Came across this online. Funny.

---------------------------------------------------------
A photographer who was taking pictures at Detroit Wayne airport was ordered to delete them by a security guard. He tried explaining that the camera uses FILM at which time the guard in question grabbed the camera and started looking for the DELETE button.

Fortunately a supervisor resolved the issue - according to the photographer:

"While waiting for the supervisor, she continued to try to figure out how to “delete” the image, whereupon I informed her if she destroyed my film I would in fact sue her, which had the desired effect of stopping her efforts.

    The supervisor showed up promptly, and asked why I was taking pictures, so I informed him “I saw no signs prohibiting photography, and I wanted to capture the beautiful architecture of the Northwest terminal”, at which point he handed my camera back, and apologized for the behavior of the security guard."
---------------------------------------------------------

I've been coming across stuff like this alot lately, concerning police / security people confronting people who are taking photos. They usually throw some false statement out there like "You can't photograph this" and try to intimidate the photographer by telling them they'll arrest them, etc.

Here's a local example of this I came across, dealing with the Modis building in downtown Jacksonville (read the comment under the photo):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gojeffrey/2804030867/

What the police / security people are doing in these situations is wrong. The law says that if the place where you are standing is open to the public, then you can take photos there of whatever is in view. If you're standing on a sidewalk (like the guy in the link above) and someone confronts you (even if it's police), you are in the right to take the photo. Them approaching you and telling you not to take photos, they are in the wrong.

There are a few limitations to this of course, like taking photos of military buildings, or using a long lens to shoot into someones house (invasion of privacy).. but for the most part, if it's public, you can photograph it. That's the law.

I've come across many articles lately though where police / security people either don't know this rule, or just flat out lie to try and intimidate the photographer to leave / stop taking photos when they have every right to. A few of the incidences have even turned into the photographer getting arrested (and them suing later since they did nothing wrong) and some, when the photographer stands their ground and lets the police know the laws and that they have the right to photograph there, the police get forceful and sometimes violent.

Here's another example. The guy was in a public area, and was out of the way of police, so he was in no way violating any laws. But the police approached him, told him to stop taking photos and even to delete the photos he had taken. And tried to intimidate him by threatening to arrest him if he didn't. But he stood his ground.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgrindal/3327012265/in/pool-705632@N23


Another crazy thing that's happened to alot of photographers involves Amtrak train lines approaching people photographing their trains. What makes this funny is, Amtrak itself has a contest going on where people can send in their shots of their trains!
So:
 - Amtrak hosts a contest where people take photos of their trains.
 - People take photos of their trains for the contest.
 - Those photographers are harassed by Amtrak security people for taking the photos.

GAH! heh.

The Cobert Report even had a laugh at the craziness of the Amtrak stuff:
..

Another.
This person was filming a federal building from a public space. A security guard comes out and tells him that it is illegal to do that. But there is NO LAW saying that. The guy filming sounds like he knows his rights, but he plays along to hear her crazy answers.

Another example.
This news reporter was arrested for basically doing his job. He was in a public area. He didn't break any laws. He wasn't in the police's way. And he even moved across the street to appease the cop some. But was still arrested.
http://www.valleycentral.com/news/video.aspx?id=272768

Here's another of a news reporter just doing his job, shooting from a public area and violating no laws. But he was handcuffed and put into a choke hold before being arrested.


And one last one. This is from Europe, but this guy went through alot, just because he was roaming the public streets and the police *thought* he was taking unlawful photos..
..


Arg, police and security really need to learn laws before they go around harassing photographers for doing what is in no way unlawful just because they don't want to be photographed or because they *think* it's against the law. Most even throw in the whole 9/11 thing, saying that because of that, you can't take photos of certain things/areas. But this is false and just another excuse they use to try and get you to stop taking the photos. The laws are still the same that if you're in a public area, anything that's within view is free game to being photographed. And besides, photography didn't bring down the towers on 9/11. If they want to throw that excuse around, then why don't we just ban airplanes from flying? They had more of a role that day then photography did. Ask a cop to name one terrorist attack that used photography, and they'll probably give you blank stares before moving onto some other excuse to use.

This past weekend, Austin and I spent my birthday weekend in St. Augustine Beach, FL at a nice resort hotel from Friday to Sunday. Was fun!







Friday
After driving to the hotel and checking in, one of the first things we did was get some food. Chinese food! Waiting in the Chinese place for our order:




Then, back to hotel!


Our room, with Austin chillin on bed:


And me roaming around checking the place out


Austin made a 5 minute video showing off the room that night! heheh


Lamp


The presents Austin got me! Yay!


