Why LAPD Stopped me From Taking Public Photos
I was out last evening experimenting with some night photography, such as star trails and traffic trails. If anyone is familiar with the Santa Monica/West Los Angeles media district–or even if you aren’t–it’s full of older industrial factories from the turn of the last century. These are all converted now into production and post production companies, often rented cheaper and labeled as “creative space.” At any rate, it’s a great space to experiment with.
At around 8:30pm a police car drives slowly past me, and just past the intersection, they flipped around and pulled up the curb where I stood with my camera mounted on a tripod. I wasn’t sure what I had done wrong, but the enormous spotlight directed at me sure seemed unnecessary. The woman sidekick cop just kept saying “this doesn’t look good.” Thanks, how reassuring…
