# Transmission tower



## CCY020 (Feb 11, 2013)

Transmission tower by C.C. Yanku, on Flickr


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## bseitz234 (Feb 11, 2013)

I know you didn't ask for feedback... but... I can't help myself. 

This is never an image I would have thought to capture. I generally find large towers and power lines to be a distraction in a landscape photo, rather than the subject of one. But I can't stop looking at this. It may be the composition, or it may be what you did to it in post- the surreal colors are intriguing, for sure- but I am really enjoying this one. Kudos!


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 11, 2013)

A person locally tried photographing Electrical Towers and was promptly arrested and tossed in prison, the Police told him it was illegal, and when he disagreed, they arrested him.
Later, the city paid out $$$ to settle a lawsuit, but he still has a arrest record, and even worse, the Mayor of the small town is defending the arrest and it sounds like he would support doing it again.


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## bvukich (Feb 11, 2013)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> A person locally tried photographing Electrical Towers and was promptly arrested and tossed in prison, the Police told him it was illegal, and when he disagreed, they arrested him.
> Later, the city paid out $$$ to settle a lawsuit, but he still has a arrest record, and even worse, the Mayor of the small town is defending the arrest and it sounds like he would support doing it again.



Photographing anything that's "critical infrastructure" will probably get you hassled, despite the fact it's completely legal. With the obvious caveat that where you are standing at the time is somewhere you are legally allowed to be; either public property, or private property you own or are otherwise authorized to be on.


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## Niterider (Feb 11, 2013)

bvukich said:


> Mt Spokane Photography said:
> 
> 
> > A person locally tried photographing Electrical Towers and was promptly arrested and tossed in prison, the Police told him it was illegal, and when he disagreed, they arrested him.
> ...



I was photographing a dam late at night with a couple friends. When we were leaving and got back in the car, five undercover cops boxed in the car. When they saw the camera equipment, they became very on edge to the point that they ran our license plate, our drivers licences and asked about the photographs we were taking. Ever since 9/11, the cops don't mess around. 

Now when I photograph "critical infrastructure" and a cop stops me, I do not argue with them (unless they ask me to delete my photos, which I refuse to do). My advice would be to read up on felony vs misdemeanor trespassing and the laws regarding photographing such things. 

I have been stopped over 30 times by the police for photographing somewhere I shouldn't be or something they regard as "critical Infrastructure". I have evaded any trespassing ticket and I have been only "warned" by the police a couple of times. If the police determine you to not be a threat, they will 95% of the time ask you to just leave.


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## distant.star (Feb 11, 2013)

.
That's an arrest record I'd be proud to have.

At my age I'm fed up with a life of people telling me I should be afraid of everything.

People see me carrying a camera and sometimes ask what I'm photographing. I usually tell them, "Anybody or anything that gets in my way."

When I was young I always said if I got to be old, I'd be a cantankerous old geezer.

Have camera. Will use it.






Mt Spokane Photography said:


> A person locally tried photographing Electrical Towers and was promptly arrested and tossed in prison, the Police told him it was illegal, and when he disagreed, they arrested him.
> Later, the city paid out $$$ to settle a lawsuit, but he still has a arrest record, and even worse, the Mayor of the small town is defending the arrest and it sounds like he would support doing it again.


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## East Wind Photography (Feb 11, 2013)

It's also a federal crime to photograph aircraft unless the flight is specifically being conducted for photographic opportunities. Airshows would be considered photo ops. A passenger airliner on approach for landing is not and can land you in a federal penitentiary.


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## East Wind Photography (Feb 11, 2013)

The problem is you would miss your expensive Canon gear when it gets confiscated for evidence.



distant.star said:


> .
> That's an arrest record I'd be proud to have.
> 
> At my age I'm fed up with a life of people telling me I should be afraid of everything.
> ...


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## jhpeterson (Feb 11, 2013)

I really like this photo, too. 

Trained as an engineer, I often find items of an industrial nature attractive, whether trains, planes, automobiles... bridges, highways, even transmission towers. Many articles of infrastructure have been the subject of my camera. Having long been an editorial and commercial photographer, in recent years I've come to do a good bit of work in the field of alternative energy, photographing wind and solar installations.

In fact, when I'm on the road (which, between work assignments and personal travel, I do for most of the year), I'll frequently stop for objects like this that catch my eye. So far, I've been fortunate in that law enforcement has never bothered me. Of course, with my equipment, it's pretty obvious what I am doing, and I'd like to think those who do this sort of thing with evil intent would be a little more clandestine.


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## Niterider (Feb 11, 2013)

East Wind Photography said:


> It's also a federal crime to photograph aircraft unless the flight is specifically being conducted for photographic opportunities. Airshows would be considered photo ops. A passenger airliner on approach for landing is not and can land you in a federal penitentiary.



Are you sure about this? Every once in a while, I take photos at an international airport near my house. I have never been bothered by the police nor homeland security. I do not trespass at the airport though, I go only where it is legal to stand. 

Is this a United States law? If so, do you have a link or something. I sure don't want to be detained by the feds (even though it would probably be pretty cool).