Opening




160 gig external hard drive! Yay!


Framed picture of my photography on the front page!


Beatles Monopoly!


Austin enjoying the comfy bed


Outside. Stars above the hotel


Birthday Champagne







Saturday

We had the smart idea of setting our alarm for 5:30am, and waking up to go to the beach and watch the sunrise..


But it's was collld. Cold weather + windy beach = we were FREEZING!




I'm trying to stay warm!


Austin too!


Brrrrr!!


Finally, about 45 mins later, the sun came up


Then we ran back to the warm hotel.
The 3 story lobby with chandelier:




Then we ran to our room and fell asleep in the warmness.

When we woke up, we headed to the beach again, but this time to Anastasia State Park


Meeee




Austin taking photos




Happy Austin








Austin and I


Me taking photos


Aw, no pets on beach.  =(






Red flag up = no swimming!






Yay beach


Austin wrote in the sand.  =D


Austin chasing the birds






Jumping through the water






Birds!






Our footprints as we headed off the beach.
Barefoot = Austin. Shoe = me.  =D


Then we headed across the street to the playground with scary trees overlooking it!


Me on a See Saw thing.


And Austin on it too




Austin took video of us on it also:


Austin swinging






Tree


Then we headed back over to the beach side again to a different part of the beach. Went down a looong path to get there


Finally, we reached the end. Austin chilling at the end of the path on the beach




We hung there for a bit, then headed back down the long path back to the car


We drove to a picnic area, but it was kind of boring.


Then we stumbled across Korey's secret hide out!  =P


Then we saw this sign, so we decided to enter the woods to check it out


So we went strolling through the woods, unaware of what we were about to stumble onto!


More walking..


And then..
We ended up in a part of the woods where there were XMas things everywhere! hah. It was like we had entered one side of the woods and exited into the twilight zone or something. We totally didn't expect to run into all this. We were just going to check out a old Spanish Coquina Quarry!

So we had to take photos for proof we're not crazy




lalala!


"Who is it??"


"Oh no! Horsie died! Noooo!!!"


And there was this running thing also randomly sitting there. So I ran on it.


Woo, a lake!


Then, we finally came across a sign. Turns out we entered the woods in Anastasia State Park.. but exited into.. Candy Cane Forest! o.o


After that crazy trip, we decided to leave the forest.
We headed to my dads, and went with him and my aunt to downtown St. Augustine. That night was the first night of lighting the city up with lights, so there was music, lights and stuff going on all over!




Austin and I


The band in the gazebo playing Christmas songs.


After awhile though, the Christmas songs were getting annoying. So I snapped a double exposure to capture Austin eating the band up! Yum!


Then we headed home and called it a night.


Sunday

The next morning we woke up and checked out of the hotel. We didn't want to leave it!  =(


A year ago on my bday, we got some food and ate it at a nearby cemetery in St Augustine. And we made this video a year ago there:


So here we were, exactly a year later, and we decided to make a "part 2". We grabbed some food, went to the same cemetery, and made another video!


Photos around the cemetery:




Me taking photos






Also, exactly a year ago while in that cemetery, I took this photo:


So, I decided to try and recreate it this year and took these:




Austin going through photos she took:


And looking at statues


Austin found this. Aw!


After the cemetery, we decided to head to the Wax Museum! Leonardo da Vinci:


Michael Jordan and I


Seinfeld


Austin and Tiger Woods


Elvis




Austin and Herman Monster


Arrrr!






Michael Jackson




Eek!




Alien!




Austin! Bad!!







Then we headed home. We didn't want the weekend to end!  =(

Was fun!!  =D

The life of a match.





One night.. there was this match.
Just sitting there.
Minding its own business..
Being all match like..


So I lit it!


And it burned...














Poor Match..

Released in 2002.
It's one of the last songs and music videos he did before he died the following year.

Powerful cover. And sad.
And the video to it makes it that much better.

Showing old footage of himself and his accomplishments as he sings "You could have it all, My empire of dirt. I will let you down, I will make you hurt".

Showing the photo on the wall of his mother as he sings "Everyone I know, Goes away in the end".

His old shakey hands pouring wine over the table.

And his wife on the staircase looking at him as he sings, then showing old videos of them together. She died only a few months after this song was released. And he died not long after that. It's sad how a sometimes a significant other dies not long after their partner does. But kind of sweet. Like they couldn't live without them..

And the house he is singing in, was his home for nearly 30 years. It was destroyed in a fire in 2007.

