"Take pictures on the beach? You'll need a licence..." (From Bournemouth Echo)
When news happens text pix and video to 80360. Start your message with BE then leave a space.
Don't miss our new Youth Sport supplement every Thursday inside your Echo 
Daily Echo on FacebookAll of today's content from across the site, all in one place at bournemouthecho.co.uk/today
"Take pictures on the beach? You'll need a licence..."
12:00pm Friday 28th May 2010 in
ENJOY these pictures – there may not be many more of Poole’s beaches in the Daily Echo if council bureaucrats get their way!
A beach warden – who would only identify himself as “Beach 8” – challenged our photographer as she took snaps on the promenade at Branksome Chine yesterday.
He demanded to see a licence and told her she shouldn’t be taking pictures without one.
After years of taking photos on the beaches unchallenged, our snapper Hattie Miles ploughed on regardless.
But the Echo wanted to know why we had been stopped in the first place.
Stuart Terry, coastal works manager at Poole council, said the beach was council land and it was “standard industry practice” to seek permission before taking pictures.
“We make the reasonable request of asking professional photographers and film-makers to alert our staff to their plans in advance when using council land, including Poole beaches, for commercial shoots,” he said.
“This serves only to ensure that the needs of professional film-makers and photographers are properly managed and do not unduly interfere with the safety and enjoyment of other beach users.”
A similar incident took place in March when another experienced photographer was stopped for taking pictures on Sandbanks.
It promoted an outpouring of derision from the media and the photographic community, who claimed such enforcement infringed civil liberties.
The council was accused of acting like a “tin-pot dictatorship”.
No bylaw exists prohibiting the taking of photographs on the beach.
But Mr Terry said beach wardens might approach photographers if they have not been given prior warning.
He added: “We would like to assure the public and commercial organisations that it is not our intention to restrict or prevent photographers or film-makers using Poole’s beaches.”
Comments(56)
Skatha
says...
12:46pm Fri 28 May 10
Last year my husband was taking pictures of the coastline along Branksome Chine and was told he needed a licence.
When he enquired why he was told it was because "you must be a professional with a camera like that" !!!
He uses a Nikon D90, a regular digital camera on a tripod.
However, a quick call to the Council advised him he did not need a licence.
In any event, regardless of who owns the land, how on earth can they stop us taking photos of the landscape? Isn't this green and pleasant land here for us all to enjoy - or do we have to start paying to look now?!?!!
SeekerPhoto
says...
12:50pm Fri 28 May 10
The council eventually sent me a very long, very legal letter from their chief solicitor (how much did that cost the tax payer?) that I pretty much ignore, I've done many more photoshoots on that beach, the latest one this week.
The full story is on my website: http://seekerphoto.c
o.uk/sandbanks-photo
-restrictions/
SeekerPhoto
says...
12:54pm Fri 28 May 10
SeekerPhoto wrote:Sorry, it wasn't last year, it was in March (I'm the other photographer mentioned in the article) - I'm just getting old and one year blends into the next.
The beach wardens and the council are idiots over this, I was stopped last year (probably by the same guy), the resulting story was covered in The Echo, The Telegraph, Metro, I was interviewed on 5Live, TV and radio and all Poole Council got was a lot of bad press.
The council eventually sent me a very long, very legal letter from their chief solicitor (how much did that cost the tax payer?) that I pretty much ignore, I've done many more photoshoots on that beach, the latest one this week.
The full story is on my website: http://seekerphoto.c
o.uk/sandbanks-photo
-restrictions/
Upkeep
says...
1:36pm Fri 28 May 10
Hickery
says...
1:39pm Fri 28 May 10
ben111
says...
2:03pm Fri 28 May 10
Phixer
says...
2:04pm Fri 28 May 10
oversixty
says...
2:05pm Fri 28 May 10
crispy_pants
says...
2:17pm Fri 28 May 10
FOSF
says...
2:44pm Fri 28 May 10
BIGTONE
says...
2:59pm Fri 28 May 10
He added: “We would like to assure the public and commercial organisations that it is not our intention to restrict or prevent photographers or film-makers using Poole’s beaches.”
Then don't bother people in the first place then.......Simples!!
!!!
Bormuf Boy
says...
3:55pm Fri 28 May 10
TinyLegacy
says...
4:28pm Fri 28 May 10
Bormuf Boy wrote:LOLz
OMG !! Beach 8 has gone rogue . Take cover. He's gonna clean up this town. Don't get in his way.
WIGGINSv
says...
4:38pm Fri 28 May 10
crispy_pants
says...
4:45pm Fri 28 May 10
sea poole
says...
4:55pm Fri 28 May 10
Mike Pickering
says...
5:39pm Fri 28 May 10
EGHH
says...
6:04pm Fri 28 May 10
uvox44
says...
6:08pm Fri 28 May 10
Chris753
says...
6:45pm Fri 28 May 10
Er, correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that the beach belonged to us, the ratepayers
X Old Bill
says...
7:06pm Fri 28 May 10
The reasoning is that these places have a risk factor which needs to be considered for health and Safety AT WORK assessments. Therefore people filming or photographing as part of their work should show the owner of the premises that their work will be carried out in a safe manner.
If you consider that Poole beach has been used to dump waste materials, albeit unlawfully, then I suppose it could loosely qualify as a Council dump and therefore not a public open space at all.
Frank2010
says...
7:08pm Fri 28 May 10
dancingdog
says...
7:12pm Fri 28 May 10
They use anti-terrorism laws to spy on the public with THEIR cameras, which has been proved in court to be illegal. Therefore they believe that anyone taking pictures are also breaking the law.
They're just a bunch of numpties who know nothing,
Woe betide any of their officials who try to stop me!
Casualferret
says...
8:02pm Fri 28 May 10
Chriswood
says...
10:09pm Fri 28 May 10
Gold Coast Cherry
says...
10:28pm Fri 28 May 10
Azphreal
says...
10:56pm Fri 28 May 10
Dorset_Born_n_Bread !
says...
9:18am Sat 29 May 10
I was witness recently near the beach to two scumbags of the male variety discussing what long-lenses they use to shoot certain scantily clad and topless women. I hasten to add the women were complete strangers to them and these blokes were comparing the closeness of bikini lines/brazilians and other such areas of human female anatomy that shouldnt be seen at close-up unless by a doctor or gaenacologist!
Perv scumbags taking pics of teenages and women to post on the dodgy seedy side of the internet they were discussing.
If it were not my place in life to go over and kick the living cr*p out of these two rednecks. What does one do in this situation?
So....I understand the reason for caution on the side of the council, but you can buy a semi pro camera now with 300mm lens for under 300quid.
I blame the vulture culture created by the media (the Snu) and other papers willing to post semi naked pics of women on Bournemouth beach every time the sun shines as starting the whole beach camera perv sleaze fest!
Ladies....beware....
!
poolebabe
says...
9:39am Sat 29 May 10
Dorset_Born_n_Bread ! wrote:Not just ladies, but pictures of children as well taken by perves. I love photography, I barely go anywhere without my camera, but I do understand the need for caution. Having said that, it will probably be a minority that will spoil things for everyone. It remains to be seen if this government will seek to penalise the minority, or introduce blanket laws which will affect everyone.
While all of the complaints and points of civil liberties above regarding freedom for tourism or professional photographers on the beach are valid. There is however as sad and sorry side to this issue. I was witness recently near the beach to two scumbags of the male variety discussing what long-lenses they use to shoot certain scantily clad and topless women. I hasten to add the women were complete strangers to them and these blokes were comparing the closeness of bikini lines/brazilians and other such areas of human female anatomy that shouldnt be seen at close-up unless by a doctor or gaenacologist! Perv scumbags taking pics of teenages and women to post on the dodgy seedy side of the internet they were discussing. If it were not my place in life to go over and kick the living cr*p out of these two rednecks. What does one do in this situation? So....I understand the reason for caution on the side of the council, but you can buy a semi pro camera now with 300mm lens for under 300quid. I blame the vulture culture created by the media (the Snu) and other papers willing to post semi naked pics of women on Bournemouth beach every time the sun shines as starting the whole beach camera perv sleaze fest! Ladies....beware.... !
Syd Poumen
says...
10:28am Sat 29 May 10
Bormuf Boy wrote:I love Beach 8 enough to give him my last Rolo, seeing as Poole Council is so generous as to give my beach over to Polo!
