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Security guards and police

Will

New member
I'm thinking of starting a new series on pictures of security guards and police in the UK

This one doesn't look too happy


Whereas this one looks very happy, and I got the police in as well.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
That would be a nice series. Careful though your dealing with home land security laws so be careful, someone in a bad mood that day could string you up to dry. Good time to ask first shoot second. Of course depends on the situation but here in the US this is becoming very difficult to shoot what YOU want. Some public area's are completely off limits. Sad we live in these times.
 

Will

New member
That would be a nice series. Careful though your dealing with home land security laws so be careful, someone in a bad mood that day could string you up to dry. Good time to ask first shoot second. Of course depends on the situation but here in the US this is becoming very difficult to shoot what YOU want. Some public area's are completely off limits. Sad we live in these times.
The current debate in the UK about freedom of photography is why I thought it would be good to start this series. My argument would be that I'm photographing the guards, not what they are guarding. Bet a lot of them wouldn't agree with the logic of that though!
I'm interested to see what reaction I get rather than pushing the limits, hopefully it will be enlightening rather than incarcerating.
 
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David Paul Carr

Guest
Anselm Kiefer produced a series on the same theme in Düsseldorf in the 70s.
 
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dickinsonjon

Guest
Hey Will, I suspect the second hi-vis chap might not be a real security guard! :))))
 

Will

New member
Hey Will, I suspect the second hi-vis chap might not be a real security guard! :))))
Doesn't look like one much does he lol
As far as I could tell from listening in to what was going on the old man was a well known down and out was had been given the chance of a job.
 
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dickinsonjon

Guest
Well good show - it's not all dogs on strings and Kestrel Super in reality...
 

helenhill

Senior Member
Hi Will
I will be your NY Correspondent ;)
These shots were taken by accident /had no idea what I was walking into on my way to work, passing by the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where Bush was for the World Summit Meeting....... Think I prefer your Bobbies:D
 

Will

New member
Helen, your police look like the people our police are trying to protect us from!

Having said that, if you spend any time at one of our air ports the armed police there look much the same.

Powerful images.
 

helenhill

Senior Member
(Quote Will; Helen, your police look like the people our police are trying to protect us from! /QUOTE]
LOVED that line.....
Today on the way home from Chinatown caught this at the UN / GRD 2
Shot in middle of Traffic with blaring horns behind
In your Shots Will I greatly ADMIRE your tones,grit & crispness .....moody & lush
 
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Lili

New member
I fear my shots are more peaceful, Helen et al, very cool stuff!

Roy was driving me about the Deep Ellum area of Dallas; a 'cool' area now in decay.
GRD/GW-1
 

cam

Active member
excellent shots, all!!!

but it's making me cry because i wasn't allowed to go to the torch relay here in paris today :cry: banned by boyfriend for fear i'd get arrested and kicked out of france; banned by friends and docs for fear i'd mess up my still delicate flower of an arm (i'm getting the elbow drained and immobilised for the second week in a row). it's against my nature to blindly obey and being banned would normally make me go for it, but in this case...

sheesh! i hate being adult! :angry:
 

Lili

New member
excellent shots, all!!!

but it's making me cry because i wasn't allowed to go to the torch relay here in paris today :cry: banned by boyfriend for fear i'd get arrested and kicked out of france; banned by friends and docs for fear i'd mess up my still delicate flower of an arm (i'm getting the elbow drained and immobilised for the second week in a row). it's against my nature to blindly obey and being banned would normally make me go for it, but in this case...

sheesh! i hate being adult! :angry:
HUGZ :(
 

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
Does anyone recall seeing Andreas Gursky's student project of security guards in downtown Duesseldorf. He was a student of the Bechers, the pioneers of the modern, Germanic "type" study consisting of exhaustive series of frontal pictures of very similar examples of an everyday thing, (in their case, industrial buildings, water towers...), which you would never have realized has a rich design vocabulary.

He did what i guess was a gentle parody of this -- shots of pairs of security guards, sitting at the lobby desk of office buildings, looking very serious and responsible. Always pairs, so they can keep each other honest, responsible and perhaps awake. There are a few examples from the series in Gursky's big retrospective book. In suits, not at all like the SWAT teams that have to follow our President around.

scott
 
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Caer

Guest
Here's one of mine :)



ISO 400, f/4 and 1/18th because I wasn't paying attention. The resultant motion blur is kinda cool though :)
 

helenhill

Senior Member
Lili said:
I fear my shots are more peaceful, Helen et al, very cool stuff!
Roy was driving me about the Deep Ellum area of Dallas; a 'cool' area now in decay.
GRD/GW-1
Wonderful Shot Lili
Crisp,Sharp & Great Color /I personally think having had the GR D that its way
SHARPER than the grd2..... much more of an edge
I'm pleased you posted your shot - Lovely Indeed & so are Will's photos
Mine seem so Heavy & Uptight , a Good Catch, true to Life but somehow it saddens me. This World seems to be under soooo much STRESS
All the Best,
Helen :)
 

Will

New member
This thread is generating some interesting comments and great images from opposite extremes of the subject. More risky ones from me will have to wait until I can get myself into a risky situation, but for now here is another one from the gentler side, I've posted it before but it fits well here and I like it so here it is again.

GRD2 this time



Helen, thanks for your kind words about my shots. I think the tones of yours are just right for the gravity of your subject matter, as I said, very powerful.
 

Lili

New member
Wonderful Shot Lili
Crisp,Sharp & Great Color /I personally think having had the GR D that its way
SHARPER than the grd2..... much more of an edge
I'm pleased you posted your shot - Lovely Indeed & so are Will's photos
Mine seem so Heavy & Uptight , a Good Catch, true to Life but somehow it saddens me. This World seems to be under soooo much STRESS
All the Best,
Helen :)
thank you so much, Helen
I like yours, your subject matter is so much more timely than mine, stressfull yes, but do we not live in such times?
I really like the way the GRD draws, that look is maintained even with the aux lenses, esp the GW-1 which IMHO is a completely awesome performer.
 
T

The End Of Print

Guest
Hi i'm new here so be gentle with photo criticism :p
Saw this topic and thought id post some pics i took a year or so ago in Edinburgh.








 
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