Airport Surveillance?

[ne3058]

Has anyone ever had any trouble taking pictures in airports in Australia? Am wondering what the legalities are compared to the more likely prospects of altercations with security. Any experiences or handy info welcome

[Jockey]

In airports if you are watching someone and want to take video or pictures..do so covertly with a bag cam or PV900...this applies also too shopping centres..As far as the legalities, they are both deemed as public places but most are privately owned and have there own rules which apply..With airports you will always see people taking photographs, but in our profession always be covert..

[Cabal]

Hmmm...

http://www.notstalking.com/2011/11/surveillance-woes-3rd-party-awareness.html

[Jockey]

As I stated::::do so covertly with a bag cam or PV900...this applies also too shopping centres...

Reading this article I can visualize this guy sitting in his vehicle with no tint or protection and taking photographs in full view of everyone....Its not really covert now is it....The same as if you pull a video camera out in the shopping centre, security will be all over you in a split second....

[michaelw]

I agree. 

I have done surveillance in the Sydney airport where I had to use my regular video camera so I just sat down and pretended as if I was watching video already recorded, about 10 cops walked by over a 20 minute period and didn't even look in my direction.  But the risk of being questioned and therefore possibly getting burned or loosing the target is too high, especially for the inexperienced.   For the rest of the time though, a bag cam was used.  Similarly, in shopping malls I prefer a PV900 or other hand held device.  I once used the roof of a westfield parking lot with my regular cam with additional zoom lens to film a house 2 blocks away....Security were on to me in minutes.  I convinced them to let me stay but it just shows that despite what you may think, security will at the least interrupt you and this could cause you to loose your target or get burned. 

[Catzeyes]

My working partner and I had a technique that never failed. 

He would wait in the car outside the airport ready to pick me up once the job was done and I would use an ordinary video camera to openly film at the arrivals (International airports only).  No-one ever questioned me and I highly doubt whether I was even noticed; e.g. lady getting ready to film the arrival of her relative.  I would then switch to my PV900 (Jockey put me on to that piece of equipment) for the subsequent follow.

However, I am a firm believer of body language as well as good equipment.  It is possible to blow a surveillance with one incorrect gesture.