'No Photography' Plz...

[yeobt]

This is my story .... :cry:

Last week, 1 moller and 6 shooters at Esplanade Walk, more precise, at the food stalls area. But because it was 9-30 AM, no stalls were open for business and the whole place was deserted. This is the area where we posed the moller ...

no photo in durian? i juz took tons of the lantern pics inside and at the hall. :embrass:

 

[yeobt]

ok, let me continue with my correspondence with the STB and CCHA.
i first posted an email to STB on jan 2009 regarding the unpleasant sight of No Photo signs
in several shops along the chinatown and is a prominent place for tourists.

apparently, STB directed my mail to someone in-charge of the retail biz there and he was
then asked by STB to correspond with me. the 1st reply i received as followed;

From: CCHA CCHA <ccha_mc@yahoo.com.sg>
Subject: Feedback-No Photography In Public Area
To: yeobt2000@yahoo.com
Cc: KOH_Lin_Wei@stb.gov.sg
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 10:00 PM

Dear Mr Yeo,

We refer to the above feedback from you dated on 6th Jan 2009. We apologised for the late reply. We had a search just before Chinese New Year period upon receiving the feedback but we could not find the stall with the sign. Can you remember the location or detail of the stall which had the "No Photograph" sign so that we can have further investigation?

Best Regards,

Vincent Lim

i then took my time to go back to the stalls and took some pics as evidence to support
my claim few days later. i replied vincent, cc STB as followed;

From: Yeo Boon Teck <yeobt2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Feedback-No Photography In Public Area
To: ccha_mc@yahoo.com.sg
Cc: KOH_Lin_Wei@stb.gov.sg, mti_email@mti.gov.sg
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2009, 11:29 PM

Dear Mr. Lim,

Thanks for really looking into the matter. I purposely took a trip there to take some photos as a support to my claim and also to find out the address for you.

one is at #01-03 Smith St.
another is at #01-61 Pagoda St. (chrg $5 for photo taking outside their shop)

I hope to see a friendlier city for our visitors with your help.

Regards,

yeobt
h/p 9769 ####

i waited for a few weeks and went down to chinatown to check the status again.
to my horror, the bloody vincent has done nothing to my feedback. so i wrote a nasty letter
to **** him and STB up. the following is my reply;

From: Yeo Boon Teck <yeobt2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Fw: Re: Feedback-No Photography In Public Area
To: "CCHA CCHA" <ccha_mc@yahoo.com.sg>
Cc: KOH_Lin_Wei@stb.gov.sg, mti_email@mti.gov.sg
Date: Thursday, 9 April, 2009, 9:08 PM

Hi,

So are you all taking any action to the stalls after i spent so much time to take pictures and stall addresses for your investigation? I was there last few days and i could see that the signs are still there. If you are not taking our feedback seriously, why bother to ask and pretend you are concerned?

after the above, the CCHA sent me another reply. apparently, they have point the arrow
to someone else.

From: CCHA CCHA <ccha_mc@yahoo.com.sg>
Subject: Fw: Re: Feedback-No Photography In Public Area
To: yeobt2000@yahoo.com
Cc: eric@chinatown.org.sg, KOH_Lin_Wei@stb.gov.sg
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2009, 9:46 PM

Dear Mr Yeo,

Your feedback has been referred to Mr Eric, Operation manager from Chinatown Business Association in February 2009. The street stalls are managed by them.

Dear Eric,

Please see attached email for your necessary follow up action. Please do cc a copy to us about the outcome.

Thank you.

i have not check the stalls yet. so i cant write to **** them up for now.
may need to make another trip there to check once my gun powder is ready to fire.

dont be afraid to fight for our right of photography in public places! :thumbsup:

 

[jeanie]

yeo,

nice work, but honestly, i doubt STB even give 2 hoots about your email.
just think of what they would say in their office reading your email.

non photogs wont understand the frustration.

but ya, i second your point of whacking them to investigate, even if it means to waste their time.

 

[redmonsoon]

Is there any registered photography association in Spore?

