[LargeFormat] Chicago...tripods and the law

[Joseph O'Neil]

>>My wife had decided that it's perfectly reasonable to spend hundreds of 
>>dollars for her, my daughter, and myself, to have an "American Girl 
>>Experience"  with a doll, a tea and some other girly girl stuff in 
>>downtown Chicago.
>>I get a half day furlough and thought of actually using some of the Crown 
>>Graphic stuff I find it perfectly reasonable to spend hundreds of dollars for.
>>Can anybody direct me as to what Bureau, Department or Ministry I have to 
>>pay off to keep the police off my back with a tripod??

         Yes - loose the tripod, seriously.  Tripods are lightning 
rods.  You can scream all you like about your rights, and th elike, but 
it's not just the police.  I once had a homeless man threaten violence 
agianst me when using a tripod and my super spped graphic.  I returned a 
couple days alter, same man int he area, used the top of a public bench, no 
problems.  or the shopping jmall I once got kicked out of by a security 
guard.  Shopping malls are private property,a nd they do ahve the right ot 
ask you to leave.
         Returned a week later, opened up my crown graphic, sat on a bench 
in the mall, and got my shot.

         Yes, in a perfect world, setting up witha  tripod woudl be no 
problem, but in the ral world, no such luck.  Some national parks up here 
in Canada forbid professional photographers form takign images without 
permit/royalty.  So how do they define "professional"?  somebody who uses a 
tripod - at least in a practical sense.  As utterly weird as it sounds, you 
could mount a disposable 35mm camera ona  tripod and be mistaken for a 
"pro" by park staff, but set your crown graphic on top a rock, a park 
bench, a fence post, and no problem.

         I hear what you guys are all saying, but try it my way.  You would 
be surpized how nessicity adds to creativity.  :)
good luck
joe