Tampa Photography Blog

Photographers have rights.

We aren’t labeled as a group that usually needs help but we do. In the last week, I have read about two instances in which photographers are being censored and portrayed as something we’re not.

The first came to me from NPPA (National Press Photographers Association) and the article describes the reaction the NPPA had to TSA (Transportation Security Administration) using posters depicting photographers as suspected terrorists. TSA chose to distribute cards and posters in airports to alert people to suspicious activity. The posters show a person wearing dark, hooded clothing standing near an airport fence, pointing a camera at a runway with a plane in the background.

When I first saw it, my reaction was that it was insensitive and the photo insinuates that we should be aware and cautious with all people taking photos in or around an airport. I understand the need for authorities to watch people but do we need to alert the general public to this? I think it will create paranoia among travelers and more problems for professional photographers.

The second troublesome story I came across was from Arab News. Saudi photographers are being censored in so many different ways, it makes it almost impossible to do their jobs. Authorities and citizens become angry and question photographers in public whether the photos are of buildings, a sunset or people. They censor photos of obvious security threats like government buildings and homes of people of high-authority. Now they’re also prohibiting photos in shopping centers and restaurants.

Saudi photographer Bakri Omar says he’s forced to use Photoshop and alter images drastically just to avoid harassment on the street when he’s shooting.  Omar says police are mixing law and tradition to censor photographers. Saudi Arabia has always been conservative (to say the least) when it comes to photography but it’s getting out of hand in the digital age. Saudi tradition is about concealing women, including limiting photographs of them. With the ease of uploading photos to the internet, Saudi men are nervous about their women being displayed to the world.

All of this makes me so grateful I am an American photographer, who doesn’t take a ton of photos at airports.