OMG !! Beach 8 has gone rogue . Take cover. He's gonna clean up this town. Don't get in his way.
Cherries25
says...
10:51am Sat 29 May 10
I reported it to a lifeguard, who spoke to the man. The man said he was a National Press photographer. No ID was shown. The man left quite soon after, and the lifeguard carried on with his sunbathing.
This was actually a case where intervention WAS needed. However, my concerns were not taken seriously.
mattblackthehat
says...
11:51am Sat 29 May 10
caracus
says...
4:58pm Sat 29 May 10
ta2
says...
5:22pm Sat 29 May 10
s-pb2
says...
9:52am Sun 30 May 10
As for the guys taking pics of women on the beach with long lenses, apart from this sort of thing happening since cameras were invented, it all sounds like the next plot of American Pie! In fact if you look behind them theres probably a film crew illegally filming them without a permit! Seriously, if as someone suggested they were taking pictures of children, then why did they not report them to the police?
Cherries25
says...
10:06pm Sun 30 May 10
s-pb2 wrote:The girls were young teenagers. I reported it to the lifeguard as there was no signal at the beach to use my mobile to call the police. After being approached, the man scurried off into the crowd.
As someone who used to work in this area, generally you do need permission and risk assessments to do video filming and photo shoots on the beach. Saying that this is only where there can be inconvenience for other beach users (i.e. taking up whole chunks of beach to do it, transporting equipment and people to the site etc.). But i just cannot see how one person taking some snaps comes under that, and this sounds extermely heavy handed. After all if everyone had to apply for a permit, imagine the chaos that would ensue in the council issuing permits, they would never get time to do anything else!! As for the guys taking pics of women on the beach with long lenses, apart from this sort of thing happening since cameras were invented, it all sounds like the next plot of American Pie! In fact if you look behind them theres probably a film crew illegally filming them without a permit! Seriously, if as someone suggested they were taking pictures of children, then why did they not report them to the police?
zagzig
says...
10:27pm Sun 30 May 10
"...said the beach was council land"
Is the council having a larf? If the land's 'owned' by the council then it's owned by us, the people who the council work for!! Or do they think we pay zillions in Council tax just to have our bins emptied infrequently?
What a load of utter tosh. I suggest we gather en mass at Branksome Chine wielding our cameras and see how many photos we can take of Beach 8.
Skankfreebournemouth
says...
4:51pm Mon 31 May 10
Bormuf Boy wrote:I hope Beach 8 is going to clean up the dogs s**t, litter and dumped bin bags and boxes including Anti-social behaviour from Mannington Place / West Hill car park because Bournemouth Council keep ignoring the problem. He is more than welcome to patrol the area.
OMG !! Beach 8 has gone rogue . Take cover. He's gonna clean up this town. Don't get in his way.
Professor Zaroff
says...
12:34pm Tue 1 Jun 10
Available from: www.sirimo.co.uk/ukp
r
So long as we agree that the beach is a public place (hint - we as tax payers pay for it) there should be no problem. Intriguingly, the section on 'harrassment' can be applied to 'Beach 8' far more easily than the photographer.
To Skatha - like your hubby I have too been accused of being a professional. It was not the camera that makes people think you are, it is the tripod.
MartiB
says...
3:20pm Tue 1 Jun 10
mattblackthehat wrote:Sounds like a good idea :)
Photographic flashmob on Branksome beach anyone?
MartiB
says...
3:32pm Tue 1 Jun 10
Dorset_Born_n_Bread ! wrote:Yes there are idiots like this, but technically they have not broken any law, morally maybe. Playing devils advocate and not condoning their actions but If you don't want the attention, then dress accordingly. After all there are children on the beach too ;)
While all of the complaints and points of civil liberties above regarding freedom for tourism or professional photographers on the beach are valid. There is however as sad and sorry side to this issue.
I was witness recently near the beach to two scumbags of the male variety discussing what long-lenses they use to shoot certain scantily clad and topless women. I hasten to add the women were complete strangers to them and these blokes were comparing the closeness of bikini lines/brazilians and other such areas of human female anatomy that shouldnt be seen at close-up unless by a doctor or gaenacologist!
Perv scumbags taking pics of teenages and women to post on the dodgy seedy side of the internet they were discussing.
If it were not my place in life to go over and kick the living cr*p out of these two rednecks. What does one do in this situation?
So....I understand the reason for caution on the side of the council, but you can buy a semi pro camera now with 300mm lens for under 300quid.
I blame the vulture culture created by the media (the Snu) and other papers willing to post semi naked pics of women on Bournemouth beach every time the sun shines as starting the whole beach camera perv sleaze fest!
Ladies....beware....
!
blueboy100
says...
4:43pm Tue 1 Jun 10
The council only ask that professional organisations get a licence before taking photos on the beach and not the general public as most people seem to be suggesting.
I find it hard to believe that an Echo photographer didn't know this before heading off to the beach to take some innocent snaps (or create a pretty weak story).
Strange how the first photo shown with this story is captioned " Beach 8 approaches a tourist with a camera " and doesn't go on to explain that he asked the gentleman if he would like him to take a picture of him and his wife together. Nice try but totally lame story Mr Morton.
Here's a parting shot for all you people moaning about civil liberties, Pedophiles operate on the beach!!!
If a story turned up in the echo about a pedophile taking pictures of kids on the beach you lot would be the first to moan about the council allowing it to happen.
photo7
says...
10:54pm Tue 1 Jun 10
TV burp
says...
10:25pm Wed 2 Jun 10
Given the current world we live in, i think it is great that our public areas are being patrolled.
As your photographer 'carried on regardless' it appears that the Echo are a law to themselves........ did your photographer then drive back to the office with no seatbelt on whilst talking on her mobile phone??????
Come on Daily Echo all it required was a quick telephone call to the council for a licence. Did it really warrant a news article???
Account Suspended
says...
1:28pm Thu 3 Jun 10
If you don't want to be photographed in a bikini in a public place - don't wear one in a public place!!!
Some of the greatest photographic art ever created is the candid "street" photography of the likes of Winogrand, Cartier-Bresson, Frank, Rivera-Ortiz.. It depends on the photographer's right to take pictures of people in public... and is part of the freedom of speech and expression that we should all seek to protect.
splitpea
says...
2:01pm Thu 3 Jun 10
“We would like to assure the public and commercial organisations that it is not our intention to restrict or prevent photographers or film-makers using Poole’s beaches.”
My understanding is that it is important to establish whether or not a photographer is professional or just a normal, private photographer.
If the photographer turns out to be professional then it is extremely important that they carry public liability insurance and have carried out a risk assesment before shooting. Because if they do not have insurance etc and a normal beach goer trips over the photogarphers cable or a camera bag then it is the council that gets sued, ie us, the taxpayer!
So for beach 8 to approach a photographer to establish whether they were professional or not, seems to be in the general publics best interest, not to mention the paedophiles etc..
Personally, I think that all the beach staff do an excellent job, ie stopping cyclist from running over children, trying to prevent dogs from fouling the beaches. Have you ever seen the beach after a warm, sunny day? It is like a bomb site! But by the next morning it is spotless once more for our enjoyment.
Mr Terry said..
“We make the reasonable request of asking professional photographers and film-makers to alert our staff to their plans in advance when using council land, including Poole beaches, for commercial shoots,”
The Daily Echo ignored this request and..
.. 'ploughed on regardless'. (with zero insurance and zero risk assesment carried out I hasten to add. And if some cyclist for example falls off his bike because he has crashed into a photographers poorly placed bag, it's us, the taxpayer that gets sued. Irresponsible by the daily echo!)
Why didn't the daily echo inform the beach office that they planned to do a shoot on the beach? Surely it would only take one telephone call.
At NO POINT has the council said it was illegal to take photos on the beach. So alot of you have missed the point completely.
Well done beach workers. Keep up the good work.
Oh, and to the person who said that lifeguards just 'sun-bathe' all day.. you my friend, are so far from knowledgable. Our lifeguards do a fantastice job and are mature and professional well in advance of their youthful appearance and, they may just save your life one day. Consider that!
MartiB
says...
7:45pm Thu 3 Jun 10
otographer.co.uk/new
s/photographers_a_th
reat_to_beach_safety
_council_insists_new
s_298820.html?aff=rs
s
zagzig
says...
11:22pm Thu 3 Jun 10
Give Beach 8 a break
Yep buy him a one way ticket to North Korea, we'll all chip in to cover the costs.