 

[jasonlcs]

apparently, STB directed my mail to someone in-charge of the retail biz there and he was
then asked by STB to correspond with me. the 1st reply i received as followed;

This is so typical, first the merry go around, the silence and vague replies.
As long as your letter is not featured in the ST forum pages, they hope that
the delays will wear you out and let your feedback fades and slides away.

See what happens when a tourist complains about the same issue.
They will jump up and kiss the ground the tourist walked on.

But, your posting here may be seen by reporters fishing for news.

:dunno:

 

[+evenstar]

This is my story .... :cry:

Last week, 1 moller and 6 shooters at Esplanade Walk, more precise, at the food stalls area. But because it was 9-30 AM, no stalls were open for business and the whole place was deserted. This is the area where we posed the moller ...

Out from nowhere this Boy Scout came out and started chasing 6 adults away with his "lawyer" English about they can't allow people to shoot at the whole Esplanade area (i.e. including the whole 2 durians and all the area surrounding them). I remember 3 weeks ago i was with Mike's group (more than 9 shooters and 5 girls) and we were shooting IN the entrance hall of the theatre and the few guards didn't trouble us at all. In fact they asked the shooters to continue shooting! - those members can confirm if they are reading this.

Then one of us started explaining that we didnt write in for permission as required by him because we are hobbyists, and he mentioned that we joined the shoot from Clubsnap.
Somehow, he seemed to be very familair with Clubsnap and started insisting that he can't allow CS organised shooters here, blab, blab, blab ......

Since we didnt find that place particularly interesting and also not to spoil our mood, we decided to walk to the padang instead.

Then when we were at the walk, with those little concrete shops, I asked the moller to stand by the side wall for a couple of shots.

I was caught by surprise that he actually followed us and walked more than 300 metres to chase us again!

At this point of time, it's obvious that I have lost my kool and we were at a shouting war ... the organizer then pacified me to kool down and asked that we continued the shoot at the padang.
I knew that if I continued then either the managers or the Police will be called in.
Anyway, i have seen enough of these little rascals, abusing their authority and stroking their ego on being a "eat sh1t" Singaporean. How stupid is this idiot to stop us Singaporeans from shooting in a public place where there are thousands of tourists and local?
I gave him a final shot (above) and challenge him to come and get me!

I can only say little boy, Rohuan, if you are reading this, you are such a #%^^*(^%# :nono:

i had experience shooting inside esplanade ground, with a security guard beside me. i asked if it was alright to shoot, and he smiled said, "go ahead, shoot all you want!". i went on to ask him why was it that sometimes people are stopped for shooting, and he said that only suspicious people who seem to be shooting parts of the building (pillars, corners, etc) for suspicious use (possibly recce by terrorists for bomb placement spots) will be stopped

 

[+evenstar]

This is so typical, first the merry go around, the silence and vague replies.
As long as your letter is not featured in the ST forum pages, they hope that
the delays will wear you out and let your feedback fades and slides away.

See what happens when a tourist complains about the same issue.
They will jump up and kiss the ground the tourist walked on.

But, your posting here may be seen by reporters fishing for news.

:dunno:

report to TNP/wanbao/shinmin..who knows u might get $$ voucher if the story makes the news..:bsmilie:

 

[TheQuestion]

This is so typical, first the merry go around, the silence and vague replies.
As long as your letter is not featured in the ST forum pages, they hope that
the delays will wear you out and let your feedback fades and slides away.

See what happens when a tourist complains about the same issue.
They will jump up and kiss the ground the tourist walked on.

But, your posting here may be seen by reporters fishing for news.

:dunno:

write to stomp, ST, and media outlet here. and to really push them into action post it in an International forum. that will embarrass them enuff to take action.:thumbsd:

 

[TheQuestion]

Is there any registered photography association in Spore?

there's the photography association of singapore at selegie road but i doubt they have any power.

 

[jasonlcs]

Our esteemed ST (or SPH related papers) is only interested in
Utopian news, sleaze and cat fights. :nono:

write to stomp, ST, and media outlet here.
and to really push them into action post it in an International forum.
that will embarrass them enuff to take action.:thumbsd:

 

[TheQuestion]

Our esteemed ST (or SPH related papers) is only interested in
Utopian news, sleaze and cat fights. :nono:

then go to the international forums. stir up enuff to embarrass stb.

