Malls and shops

People get very.. sensitive at the mere sight of my puny XSI with it's fat 24-70L
I can be in a store With my lens cap on Just playing with the zoom dial on my 24-70 and old lady will come up and give me the remark,
"Oh you're not allowed taking pictures in here" *with dead serious look in her face*
The lady was just a customer, not a worker. I didn't understand why she cared so much. Of course I'm probably a lot younger than most photographers so I just didn't say anything.

So I walk to the food court at the local mall last week and I was just fiddling with the mode knob on my XSI and then just out of nowhere a security guard tells me to leave because I was "breaking mall policy" by picturetaking. He wasn't nearby either, so I figured that someone must have reported me. My lens cap again was on my camera.. and a few minutes ago before he came there were a few teenage girls taking pictures of each other with their Point and Shoots. He didn't bother them one bit..

I was with my friends, so we decided to go OUTSIDE thinking that wouldn't 'break mall rules' and take some pictures of each other, and within 5 minutes the same security guard along with a few others come and tells us to leave.

That was more of a severe example. Most of the time I'm just shopping with other teenagers and at the sight of my mere finger just touching the dial someone will immediately complain.

Do other people get this as well?

malls and shopping centers are private property and have strict no-photography without prior permission rule. Although they can be a bit aggressive with their enforcement by security guards who relish any bit of authority there is a legitimate business reason for them to control their image. Do a search for "people of walmart" and you can see how a brand can take a hit. Not to mention the whole overblown conflation of camera in public places and pedophiles.

yup...the mall thinks everyone is out to take photos of their "copyrighted signs" and to make money off of them. Theyre idiots.

1. A mall is private property. They can ask you to leave for any reason at any time. There does not have to be any existing rule on the books about it, it's their property and what says goes.

2. If you aren't taking pictures, Why would you have your camera out and be fiddling with it?

I've had people harass me for bringing my camera backpack into a Fry's once. They wanted to keep it behind the counter or something. I pointed out that they do not ask women to leave their purses up front, and that I had 2 grand worth of camera gear inside the bag and that If anything would happen to it I'd raise holy hell. They let me go shopping, but wrote down the serial number on my camera. I don't bring my camera when I go there anymore.

I've also been to shops that require everyone check their bag behind the counter before entering. Since the requirement is clearly posted and applies to everyone, I hand it over and ask them to please be gentle with it.

Socket7 wrote in post #9889070
2. If you aren't taking pictures, Why would you have your camera out and be fiddling with it?
.

I don't have a camera bag at this time and shopping sometimes gets boring when others look at the girl clothes and sometimes it just becomes a habit to fiddle with the camera when you got nothing else to do. The point was that I find many people oversensitive because the lens cap always stays on and half of the time my hand is over it just to make myself look less like I'm going to take a picture.

Socket7 wrote in post #9889070
2. If you aren't taking pictures, Why would you have your camera out and be fiddling with it?

I wasn't aware that fiddling with one's own camera was verboten.

Seems to me a case of,

"Doctor doctor! It hurts when I do this!"
"well stop doing it then."

Malls reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. Knowing this, and that photography in the mall is 'verboten' Why in gods name would you tempt a rent a cop to enforce those rules by sitting around fiddling with a DSLR? Put the camera away, keep it slung on your back and suddenly you will stop being kicked out of places that forbid photography.

Being indignant about the way things are is just going to give you ulcers. They are not doing anything wrong by asking you to leave their private property except perhaps losing your income.

I was complaining about them overreacting when my mere finger just touched my camera- venting my frustration with others falsely accusing me of taking pictures.
The rules state that I'm not allowed to take a picture, and I wasn't taking a picture.

Additionally, in every place I have been that this has happened to me, there was NO sign that mentioned the prohibition of photography. I've been to tourist areas that have had a sign, so if I brought a camera into those areas then I could accept that. If I were someone else, how would I know that there wasn't photography allowed in there?

and I'm not the type of person to give in that easily to public pressures. Just because the public doesn't like cameras doesn't mean I'm not going to bring one. Some people think older men with long white lenses are 'creepers' and some think they are going to walk all over a store stealing their designs and selling them. Just because they know people are going to look at them that way, will all of them never carry a camera again? Or another example: People don't like the way I dress. Does that mean I shouldn't dress that way? (unless there was a concrete rule stating I wasn't allowed to dress that way)

OK, I took a picture inside a mall and that isn't allowed, that's my wrong. But If I was just merely looking at my camera and I got kicked out for that then I didn't find that very right unless there was a "No bringing cameras into the mall" or "no touching cameras" sign hanged somewhere.

I get that you didnt do anything wrong, and want to stand up for your rights as you see them. But flip it around, there is a no photo policy on their property. You have a camera, you are carrying openly, its not a big leap to think you might use it. People who are used to spotting shoplifters are not really that big into the honor system. One generally doesnt carry about a camera of that size unless they plan to use it.

You're on private property with an SLR camera. These days that's a magnet for being escorted off site and/or told to put your camera away. Just you a little P&S and you'll be fine.

Taking out a camera in a store is poor judgment. The store will think you are photographing the store to know where things are for a robbery. Think next time.

