -- in which case, of course, all bets are off.)

It's a public place for petes sakes! Some people enjoy making trouble for others with authority figures. Yes, I hope Lund throws the works at the City. This needs to be nipped in the bud. That woman is like those in the Salem Witch Trials. Those kind of people get off on accusing people of things for their own personal ego and benefit.

Unfortunately the police are between a rock and a hard place. They do need better training and sensitivity to issues relating to photography. There is a boom in photography now that just about everybody can have a digital camera.

I'm a little antsy about taking DIRECT photographs of children if only for the small number of weirdos who get off on any images of a child. If children are in an open place such as Coney Island however they become only one part of the scene not usually the main focus.

There is talk that Coney Island as we know it may not be around much longer. Many of the rides and attractions will be demolished to make way for condos and some sort of entertainment center. It is more important now than ever before that photographers get out there and document its final days.

Photography is still LEGAL in this country in spite of what cops want us to think. There is NO LAW in New York City against taking pictures of ANYTHING that can be seen from public space and that INCLUDES children and infrastructure. Cops need to enforce the laws as written - they are not legislators and should NOT be creating laws that do not exist.

For more horror stories in the war against photographers go to www.nycphotorights.com.

The cops should know the law and tell the lady and the crowd to get lost otherwise theyll be arrested for inciting a riot and wasting cop time.

#34 babyhitler. I usually wave people past until there's no one to wave and then shoot, but hey, I'm courteous... and sometimes a douche bag.

I'm constantly amazed at how few people (and cops) actually know their constitutional rights and what is (supposedly) protected.

I'm further amazed when people don't see the reason to stand up against even the smallest denial of these rights, or see the harm that could cause.

Yeah, homeless people everywhere and i'm going to be upset because some photographer, on one occassion, was told by a cop to stop taking pictures of some lady's kid?

It sounds like Lund pissed some mom off who thought he was taking pictures of her kid, she had others join her side (article says beachgoers were bullying him as well) and the cop felt like the best way to defuse the situation was to have the guy get rid of the pictures. Was the cop wrong? Probably.

I don't really care though. Was Lund tasered or shot? no. He can just go back later and take pictures once crazy lady and aggressive cop leave.

Easier than all these whiny lawsuits.

#34: Pussy. So what if you get in the way of some photog's shot? What are they gonna do? Drop their $2,000 Hasselblad to beef it up? No. they expect people to fuck up their shot so they just wait and act all angry and impatient. There's nothing I enjoy more than ruining their shoot. Fuck them for thinking this town's their private backdrop.

Dalton - you're absolutely right on that. It could go both ways, I remember NewYorkShitty had an encounter where a homeowner thought that she was up to no good and called the cops on her... though the cops sided with the homeowner.

In any case, I suppose it would depend on the situation for a cop to make their call of you being a friend or foe.

Last summer I was on the boardwalk at Coney Island and I was sitting on a bench with the D80 around the neck. This guy comes up to me and we start talking and he says he is a "photographer" and he likes to take "candid" shots of female beachgoers. That is the kind of guy who causes problems for the rest of us.

28 - what I mean is that it's like when you are walking by and there is a photagrapher taking a picture. you don't want to get in his shot so you courteously wait but the douche is too self absorbed that he just snaps away all day oblivious to common courtesy. So then you have to get in his shot and either you piss him off cause you get in his shot or your own privacy issues have been violated.

short of taking pictures of infrastructure, the cops have no right to hassle you, so don't back down. unless you're holding a bag of weed. as far as the crazy bitch, we're probably not getting the whole story, or this guy's a putz for following her anywhere!

But edEx, you've said before that the First Amendment isn't for everyone, especially harmless artists who are shut down by the Secret Service for an exhibit that used a naughty word and referenced political candidates while doing so.

How is that any different than you aiming an object and shooting those same candidates (if you wanted to, that is)?

Perhaps it was someone cheating on a spouse and didn't want the outing documented.

This is real spooky because I take photos at Coney Island all the time and as a matter of fact I was taking photos on Memorial Day. Good thing I didn't encounter this crazy bitch lady. But then, I was using a zoom lens.

meL: I had a confrontation with someone while photographing in public and the cops came over to investigate. At first they were telling me I should delete my files, but I showed them the Photographer's Right document and they were surprisingly empathetic and let me go on my way. I wasn't doing anything wrong, I was photographing storefronts in Brooklyn, but the shopkeeper was really agressive and angry. I was actually happy to have the cops there to protect me.

But anyone else also annoyed with dickhead photogs who think they are hot shit and try to bogart the space

what space? 1 square foot on earth?