They knew he didn’t carry money and they knew what they were asking was illegal. Some of the guys were not in uniform and clearly just wanted money others were in uniform – and wanted the same thing. We must have gotten stopped 4 or 5 times every time we went into town from the resort we were visiting on the east side of the island. Gah, what a dope! Would not do that again.Ģ) The Zanzibar cop we came to refer to as The Terminator. The light was low to protect the integrity of the paintings and fabrics. It was New Year’s, I was in Italy, and what the heck? The zodiac clock was even showing my astrological sign! Everyone else was taking pics, too, right? Wrong. I knew pictures weren’t allowed, but I was being a dipsh** American. (See first photo of the post.)Īt the time this was taken, I hadn’t started a blog yet, though I did like sharing pictures with my family. Here are a couple of examples of my feelings on forbidden pictures I’ve taken (or not) and why:ġ) The Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) in Venice, Italy. In my mind, my evil plan to encourage travel and international friendships takes higher precedence than rules that allow a museum to be the exclusive copyright holder of all images of a famous painting (but– but– you can buy a postcard at the gift shop! …Feh.).

(After you finish this post, please go have a read!) My quandaries are of a slightly different nature, since I have, as stated, an agenda. It’s a thoughtful post with some nicely nuanced feelings and dilemmas expressed. (It’s really a bummer, since some of the stuff went missing during the January demonstrations.)Īs I write this, I am reminded of Lisa’s post over on Chickybus about the ethics of travel photography. At the latter I was lucky enough to visit while it was ok to take pictures at the former, I was not. Not stealthy at all - more like combat photography.īoth the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo and the Louvre have waffled on the subject of photography, sometimes allowing it, sometimes not. I mean, the assessed value of the Elgin Marbles probably weighs in at a little more than a thousand words, but hey - it’s somethin’! While I object to the British Museum holding on to cultural treasures that were stolen from other countries, I appreciate that they at least let you take pictures of things.

I find myself baffled by museums and heritage sites that don’t allow photos to be taken, even of objects that will not be damaged by accidental flash. If I think a famous piece of archaeological or historical significance may inspire someone to get their passport and buy a plane ticket, you bet I want to take a photo! Since part of my personal agenda is to encourage people to get out of their neighborhoods and their comfort zones - and go travel! - I want to take pictures of all the cool and beautiful things I discover. Note: peoples’ desire for privacy, dignity, and respect does not fall in this category.įor example, if a person in an office of so-called authority doesn’t want to be photographed or videotaped (is that still a word, now that we’re all digital and stuff?) because they might get caught in some questionable activity in the course of their duties, well, buddy, you can suck it! If, on the other hand, the same person wants a quiet dinner with their family, or a day of nude sunbathing, then they deserve to be left the heck alone. While I understand that there are some rules legitimately in place for reasons I might actually support if I knew what they were, usually it’s… well, pretty darned dumb. Y’see, over the years, I’ve gotten to be less tolerant of blindly following rules, but more sensitive to the rights of individuals. There is not much in there about law it seems to focus on that vague and ever wobbly idea of “morals.” Since morals, customs, and philosophy are so subjective, how do you decide when to take a questionable picture or not? And once taken, do you share it, or just keep it for yourself?Īs a Capricorn, I am meant to love and adore rules. verb) The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession: medical ethics.

Rosetta stone british audio companion