Taking Pictures In Public

In the United States it is quite legal to take pictures out in public, of anything you see. The only exception I can think of are on certain government and military installations. However if you take a photo of people and their faces are recognizable, you typically must obtain a model release in order to sell those images.

These statements are not true in many other countries, including some European nations. Taking pictures of storefronts is illegal in many other countries, for example.

That said, I was rarely confronted or stopped while taking pictures of any subject, anywhere in the world for my first 30 years as a commercial photographer. I compose a lot of photographs, typically more than a thousand every week, sometimes many more. Since 2001 I have been regularly confronted in the U.S. and overseas while taking pictures in public.

The people that confront me are typically concerned, if somewhat zealous citizens, determined to protect their public buildings, airports and bridges. Those just happen to be common subjects my clients hire me to photograph. Occasionally, police or security guards do confront me. I sometimes even offer to call the police myself to have them uphold my rights to photograph in public against aggressive people. When other police do arrive, I usually receive sincere apologies for any trouble I might have experienced.

In regards to requests to delete pictures from your digital camera you do have an alternative. There are several free or inexpensive Undelete software tools that quickly recover images that were deleted using the camera's delete buttons. When someone burly insists that I delete a particular photo and I do not have the time or energy to object, I sometimes do so. Once the individual is satisfied that I deleted the image and leaves I then switch to different memory card and continue to shoot. I quickly recover the deleted images later back in my studio.

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Barak Obama Wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

The world would be a far better place without nuclear weapons. Only one powerful leader understands this clearly and has stood up from his first day in office to make it happen.

The world would be a far better place if people would talk to each other rather than hurl steel, lead, chemicals and explosives at their neighbors. Only one major world leader has ignored advice to the contrary and stood up from his first day in office to make negotiations happen.

The world would be a far better place if people could see a doctor when they need to, or even consult a physician long before they absolutely need medical attention. Only one U.S. President has ignored advice to the contrary and stood up from his first day in office to make universal health care happen.



Though I may die before I get the proper medical treatment I need, though hundreds will still die this month in combat around the world, though nuclear bombs still roll out of many secret manufacturing sites we now have hope. Barack Obama is in office as U.S. President.

Barack Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, October 9th, 2009.

Finally there is hope that the human race may continue and our families will be allowed to live in peace one day soon.

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$380 Million Spent To Hoodwink American People

$380 million dollars has been spent recently by rich drug companies and hospitals to trick Congress and the rest of the U.S. population. The money is being lavished on Senators and members of the House of Representatives to protect the huge salaries of pharmaceutical and healthcare executives. Instead of trying to improve the quality of care or the safety of prescription drugs, huge sums of money are going towards fake protests and fancy lunches. Armies of lobbyists are telling people that the current system of health insurance has no problems and every U.S. citizen already gets the health treatment they need.

In the meantime most people are paying way too much for lousy treatment, risky drugs and fat cat's salaries of $100 million dollars a year or more. No wonder they have so much money to spend on lies and dirty tricks. At the same time 45 million people in the country are denied proper health care while many rich do not see anything wrong with that dire situation.

Call or write the people that represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives or U.S. Senate before it is too late, too late for you or your family to get the proper treatment you deserve.

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VA Officials Stole Your Tax Money

While I appreciate and value the Veteran's Administration medical care I do not like it when government employees steal my tax payments. I must admit, several members of my family gave decades of their lives in service to the military and some still serve in the armed forces. They get excellent health care at military hospitals, VA clinics, and even occasionally from medics in battle zones. Today The New York Times reports that officials at the VA stole millions of tax dollars. An organization called VA Watchdog provided the Times with the specifics.



Over the past three years when many of us were either laid-off or suffered bonus or pay cuts, the VA officials doled out cash and jobs to friends, family, and lovers. As long as you went along with the scheme, VA officials all the way to the top positions received unearned largess, unusual transfers to sunny beaches, and bonus amounts completely out of line with government requirements. I realize our elected leaders will probably do nothing about the $24 million stolen by current or former VA staff. I would prefer to see them required to pay back all the money, with fines, lose their jobs and go directly to jail, without stopping at GO. That will likely never happen but at least you and other readers now know that you cannot trust some government employees to do the right thing.

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Rich Officially Permitted to Evade Taxes

Switzerland won a major victory in efforts to keep laundering money for the world's wealthiest criminals.

The U.S. government basically agreed to overlook the money laundering operations of major Swiss banks. This agreement was made in order to keep the uber-wealthy from paying their fair share of taxes owed on multi-million dollar incomes. The U.S. and Swiss governments essentially agreed to allow the world's richest people to get away without paying the taxes they owe. The leaders determined it would be easier to just rely on the payroll taxes of the less fortunate than to risk the wrath of oil sheiks, investment bankers, and corrupt politicians. The settlement came as no surprise to those same political leaders that benefited from the agreement.

New York Time article

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