I'd happily pay double council tax if all the other idiots at the town hall could be shipped off too.
surfingglyn
says...
10:24am Fri 4 Jun 10
YOU are missing the point - being, that everyone on the beach who looks like Aunty Mabel or Uncle Joe can rightly and legally snap away anything from half naked kids and beach babes to landscapes and water-sports, it is immoral and unethical to make false assumptions that anyone with a 'big looking camera' could be a threat and therefore be unfairly penalised.
The witch-hunt brigade who see every photographer as either a paedophile, pervert or terrorist already taker delight in pointing the finger out of nothing more than bigoted curiosity, just to see the effect (a mini moment of power for insecure people) - so can you imagine what they will think when they see beach wardens regularly stopping every bloke with a camera? It is the witnessed spectacle of being tarred with the same brush, falsely accused and guilty by association.
I am a professional landscape photographic artist, have been for 30 years full time. My work is seen in books, magazines and on TV. I have been photographing beaches all over the UK and Europe and so far I have never had some jumped up jobs-worth asking me what I am doing, and quite rightly so, as I am not vaguely interested in shooting any of the things some people on this thread have accused photographers of.
I refuse to be made to "look like" a criminal or pervert, in front of thousands of people on some half-baked notion that a person with a camera is some sort of threat to society.
This is utter stupidity, in fact really quite pathetic, and once again makes the British the laughing stock of the world, in their desperate attempts to wrap their own people in cotton-wool - this time figure-headed by Bournemouth Council, what insightful thinkers they must be - not !!!
MartiB
says...
2:25pm Fri 4 Jun 10
It is time that people started using a little bit of common sense and not knee jerk reactions a paedophile or terrorist is not going to set up and be overt about there photography, in this day an age they are going to hide a small device and do things discreetly. Looking at recent cases these people were not photographers but teachers, nursery assistants, you don't go and start burning down their houses. Paedophiles have always been around, we are just more aware of them these days.
Do people want a complete ban on all photography, which is the only way to control it. So when you are sat their in 20, 30, 40 50 years in care home with nothing more than your fading memory or do you want to look at images of what used to be and the happy times.
kiltnasty
says...
6:55pm Tue 8 Jun 10
The council own nothing - it is all taxpayers property.
Boscomite
says...
7:27pm Tue 8 Jun 10
soultrain
says...
10:38pm Tue 8 Jun 10
photo7 wrote:Well said !! who on earth do these councils think they are. With all the parking charges and now this crap, I'm suprised any want's to visit at all !
Oh yes the pedophiles, then why don't you hassle them and leave the genuine photographers in peace. It seems that you idiots think that the size of camera and lenses matters, the man with a pro looking camera must be the terrorist or pedo. Yet people with phone cameras (including women) can covertly go about there business with no apparent concern from the idiots who hassle photographers. Yes these phones can take remarkably good pictures and movies, yet they can use them anywhere with absolutely no concerns, so there’s another parting shot for you.
caracus
says...
12:53pm Wed 9 Jun 10
Hickery wrote:Its the perverts and conflict of interest property dealers who man head up our CONcil who think they own the town.
"The Council" would do well to remember who their paymaster is. I pay my taxes, including Council Tax, so I own them, and I own 'their' beach. It's OUR country, OUR county, OUR town & OUR beach. Not theirs! So I'll take pictures of it and the rest of our beautiful coastline as and when I please, thank you VERY much!
jezblog
says...
12:29pm Thu 10 Jun 10
Cheers Jez
www.jezblog.com
More News stories
- UPDATED: Crash sparks A338 road closure
- Women beaten up by stranger during a night out in Bournemouth
- Snow warning issued for the South West
- Bag a visit to Buckingham Palace at Waggy Tails charity auction
- New Forest man in Everest base camp trek
- Dorset Police Authority adopt government council tax protection grant
- Artist Stuart Semple returns to Bournemouth and Poole college to open new £1m centre
- Wool's Monkey World needs help keeping animals warm
- Police warning over credit card scam
- Front desk at Ringwood police station to close
"Beach 8" approaches a tourist with a camera
The mysterious "Beach 8"
The picture Hattie was taking when she was stopped
Most popular
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
oversixty says...
12:20pm Fri 28 May 10