Just back from a week on a Haven caravan site by the sea (the horror!) but had a lovely time with my other half, her daughter, her parents and her sister and family.
On Monday we spent the day on the beach in absolutely blazing sushine, swimsuits all round!
On Tuesday we decided to head for the pool, as I still had my camera in my boardshorts pocket from he beach, we decided to have a few family snaps of us by the pool. Later we also took some snaps actually in the pool as we were bobbing about keeping cool whilst her parents watched on from the tables by the pool…
Whilst my other half was taking a photo of me, the lifeguard asked if we had signed a permission slip to use the camera…
When we enquired as to what the permission was for, he couldn’t tell us but I can only assume that it must have been permission to capture images of haven’s shite facilities!
Interestingly lots of other people were taking photos with their phones without challenge, and given their distance from the subject and the focal length of phone cameras, they would have been taking photos of more or less the entire pool – we were snapping each other from two feet away and with a wall as a backdrop specifically not to include anyone else in our snaps.
So what exactly is the difference between the beach and the pool?

There isn’t any, the lifeguard was wrong.

You’re allowed to take photos in public places unless there’s specific restrictions in place (eg, a railway station) or it’s private property and and the owners ask you not to.

The pool isn’t a public place, it’s private property. Quite common to have restrictions on photography in pools from what I’ve seen – the pool at the Haven site we went to last week had notices up, and I spotted the lifeguards telling somebody to put their camera away at one point.

To be fair to the lifeguard he has probably been told by his employers to enforce, if that’s the right word, a company policy, but otherwise I concur.

Here.

http://www.photographers-resource.co.uk/photography/Legal/Access_Rights.htm

The pool isn’t a public place, it’s private property.

Ah, I misread that, I thought it was a public beach.

But then the beach was a private beach…

Just to muddy the waters further, they were shooting a promotional video the day we arrived and they required you to opt-out rather than in – which I thought required a model release form.

lerk – Member
When we enquired as to what the permission was for, he couldn’t tell us but I can only assume that it must have been permission to capture images of haven’s shite facilities!

Next time if you meet this kind of jobworth then ask/tell him/her these …

“If s/he does not know what is right (rules etc) then how does s/he knows you are wrong?” Then tell him/her to jog on … 🙄

TV filming and photography
Please bear in mind that we don’t allow guests to film or take photographs in our swimming pool areas.

Taken from Haven website T and Cs

Their T&Cs specifically forbid photos or filming in the pool areas.

Just to muddy the waters further, they were shooting a promotional video the day we arrived and they required you to opt-out rather than in – which I thought required a model release form.

But while you’re with us, you may spot a TV camera or professional photographer. They could be shooting photos or video for us, or filming a TV show. They could be shooting anywhere on the park but we’ll try to make sure the filming doesn’t affect your holiday and that you always know what’s going on.
With this agreement, you give us the rights (free of charge) to anything containing your image (or the image of the other people with you) that’s made while you’re with us. (This doesn’t affect your own photos or videos of course!) So if you don’t want to be in shot, please try to stay away from the filming area. And if you or someone in your family does stray into a photo or video without meaning to, we’ll do our best to remove the image from our library, but we won’t pay you any fees as a result.

Also from Haven website T and Cs

Not below the high water mark it wasn’t.

Put simply, their house, their rules.

I asked at my local council swimming pool once if I could setup a camera so I could check my form whilst practicing a new stroke.

There was only me and two others in a 6 lane pool at the time.

What the staff must of heard was ‘I’m a paedo and I wanna setup hidden cameras to film kiddies in their swim costumes’.

Quite… I didn’t argue the point, but it perplexed me why it should be fine to snap away on a busy beach where everyone was wearing exactly the same (and more of people was visible as they weren’t submerged).
I also didn’t see any of the people snapping away with phones questioned…

Let’s face it, if you were really worried about the dirty paedo’s you wouldn’t take your kids out dressed in Lycra at all. I’m sure they’d be more likely to just be looking first hand.

I don’t think restrictions like this are unusual. I was a lifeguard at my local leisure centre pool when I was a yoof, and photo’s by the side of the pool or in the spectators area were strictly prohibited and I was told to not allow it if I saw it. Not sure why, it was just one of the rules and we’re talking late ’80’s/ early ’90’s. It was s council owned leisure centre. We had an art student with an underwater camera wanting to take some underwater snaps once and I had to ask permission from everyone in the pool before it was allowed.

Because as mentioned that is a public place (below the HW mark), so there’s nothing they could do, and if they wanted to stop people taking photos then they’d have to have staff there, which presumably they don’t. They also don’t have any liability for what happens there.

I also didn’t see any of the people snapping away with phones questioned…

Well maybe they thought you looked like a paedo 😈 Did you say “oi, what about them”?

The reason why the rule is there is sadly obvious – if they can’t figure out who the perverts are, everyone gets hit by the same restriction. Harder to enforce on a larger beach area, but the same principle should in theory apply.

But it also applies to phone cameras, and that should be made clear in the warning signs and enforced by staff.

You’re allowed to take photos in public places unless there’s specific restrictions in place (eg, a railway station)

Sorry you are allowed to take pictures at railway stations,following the intervention by the chief of the BTP.

The BTP, look on us enthusiasts and photographers as another line of defence against terrorists and an extra pair of eyes for noticing things that are quite not right.

Oh, really? Interesting. Got details on that?

Release stuff is for commercial use. You can still take photos of people, just that you need a release for commercial use if they are identifiable and you can trace them. Can get away without when in public and can’t trace the person.

Most likely the concern is perverts and legal stuff.

Cougar – Moderator
Oh, really? Interesting. Got details on that?

http://www.btp.police.uk/advice_and_info/travelling_safely/rail_enthusiasts.aspx

There is also a letter from the chief constable BTP that you can show officers if asked

I don’t think restrictions like this are unusual.

Which is, it must be said, pretty f*****d up – why don’t you think they’re unusual? You can’t take photos outside, of people doing normal things, in public? Weird.

http://www.railwayramblers.org.uk/news/08news/08photography.htm

http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/system/file_upload/2012/01/16/136/acpo_trotter_taking_of_photographs_all_forces_guidance_26-08-2010.pdf

Indepedent article – here

More detailed guidance PDF

I had this last year – boys brigade triathlon, I was asked to stop taking pics with camera from balcony, but the 50 other parents with camera phones were left alone, and allowed in changing rooms.
Additionally, pool manager who stopped me, was talking pics, without permissions to send to newspaper, council facebook etc.

The ‘rules’ don’t work or make sense.

[like] cheers.

Not just children, I’d say there might be plenty of women (and some men) who may have body issues or self esteem issues who might be made uncomfortable by people taking pictures in a swimming pool.