Ever wanted to climb the large Modis building in downtown Jacksonville, FL? No? Yeah, me either. But how about just standing at the top of it overlooking Jacksonville? Well, here ya go! Don't fall!

Climbing the Modis building.. in 3D.
Made by me.
Because of Boredom.
=)

I like exploring old abandoned places.
And of course, taking photos there.

While looking online at places today..
I came across one place called "Branan Naval Outer Landing Field".
It was here in Orange Park, Florida. Only a few miles from me at most.
So I was thinking "Cool! I'd like to check that out".

It was built in the 1940's.
Here's a photo I found of the roads in it being paved in 1943:

(the right side is pretty much fully paved, while the left is still being done)

Photo from 1944. The finished airfield:


After WW2, Branan Airfield was used to train what is now known as the Blue Angels. Although NAS Jacksonville is listed as the birthplace of the Blue Angels, most of the preliminary training was done at Branan in private.

The airfield was eventually abandoned sometime after 1949 though. It was listed as an "abandoned airport" on the 1964 Jacksonville Sectional Chart.

In this photo from 1999, despite being abandoned for at least 35-40 years, the runways are still identifiable. So I was even more eager to check the place out.


Going by directions and landmarks, I went in search (online) of finding out exactly where it was. I finally found it. But sadly it isn't there anymore. Oakleaf Plantation, a housing complex, was built over it. Which surprised me since I see their commercials and billboards all the time. And I've even been to Oakleaf before, hanging out at their swimming pool, etc. which is right where the north runway used to be! I never knew I was on top of what used to be an old airfield where many planes came and went, and the Blue Angels trained.

Here's a photo from 2005 of Oakleaf starting to be built.


Comparing it to the last photo I posted, the top-right of the airfield is pretty much gone. But the bottom and left sides, you can still make out the "circle" shape of the airfield.

Then, I captured this from the most recent 2008 Google Earth imagery.


You can hardly make out the old airfield at all. Maybe some of the left side if you look close.

I lined up the images and made this animated gif of the last 4 images I posted (1944, 1999, 2005, 2008) to show the progress / destruction.


Keep your eyes on the bottom-right runway and the top-right runway. Those two are the only real recognizable runways left by the time it gets to 2008.

Sucks! Guess I'll never get to explore that old airfield after all. Or, I guess I already have unknowingly by going to Oakleaf Plantation before..

It's neat seeing the images of it changing over the years.
But at the same time, it's sad seeing it get destroyed for homes.

That's the life and death of an airfield.

'Uncontacted Indians'  of the Envira, who have never before had any
contact with the outside world, photographed during an overflight in May
2008, as they react to the overflight at their camp in Brazil (by firing arrows at
the planes), close to the border with Peru.











I wonder what they were thinking at the time? Staring at amazement and fear
at the this huge flying thing that was going over their camp. If it was their first
time seeing a plane.. it probably changed their life forever. I'm sure they were
freaking out, shooting at it like they were. It'd be like if a UFO flew over one of
our cities, hanging out for a bit, observing, taking photos of us, etc. and
everyone in the city undoubtedly saw it. Although it wouldn't be a HUGE
stretch for us, since we already have "flying machines" and such. But still, it'd
be highly weird.  So just think how these people who know nothing of "flying
machines" felt.

Reminds me of this short video I came across awhile back.
"Documentary showing how primitive tribes react to advanced technology "
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G3jdTzwHow

Do you sell on eBay?
Or maybe run your own website that you sell items through?

If so, two things help to increase sells of your products:
- A good description of the product
- A great photograph for people to see.

Let my photography become the visual connection between you and your clients. No matter what type of product you're selling, professional product photography can make the difference.

Learn more at:
http://mattferrell.beaudamion.com

--------------------------------------
Matt Ferrell Product Photography
Jacksonville, Florida
--------------------------------------

Do you play Mobsters on the MySpace apps?
If so, let me know!
I'll add you to my mob.
(or, you can add me)

I hate sending out invites to random people (I know, you probably hate getting all those comments on your page from various apps as much as I do).

So to cut down on doing that to people, I'm just coming out and seeing who actually plays it.

Let me know and we'll join up!  =D

The local newspaper liked my photos of the 4th of July festival and fireworks (that I posted here).

So much so, that they put them in the newspaper.
On the FRONT PAGE of the newspaper!

Yay! ^_^

Some shots I took of it:
Front page. My shots are the middle photo and the bottom-left photo.


Near the bottom-center they give credit:


Yay!  =D