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From marcin76

Fotolog members have long struggled with the ethics—and the potential dangers—of taking photographs where some private or governmental organization has decreed such action verboten. With the explosion in popularity of digital cameras and camera-phones, the number of “No Photography” zones has also increased exponentially. The problem is that many of these so-called “official” regulations are arbitrary, and intend to govern true public spaces, where the laws of many nations allow unfettered photography. Add in the fact that governments and private companies everywhere are themselves photographing such spaces 24-7, and we’ve got a legal gray area that covers an ever-growing patch of ground.

The folks at the year-old site Strictly No Photography recognize the tensions involved in this new landscape, and they come down strictly on the side of the lone photographer. The site’s stated mission is “to organize the world’s forbidden visual information and make it universally accessible and useful”; but they also just want to have fun. The photos are organized into categories like Art Museums and Galleries, Govern-
ment, Royalty, Science and Technology, and even War. In and among the mundane shots are enough frissons of anti-establishmentarianism to keep it really interesting. As they say, remember to turn your flash off.

From onmywaytowork