Here is a photograph of my friend and author Mary Elizabeth Williams in the Pinkberry on 32nd street. As you can see, it's taken from outside, and through a dirty window. It's also perhaps the worst photography of mine that you'll ever see, but I digress.If you're not aware of Pinkberry, it may be because they currently only exist in LA and NYC. It's a frozen yogurt place which as it turns out seems to be a knock-off of a Korean place called Red Mango. They seemed to have copied them right down to the color/fruit name and even the Cap'n Crunch topping (for those into Pinkberry, my sister Melissa is so addicted that she has created a blog about it complete with an AWFUL digicam shot of me). But as New York Magazine said recently, 'pinkberry stinkberry', this is not about the yogurt or terrible pics of me, but rather the fact that they've got a big sign on the glass at the entrance of a camera with a slash through it and 'No Photography Allowed'. It's right below the 'No Pets' and 'No Shoes, no Shirt, no Service'.
I can imagine a swanky restaurant saying "no photography", or inside a sensitive government building (whatever that means), or at a museum where the art is sensitive to light and stupid people don't know how to turn off their flash, but a frozen yogurt shop? This trend of silly photography bans has swung WAY too far to the right.
A few weeks ago I was standing on the platform for the F train at 23rd street and took a picture of the empty platform with my Leica and a guy behind me said, "You know you're not allowed to take pictures, right?" And I said, "Actually I am, the subway ban didn't get passed" and he said that a few weeks ago he saw some guy get ticket for taking a picture. I did some research last night and you are allowed to take pictures in the subway. See Section 1050.9 (b) of the rules.
The problem is that everyone is ill informed, especially the police and security people. So try to talk your way out of trouble by telling them you know the rules better than they do. As long as you have confusion on the subject, people are too scared to cross the line.
And now it extends to Pinkberry apparently. Seriously, does anyone else think the world is going nuts, or is it just me?
Going nuts...I believe that train left the station some time ago! ~wink~
Your right. That is a bad picture of you. :P
I really thing people are getting over paranoid because of the internet. It's not entirely unfounded but People, business and governments are taking it to far.
PS. Thomas Hawk did a post on your article on lenses (I'm not cool enought to say "glass" yet) and I'm glad he did. I like what I've read so far. Thanks for the great writing.
Yes, these bans are just stupid.
And people have no idea what they're starting by propagating them.
Why not see if you can have a new shutter installed in your 5D? There was a famous camera repair shop in NY (famous for doing things right) but you would have to look them up. Good luck and great work. PS try to focus.
Walt
I was in Red Mango when I was in Korea, never been to this place here, but from your picture I see that they copied Red Mango.
I think it is totally stupid for you not to be able to take pictures inside this place, and I think the reason is obvious... they were too dumb to come up with their own idea for business, they would prolly not know how to fight off any competition is any opened a similar place next to them... so they ban photography inside for people not to steal "their" ideas.
The thing with taking pictures in subway, I agree again, totally dumb. I think the police knows well they cannot write tickets for photography in the subway, but they also know that people heard the gossip and have no idea if the law was passed or not. So, they write tickets for disorderly conduct or something like that... something that would be hard to fight off in court. And why they do that? I guess their ego and the old ticket quota makes them act that way...
I would walk into the Pinkberry, buy a very expensive order, sit down, take out my camera and see if they would ask me to leave after I was worth five other customers :) just to be a little provocative
BTW, ha, you look like you never had ice-cream in your life in that picture :) how did she get that picture there?
Stumbled across your blog on Apartment Therapy. Love your photos and will add your site to my favorites.
I didn't realize that Pinkberry copied Red Mango....I actually thought it was the other way around. Those yogurt spots are cropping up all over the city. But "No Photography" at Pinkberrry....RIDICULOUS!!!
The world has gone completely bonkers. I went to a crêpe shop in SF last weekend and they had a sign that no photography was allowed. Of course, the sign was posted on their floor-to-ceiling glass windows, so you could taken a photograph from the outside but obviously not inside. How strange. What is the point? Don't they know that you could take your food outside, take a photo of it, and then go back in and eat it? It's ridiculous.
(Oh, I found you from Apartment Therapy too.)
The only place I see photography banned is in the gym locker room and I'm totally okay with that! LOL I wonder why they would even try to ban it from the subway? This place might have a ban so the original place doesn't see photos on line & realize it is a copy cat??? Just an idea.
I like the picture though. It's neat through the window.
What a bad photograph :-D (not.)
I totally agree. Probably they are scared that someone finds the secret recipe of frozen yogurt by taking photos. Conspiracy is everywhere! (* shivers *)
Geeeesh I would have just taken photos just to get kicked out :)
I always walk around with one of these in case I get harrassed
http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm