Taking Pictures at Events

[Ravinous]

I have had my 'Photographer Accreditation papers' through from BOF. Event organisers want BOF to accredit Photographers I am told and looking through the O-Safe_v10.pdf I see that actually BOF want to regulate in some way, anyone with a camera - which assumably means most people with a new phone, etc.

If parents or other spectators are intending to photograph or video the event, they should be
made aware of your expectations:
o Spectators should be asked to register at the event, if they wish to use photographic
equipment (Template Seven);

This appears to go for all BOF events, including coaching, training, informals.
I am taking a wild guess and saying that 20% of people took at least one picture at the JK - maybe I am way over the mark. Even 10% would mean that 300 or so people should have registered with the organisers at the JK, but I didnt see anyone doing so but I saw lots of people with cameras.

This would seem another job for the organiser of an event to do. What do they do with all these 'Template Seven's' - not in the .pdf ? Is this a step too far? Is Big Brother and the Nanny State eroding more of our liberties? Do you feel insulted that you cant be trusted with your camera? Should we be CRB'ing all adults who compete in the same competition area as Juniors? Where will it end?

I am most interested to hear peoples thoughts about any aspect of this.

[Barny of Blandford]

At British Schools in November we just had a clipboard for people to sign - mainly those taking lots of photos for publicity like David Olivant, ourselves and a few others signed it. On the whole parents didn't but I suspect most were only taking photos of their own children.
Despite the fact that we have a disclaimer offering to remove any pictures if people object I am not aware that Simon or I have every had anyone ask us to do so. And we do have a fairly large collection on Simon's flickr. To help for this we do have a direct contact link. Simon has often had it used by people asking to copy photos or use photos for publicity such as club magazines.
Also we never put any names up.
We always ask someone official looking if we want to take photos just to play safe but have only been asked to sign anything a couple of times
One of the advantages of orienteering is that it is a quite well known 'family' and certainly in this part of the world anyone different taking lots of photos at an event would stand out a mile

[pyrat]

Totally agree with BOF on this. People cannot be trusted with cameras and could be using them for untoward activities. I think BOF is a great judge of character and there should be an administrative group setup for this task.

If you are caught without papers whilst getting snap happy, your BOF membership should be revoked.

[andy]

slightly more serious reply than pyrat -

what a load of sh*t

[greywolf]

it's one more manifestation of our ridiculous Health and Safety / Risk Assessment / Litigation-conscious /general "Lets Have a Policy about it" culture, which rarely if ever takes a proportionate view - its the same sort of logic that confiscates plastic scissors at airport security but then lets you go on the plane with a litre of 60%bv vodka from duty-free

Should we be CRB'ing all adults who compete in the same competition area as Juniors?

given the current levels of (hysterical, paranoid) overreaction it's amazing that some zealot hasn't demanded this before. please don't ever mention it again or BOF might take it up....

[LostAgain]

I take it that the lack of pictures of kids in the JK galleries is also a result of similar rules and regulation?

I have 4 kids running at many of these events and have pruchased photo's of them from similar sites in the past, but cannot find them this time

[Harley]

I would just think

but actually what I really think is

only yesterday I was told I couldnt take photos in the garden of a city council museum (which is incidentally overlooked by about 30 houses!) and when I told him where to go he said I'd have to sign a form - b****ks to that - we should resist this tide of petty bureaucracy before we discover that we really are living in 1984 and we have no rights at all.

[krocks]

Its a great idea - only proper photographers who can make me look photogenic should be permitted to take photos, not some amateur. Anyone else is obviously weird and should have to wear a "I could well be a Grubby Paedo" sign around their necks (even if they're 10-year-olds with camera phones - they're clearly on the slippery slope anyway).
Pyrat, i see a great future as Home Secretary for you.

Who comes up with these ideas? Can you really be stopped taking photos of your mates at a public o event if you're not 'imbedded' by BOF?!

[Mrs H]

Harley that was exactly the word that came to my mind when I read this - who are these event organisers asking for this to happen - can we have a few names please?

[Nottinghamshire outlaw]

You will find that it is one of the conditions of the funding which British Orienteering receives from the Sports Councils that we have Child Protection procedures in place as advised by the Child Protection in Sport unit.

[LostAgain]

You will find that it is one of the conditions of the funding which British Orienteering receives from the Sports Councils that we have Child Protection procedures in place as advised by the Child Protection in Sport unit.

Is the real aim of the guidance to prevent photography of clothede children enjoying themselves, or is there something in the way the guidance notes have been interpreted.

Ban it all and be safe!

[Mrs H]

That is definitely not what Caroline Povey is saying. I have seen the e-mail from her and she does not mention the sports council or the CPSU but cites "requests from event organisers" as being the reason.

Transparency?

[Nottinghamshire outlaw]

Don't shoot the messenger!

[brooner]

This would seem another job for the organiser of an event to do. What do they do with all these 'Template Seven's' - not in the .pdf ?

Template 7 is here (last page).

Is there any information apart on this photographer accreditiation?

[LostOldTimer]

CRB checking adults in relation to this is absolutely irrelevent, and no-one should agree to this.