 

[vince123123]

Other than posting in these outlets, you must also then email back to STB et al to inform them that their inaction has resulted in posting on other outlets.

Otherwise they may not even know and thus the effect is lost

write to stomp, ST, and media outlet here. and to really push them into action post it in an International forum. that will embarrass them enuff to take action.:thumbsd:

 

[TheQuestion]

Other than posting in these outlets, you must also then email back to STB et al to inform them that their inaction has resulted in posting on other outlets.

Otherwise they may not even know and thus the effect is lost

o ya good point!:thumbsup:

 

[jsbn]

One more reason why I had completely lost interest in carrying out my hobby in my very own country. In fact I shoot more, way much more landscapes when I'm overseas than back in my own country. Perhaps its the sun & mountains, perhaps the entire atmosphere here in Singapore isn't very conducive for photography at all.

Well, maybe 'at all' is carrying things to extreme. But I guess if this thread rolls over to 10 or 20 pages with ever more serious complaints against "No Photography, Fine $5" or overzealous security guards, well, I guess I'd rather spend money going overseas to shoot portraiture eventually (this IS extreme considering that I rarely shoot portraits these days).

 

[jsbn]

i will not give in for shooting if i know and am sure i'm not in someone's property.
i always contest my right of photography in public places and i really hope all of us do,
so that we can carry on our hobby without disturbance.

remember, there's NO LAW for photography in public area. you can shoot all you want.

There may be no law for photography in public area but I guess its the entire atmosphere which I personally feel there's no point 'contesting the right to shoot photos'.

I mean, don't you get SICK of engaging yourself in shouting matches simply because of 'your rights' and almost everytime you are shooting portraitures or landscapes in public? :think:

 

[+evenstar]

and maybe Canonised can email the security company to question the actions of the security guard

POINT OF CONTACT

GROUP GENERAL MANAGER : JASON CHEONG ( jason@focal.com.sg )

FOCAL INVESTIGATION AND SECURITY AGENCY PTE LTD : LIANG MENG ( liangmeng@focal.com.sg )

 

[TheQuestion]

and maybe Canonised can email the security company to question the actions of the security guard

POINT OF CONTACT

GROUP GENERAL MANAGER : JASON CHEONG ( jason@focal.com.sg )

FOCAL INVESTIGATION AND SECURITY AGENCY PTE LTD : LIANG MENG ( liangmeng@focal.com.sg )

canoised i also recommend u stir up as much media attention as possible as well. that would make them take u even more seriously.

 

[TheQuestion]

One more reason why I had completely lost interest in carrying out my hobby in my very own country. In fact I shoot more, way much more landscapes when I'm overseas than back in my own country. Perhaps its the sun & mountains, perhaps the entire atmosphere here in Singapore isn't very conducive for photography at all.

Well, maybe 'at all' is carrying things to extreme. But I guess if this thread rolls over to 10 or 20 pages with ever more serious complaints against "No Photography, Fine $5" or overzealous security guards, well, I guess I'd rather spend money going overseas to shoot portraiture eventually (this IS extreme considering that I rarely shoot portraits these days).

ish sei bei song that these shops think they are the government that can impose a $5 fine...

 

[+evenstar]

canoised i also recommend u stir up as much media attention as possible as well. that would make them take u even more seriously.

Shin Min Daily: $50 reward for exclusive news 1800-8227288

 

[CYRN]

write to stomp, ST, and media outlet here. and to really push them into action post it in an International forum. that will embarrass them enuff to take action.:thumbsd:

Other than posting in these outlets, you must also then email back to STB et al to inform them that their inaction has resulted in posting on other outlets.

Otherwise they may not even know and thus the effect is lost

I can visualize sensationalized headlines....

Tourism reliant city-state Singapore is Banning photography in public places, citing security and architectural copyrights reason.

(tourist advisory : keep your cameras at home... if you like to recall where you've been... you can join a tour again )

*IIRC the durian was supposed to be copyrighted