First of all thank you azrael for posting this incident in your blog and taking the time to make an audio upload of it. When you brought it up the first time, I asked right away someone from the advertising industry about taking photos in public places. And it seems like it is common knowledge for people in that industry and in film that indeed there are restrictions in taking footages in public places. As a practice, these people first acquire permits before any kind of shoot or they do what is called "guerilla style shoots", which basically translates to "pare, pack up na at takbo may mamang pulis!" (dude, pack-up and run the police are coming). But where does this leave hobbyists, especially people who are just starting to get into photography? The whole get a permit first seems such a superfluous thing to ask for a creative process. I mean you don't ask a painter to get a permit to paint a public place right? (or at least i hope not) And not all of us, especially new photographers have the privilege of owning a media or photo club ID. After what your friend had to endure, I do not recommend a guerilla shoots either.
My point is that I personally feel sad for such an infringement on our creative process, but I also feel that it is a necessary evil to endure. You have to think, the Rizal Day Bombing years back or even the bombings in the Madrid and London train stations had to have a visual start point for them to be successfully planned, and photos unfortunately make excellent references. I hope I don't undergo anything your friend had just experienced but I would rather that than to have hundreds of lives lost.
Again, thank you very much for posting this azrael and spreading awareness to the photographic community. People from advertising and film might be well aware of this nuisance of a rule but those in photographic circles don't seem to be that familiar. Having said so, I hope you would not mind if I link up your blog entry and audio upload in my multiply page just so we spread this lesson far and wide. Comments in that entry are also extremely insightful.
Notes from the equalizertheone:
(Sorry, i don't know how to do that link thing but that's the multiply name of the guy from the ad agency I asked. I just paraphrased what he said.)
1. P&S cameras are less conspicuous and thus would let you get away with taking photos in Makati. Better though if you're taking pictures with your friend in it.
2. This rule of not taking pictures in high profile public places does not only exist here in the Philippines but also in other countries.
Sorry for the long reply as well ; p
