My first "collar" from the police...

RacingSnake

RacingSnake

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Nothing exciting, but I'd packed the car for an impromptu owl-hunting session.
That's not a euphemism in any form :nono: but I was home and the light was about to fade in an hour or so.
So I dumped my camera gear in the car and headed off to some grassland the 'other side' of the motorway.
I'm yet to see any owls around us so it's this years task to find some.

Anyway, I'd been sat there for probably only 15/20 mins or so, it's down a dead-end so only 1 way out, and I saw the reflective stripes of the patrol car coming this way.

He pulls up and gets out, so I wind down my window...
He said "Hello mate, what are you up to?" :bat:
"Owl spotting" :geek: <-- me :LOL:
"Lets see the camera then" (checking I assume) :thinking:
So I showed him (it was only on the passenger seat), and the sigmonster in the boot (y) Luckily I wasn't close to any houses/castles/duchesses so he wasn't worried about any paparazzi style activity.

But we then had a long chat about his Camera (450D), and how he was off to Cambodia, hoping for some good pictures etc.
His parting words were some advice, that perhaps I don't sit here in future... it's up to me of course but it's a regular spot for drug users :eek: and fly-tippers, hence he was there checking.

Thoroughly nice guy actually and seemingly genuinely interested. I did heed his advice though and moved off.

Still, a first photo-related "chat" for me :)
Need to find a new secluded spot though!
 
Should have asked him if anyone else does the same thing in the area to get an idea of the good spots :p
 
Could be a stroke of luck him finding you, if it's a dodgy place and frequented by the drug takers they'll steal anything for their next fix*...could have been your camera and kit.

*im not tarring drug takers as all bad people but they get desperate and the need is greater than the morals.
 
James J said:
Should have asked him if anyone else does the same thing in the area to get an idea of the good spots :p
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missed a trick there...
Knowing my luck, I am surprised he didn't say "Owl Spotting.... yeah, they all say that". Doh!

Good point about the equipment, it did not even cross my mind! :eek:
 
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I had the same thing happen to me, but from the reflective stripe car side on night at Heathrow.
There used to be a dead end road which is now under Terminal 5. Again, dead end, and used by fly tippers a lot. Drove down one night, and there was a car with a window mounted rig. He was waiting for foxes, complete with dog food. Heathrow was crawling with them, so it wasn't a bad idea.
Unfortunately, I think I upset him by arriving in a cloud of dust all sweeney stylee, but hey how was I to know what he was up too.
Anyway, I took pity on him, as he shouldn't have been there, and let him stay. I hope he got some good pictures!
 
I've only been approached by police once. I'd been walking in my local hills and on the way back to the car it was going dark. I noticed there were more cars in the car park and the road at dusk, compared to in the day but assumed it was walkers who'd got the sunset times wrong and were still out walking.

I had my back to the path and just took a (pretty rubbish) snapshot of the city lights twinkling in the distance. The next thing I knew a police car pulled up behind me and I was asked if I was filming dogging activity! Turns out my local hills are a popular spot for dogging in the Midlands! :eek: I'm not sure he was convinced by my response of "I'm photographing the twinkly city lights as they're pretty"!
 
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northcountrygirl said:
I've only been approached by police once. I'd been walking in my local hills and on the way back to the car it was going dark. I noticed there were more cars in the car park and the road at dusk, compared to in the day but assumed it was walkers who'd got the sunset times wrong and were still out walking.

I had my back to the path and just took a (pretty rubbish) snapshot of the city lights twinkling in the distance. The next thing I knew a police car pulled up behind me and I was asked if I was filming dogging activity! Turns out my local hills are a popular spot for dogging in the Midlands! :eek: I'm not sure he was convinced by my response of "I'm photographing the twinkly city lights as they're pretty"!
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Maybe he was there for the dogging and thought he'd been busted by you! (y)
 
I got asked to leave the beach a couple of weeks ago at about midnight, so the search dog could do his work.

'you're taking photos in the dark?!'

*camera clicks off a 30 second exposure*

'yes, see - like this'

'Well you'd get an award from me for that'

I'm thinking he wasn't much of a photographer. :LOL:

So I did the only reasonable thing I could think of - I shot his car instead.

 
awesome thread really entertaining read an looks like a good tip of one thing Ive always hated is when you get people asking how much lenses cost when your buy yourself lay there photographing a now disappeared water vole or the like haha
 
nice image Mr Hell,
 
I'm also on a USA forum and I can say thank God for the UK cops.The stories I've read there on the US police can make your flesh call.
 
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