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## jhpeterson (Feb 11, 2013)

East Wind Photography said:


> It's also a federal crime to photograph aircraft unless the flight is specifically being conducted for photographic opportunities. Airshows would be considered photo ops. A passenger airliner on approach for landing is not and can land you in a federal penitentiary.


Interesting! A few months ago, I was on the water photographing a sailboat regatta (something I do for advertising and editorial clients several dozen days each year), when I felt major pressure in my ears and heard this near-deafening sound. It takes a moment for me to realize that this is a military aircraft flying fast (subsonic but still several hundred feet per second) and LOW. But, years of training must have kicked in as I grabbed the camera with my longest lens and aimed into the sky where I thought it was heading. A moment later, I spotted the jet and another second gave me two good shots.

That evening I reported the overflight to the FAA, along with a picture. I hope I'm not in trouble now!


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## bvukich (Feb 11, 2013)

East Wind Photography said:


> It's also a federal crime to photograph aircraft unless the flight is specifically being conducted for photographic opportunities. Airshows would be considered photo ops. A passenger airliner on approach for landing is not and can land you in a federal penitentiary.



That is absolutely, positively, 100% false.


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## Brymills (Feb 11, 2013)

bseitz234 said:


> I know you didn't ask for feedback... but... I can't help myself.
> 
> This is never an image I would have thought to capture. I generally find large towers and power lines to be a distraction in a landscape photo, rather than the subject of one. But I can't stop looking at this. It may be the composition, or it may be what you did to it in post- the surreal colors are intriguing, for sure- but I am really enjoying this one. Kudos!



I've been scouting a pic of some disused power station cooling towers, but keep thinking that to get the right angle the transmission towers (pylons in UK speak) and power lines would be in the way. Maybe I've missed the point and need to get them *in* shot rather than out of shot?


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## wopbv4 (Feb 11, 2013)

Hi,

like the picture!!

Just a few words on the safety aspect of this.
Powerlines emit Low Frequence Electomagnetic Radiation, which you can not see, feel ....
It is a know fact that long exposures to this causes health effects such as dizzyness, headaches etc..
Therefore, in Australia the law says that one has to stay at least 200 m away from 380KV powerlines.
As you only were only close to the powerlines for a short time, there is nothing to worry about.
On the other hand, power distribution stations, so the once with hugh transformers is a place to stay away from.
The guys that work at power distribution stations have a Permit To Work system, which allows them to work for a MAXIMUM of one hour close to transformers.

Hope this informs

Ben


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 12, 2013)

xamkrah said:


> Mt Spokane Photography said:
> 
> 
> > A person locally tried photographing Electrical Towers and was promptly arrested and tossed in prison, the Police told him it was illegal, and when he disagreed, they arrested him.
> ...


 
You guess wrong. BTW, I was wrong, It was a woman, not a man. It was in Snohomish, Washington, a little NorthEast of Seattle. A different woman was arrested for photographing the Ballard Locks a year or two before that, and also got $$$$. That was even more stupid, its a tourist attraction, I've taken dozens of photos there, and private yatchs go thru the locks dozens at a time with cameras everywhere.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Snohomish-settles-with-UW-prof-arrested-for-1304386.php


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## Hobby Shooter (Feb 12, 2013)

bseitz234 said:


> I know you didn't ask for feedback... but... I can't help myself.
> 
> This is never an image I would have thought to capture. I generally find large towers and power lines to be a distraction in a landscape photo, rather than the subject of one. But I can't stop looking at this. It may be the composition, or it may be what you did to it in post- the surreal colors are intriguing, for sure- but I am really enjoying this one. Kudos!


I also like it very much, from the colours to the composition and the light. Great stuff. I am trying myself to learn more techniques on how to get those artistic colours.

As of taking pictures in the wrong places, well sounds difficult to be in America. I am by the way always extra careful when in US in any situation that would mean interaction with the law enforcement. For us Europeans we're not used to the sometimes edgy behavior they sometimes display. But I got to say that at least the immigration people has gotten nicer the last few years.


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## bbb34 (Feb 28, 2013)

Just found a reasonable one in my collection. Comment if you like.


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## niteclicks (Mar 20, 2013)

I have one, while not the same, it is a favorite of mine and I think the towers make the photo because they add scale.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 22, 2013)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> xamkrah said:
> 
> 
> > Mt Spokane Photography said:
> ...


That's a shame, as a person born and brought up in India I always used to envy the freedom the American citizens enjoyed but over the last 12 years or so I see things have changed and from what I read and watch in news papers and TV, it seems like there is a lot of suspicion ... but I suppose that's pretty much the same in quite a few countries these days. I hope the world does not come to a state where we need to take permission slips for photographing famous monuments.


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## CCY020 (May 7, 2013)

Hey guys, sorry for my very late reaction ! :-[

I'm from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. There's no law that forbids you to take these photo's. Except from towers that are put on private property, in that case you could be arrested for trespassing.

Now the funny thing is, these towers are located at the fields of some farmers (private property), but I was standing between the 2 farms on a bycicle path...so that's a public road, nothing to be afraid of luckily. 

Regarding safety, nowadays there still people having their houses below a 220/380KV tower, but the goverment is offering them money to move or buy another house..so thats good news. 

Thanks for all the compliments guys !
Cheers !


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