LENS CAPTURE

Vol. 1 No. 41

After several months, the U.S. Department of Transportation responded to the American Civil Liberties Union inquiry regarding the alleged "no photography" outside DOT (Federal) buildings. In the response, the DOT apologized for their security staff routinely informing people that they cannot photograph the outside of the agency's building from nearby public places. The response goes on to state, "we are not aware of any law that imposes such a rule, and we do not believe DOT has the authority to impose such a rule."

Noteworthy is the Federal agency's inclusion of a Special Security Bulletin of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Protective Service dated November 10, 2004. While this specific document covers properties in the National Capital Region, I would tend to believe the Federal policy towards photography of Federal properties from public places would be consistent with this document, regardless of the region. I am actively searching for policies that are geographically-specific. I'll post whatever I come across.

This bulletin, titled Photography of Federally Owned and Leased Facilities, goes on to direct security staff to conduct a field interview to confirm the individual (photographer) is not engaged in criminal activities. The bulletin directs staff to conduct all contact with the public, to include photographers, in a professional but polite manner. If the field interview does not yield any criminal/terrorist activity, the photography should be permitted to proceed unimpeded.

A pdf of this document, which I have already placed a hard copy in my camera bag, is available here.


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So you got that new digital SLR camera for the holidays. The one that not only takes pictures, but from the tons and tons of menu items, seems like it's capable of doing your taxes while balancing the national budget. The depth of these menus seems daunting and can quickly become and obstacle to what the camera's main purpose is - making photographs.

So, what's the solution. Simply put, don't go it alone. A professional photographer from Connecticut, Bert Sirkin, has provided his expertise as an educator and photographer. Several years ago, Bert came out with a series of laminated cards called PhotoBert CheatSheets.

These instructional cards are meant to be carried in your camera bag, always ready reference. The selection of CheatSheets have grown throughout the years as newer camera models hit the streets. CheatSheets are currently available for Canon, Fuji and Nikon dSLR cameras, as well as some point and shoot models. In addition, Bert has produced some general photography CheatSheets such as the Digital PhotoCourse on a Card, and the Pocket Edition - Secrets for Great Digital Photography. There are also offerings available covering Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Elements software.

I myself own several of these valuable reference cards. I currently carry the Nikon D300, the Nikon D200, and the Nikon SB-800 Speedlight PhotoBert CheatSheets in my camera bag wherever I go. The price of this tool can't be beat. At around $10 each, it will provide you with immediate value. They definitely have helped me avoid "feature overload" when trying to flex my camera's muscle.