How many times have you been stopped by a guard while shooting publicly? I have been stopped so many times and this experience is no longer new. If you check local forums you will see lots of discussions about the matter, it is an old topic but someone has to step up, get the details, call management and ask their SOP if you want to shoot their property.
Today I was in Greenbelt to walk around and enjoy the place. I also brought my camera with me with the intention of shooting the beautiful artworks outside Ayala museum. With that I sat along the fountain set up my camera and took maybe 3 shots, I was still warming up when the guard told me that I needed to have permission to shoot the “paper clip” art piece (he called Arturo Luz’s work paper clip art) because it belongs to Ayala Museum. I stopped shooting and turned off my camera. As I walked away and did not argue anymore, it's going to be useless and pointless anyway. I could not help but think why I was stopped from shooting an artwork outside the museum when it being outside the museum makes the “paperclip” a PUBLIC ART WORK, and a public art work is supposed to be adored by anyone who likes it. Millions of people see it everyday, is there anyone who lives in Manila who has not seen it?
I did what I had to do, called up Ayala Museum and asked about their protocol. According to Duffie or Duffy from Marketing, he does not know why I was stopped but anyone who wants to take a photo of the artwork outside the museum is allowed to do so.
My suggestion is that property managers should properly inform the guards about the restrictions. There are millions of Filipino photographers now equipped with ultra fast, ninja like cameras so your properties are really exposed to being captured in film and of course, arguing with a guard is pointless. So I hope the next time manong guard stops you, do not argue with him, he has a batuta to hit your camera, walk away and ask the management about their SOP.
photo from http://mypaperclip.blogspot.com/2005/09/giant-paperclip-scultptures-by.html