HappySnapper90 wrote in post #9890185
You're on private property with an SLR camera. These days that's a magnet for being escorted off site and/or told to put your camera away. Just you a little P&S and you'll be fine.

Taking out a camera in a store is poor judgment. The store will think you are photographing the store to know where things are for a robbery. Think next time.

Ah I never knew about the robbery part, always just thought 'the guy with the big camera is going to take pictures of your designs and sell them'. Thanks.

The Mall is about the ONLY place I have not lugged my XSi . . .wait WRONG - spent almost an hour on the ground at 3 year old eye level taking a zillion pics of my 1 and 3 year old Grandkids . . .(in the playground area) . . .no one said BOO!

That was with a 580EX II looking all GRANDPAPARAZI !

aybe being 52 years old the Security folk just shrugged it off.

Now that I am writing about it - I openly carried it (the XSi)and took shots of purchases INSIDE a shoe store and Build - a - Bear (remember the GrandPa part . . that's what we do!)

AND another whole series in another section where those plug 50 cents in and ride "rides" are!

Go figure . . .

forthewinwin wrote in post #9889909
OK, I took a picture inside a mall and that isn't allowed, that's my wrong. But If I was just merely looking at my camera and I got kicked out for that then I didn't find that very right unless there was a "No bringing cameras into the mall" or "no touching cameras" sign hanged somewhere.

Stores can refuse service for any reason. They can also ask you to leave the property for any reason. They do not need a sign, they do not need a rule, they don't even need to tell you why you need to leave. You are welcome to challenge them on this, and get the oppertunity to talk to Officer Barbrady about why you shouldn't be brought up on trespass charges for refusing to leave when asked.

Welcome to life. It's not fair. While you are free to dress in a manner that people don't approve of, and wave a camera around in a place that prohibits photography, don't be surprised when people make assumptions about the kind of person you are, what it is you're doing, then act on those assumptions. People are just as free to judge you, as you are free to go outside with your underwear over your face.

I've taken pictures in three different malls and never had any issues. I don't know how old you are, but I'm 19. Once I was tripod shopping one of New Jersey's biggest malls and mostly had my camera out in Ritz, but took shots outside the store and in the food court too. Another time was at a smaller local mall where I spent the 45 minutes we waited for our movie taking pictures of my friends and then I kept it out all creeper-style while we got food. The last time was in New Jersey's actual biggest mall and I had the thing hanging around my neck the entire 4 hours I was there with my girlfriend and her mom; I even took shots in stores with no problems.

Maybe you just had some bad luck, or I had some good luck. Or maybe you were sending off a more ominous vibe or something.

Or, hey, maybe it is your age. Who knows.

Socket7 wrote in post #9890453
Stores can refuse service for any reason. They can also ask you to leave the property for any reason. They do not need a sign, they do not need a rule, they don't even need to tell you why you need to leave. You are welcome to challenge them on this, and get the oppertunity to talk to Officer Barbrady about why you shouldn't be brought up on trespass charges for refusing to leave when asked.

Welcome to life. It's not fair. While you are free to dress in a manner that people don't approve of, and wave a camera around in a place that prohibits photography, don't be surprised when people make assumptions about the kind of person you are, what it is you're doing, then act on those assumptions. People are just as free to judge you, as you are free to go outside with your underwear over your face.

minimalfear wrote in post #9890412
The Mall is about the ONLY place I have not lugged my XSi . . .wait WRONG - spent almost an hour on the ground at 3 year old eye level taking a zillion pics of my 1 and 3 year old Grandkids . . .(in the playground area) . . .no one said BOO!

That was with a 580EX II looking all GRANDPAPARAZI !

aybe being 52 years old the Security folk just shrugged it off.

Now that I am writing about it - I openly carried it (the XSi)and took shots of purchases INSIDE a shoe store and Build - a - Bear (remember the GrandPa part . . that's what we do!)

AND another whole series in another section where those plug 50 cents in and ride "rides" are!

Go figure . . .

Hey thank you for actually not bashing me, at least someone feels my pain..

FatCat0 wrote in post #9890708
I've taken pictures in three different malls and never had any issues. I don't know how old you are, but I'm 19. Once I was tripod shopping one of New Jersey's biggest malls and mostly had my camera out in Ritz, but took shots outside the store and in the food court too. Another time was at a smaller local mall where I spent the 45 minutes we waited for our movie taking pictures of my friends and then I kept it out all creeper-style while we got food. The last time was in New Jersey's actual biggest mall and I had the thing hanging around my neck the entire 4 hours I was there with my girlfriend and her mom; I even took shots in stores with no problems.

Maybe you just had some bad luck, or I had some good luck. Or maybe you were sending off a more ominous vibe or something.

Or, hey, maybe it is your age. Who knows.

I'm 16. and this is in Canada in a smaller town. You know those asian guys that always have a DSLR dangling from their neck.. I'm a younger large-eyed more built variant that's usually on a shopping trip with other teenage girls trying to pass the time when they look at the makeup section..

I guess maybe it's just something about how I look that screams: "azn kid with the camera with a huge thing with a red ring sticking out of it thats going to photograph your signs and sell them on ebay !"