[LargeFormat] Chicago...tripods and the law

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim Atherton" <tim@KairosPhoto.com>
To: <largeformat@f32.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2004 8:52 AM
Subject: RE: [LargeFormat] Chicago...tripods and the law


> Joe,
>
> try going out and photographing the suburbs at night with
an 8x10 and then
> see what kind of attention you draw...
>
> tim
>
   Many years ago, when the Universal Studios Amphitheater
was open air, I worked for the MCA legal department making
community noise measurements in the hillside residential
areas surrounding the facility. I used a small sound level
meter on a tripod and sat taking readings a couple of times
a minute for ten minutes at a stretch at several locations.
One night I got lit up by a police helicopter and shortly
therafter a police car with its red lights on came up. Of
course someone had called the cops. I talked to them and
showed them what I was doing and also got on my radio to
talk to headquarters back at Universal. The cops went away.
Of course, my boss at at the MCA/Universal law department
talked to the cops the next day and I was supplied with a
letter to show anyone else that got curious explaining who I
was and what I was doing. I think in several years of making
these measurements that was the only time the cops bothered
me. I was occasionally approaced by home owners wanting to
know what I was doing but they usually went away again. Most
of them hated the Amphitheater and thought I was helping
keep it quieter. Actually, I was gathering evidence for
Universal to present when lobbying L.A. county on a new
noise ordinance. Universal City is _actually_ an
incorporated city in Los Angeles County and not part of the
the city of Los Angeles. At that time Los Angeles county had
no noise ordinance. If the Amphitheater had been in the city
it would not have been able to operate at all since even
then the city ordinance was very tough. Univerasal got their
sweetheart ordinance from the county but closed over the
Amphitheater shortly after in trade for a grading permit to
expand the theme park. That was a nice second job for a few
years, but, since I worked every night the Amphitheater
operated I didn't have much of a social life for a while.
  I have been able to photograph in some funny places
without being disturbed except occasionally by  curious
people. Several years ago I shot a lot of pictures at the
S.P. locomotive shops not far from here. I used a Speed
Graphic mostly on a tripod but also hand held and got no
attention at all. I suppose they thought I was on official
business of some sort. In any case I would not try that now.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com