Tripod Terrorists?

Many photographers, amateur and professional, utilize tripods to hold their cameras steady in low light situations, or for other reason…virtually all are unrelated to terrorism. However, you may not know that in most large cities world wide, there are restrictions on using camera tripods in public places, and in most cases "permits" are required. In some cases, photographers have been harassed by local police and security personnel when they "stand too long in one place" outside (or inside) some public place, with their camera mounted on a tripod. If you don't have a tripod and hand hold your camera, then it's usually no big deal. It's the tripod that's to blame. You're a tripod terrorist! I suppose there are reasons why it would be prudent from a security standpoint to check people taking photos (with or without tripod) in certain facilities like those in the nation's capitol, but to have your intent questioned when you are taking a picture of some city landscape is ridiculous. I can also understand liability issues if you set up a tripod in the middle of a subway station, or at the entrance to some sporting arena. "Whoops, sorry about the tripod buddy, let me help you get your legs untangled and clean off your scraped knees." In sum, it seems to me that using a tripod is an essentially harmless activity, and not something that needs to be on the priority list for a homeland security person, looking for suspicious activity. Want to learn more? Click here to get the scoop from a top notch and highly regarded professional photographer.