Polite picture taking

I'd say NO to both.
Don't have any specific ordinates to site, just common sense.

 

Clarification: "...as in NO, that's no problem..."

 

I do a lot of filming of exotic cars. I don't go out of my way to blur license plates in the material that is published and widely available online.

I have been asked on this site (both in a thread and several PMs) for the names of owners of several cars (all worth over $1mil) I have filmed. I, of course, declined, but what would prompt a person to ask for names of owners of these cars?

In theory, they can get this info from the DMV based on the license plates in the videos.

 

I've photographer hundreds, if not thousands of Ferraris and other cars. My logic when I edit my photos goes like this.

When I do blur plates

1) When the car has a high value or a perceived high value and some weirdo might want to find out where the owner lives.

2) When I know the owner doesn't want his plates shown.

When I DO NOT blur plates

1) When the car has a low value. I mean come on, is someone really going to track down the owner of a C5 Corvette to try to rob him, based off of some photos?

2) When the car is on display at a large publicized car show where they have ample time to remove the license plates if they don't want them to be photographed.



I have access to the DMV records for several states just for $20 a year. If you can register your cars under a company name or using a secondary address, it would be best to do so.

 

In CA you can only get owner information (not their home address)from the DMV and they alert the owner that you requested the info.

I do not understand the reason for blurring the license numbers unless you are linking owner with the vehicle, and only then as a courtesy of friendship. Common sense dictates that the owner drives the car in public and therefore risks anonimity. Legally, if the picture is taken in a public place, the photo is owned by the photographer it is fair game.

 

But he is in Texas where you can get the home address of the owners.

+1

 

I take lots of pictures of exotic cars, when ever i see one i try to get a pic. I never blur the plates, unless i am specifically asked not too and that has never happened. It seems kind of dumb if anybody can see the same car on the street and see the license plate.

I don't think that plates are private info because they are put on the car for everybody to see.

 

Is that just for Texas or for all 50 states? What Website?

 

I always default to censoring the license plate on all cars I take pictures of, unless it's a decorative plate. For many people, it's OK to take pictures of their car, I've never met someone who doesn't want people to take pictures of their car.

 

Good and fair strategy. I guess the question I have is how difficult is it to blur the plate number and what are the benefits of showing it on the internet? Some owners I know are very private people but are more than happy to have people, especially kids, sit in their car and take pictures, but may not be too excited to have it all over the internet. I recall a couple years ago an FChat regular was robbed and beaten at his office because someone knew he had a special car (not saying that they ran the plate number). I would rather error on the side of caution and provide a little more anonymity personally, but others may feel differently.

 

I can get that information because I have a legal license, but I don't think you can. Something to do with the anti-staking legislation. I have to tell them why I need it though, and can get into crap if the reason isn't true. Some animals are more equal than others......

Art

 

As a courtesy, I try to blur the number on "normal" plates, but I do not do that on personalized ("vanity") plates, since I assume that that person wants his plate to be seen!

 

+1,

 

I like this rule of thumb. I take amateurish photos for my own collection, but will make it a point to blur plates if I post a pic or email it, out of baseline courtesy.

 

makes sense

 

If a car is parked on a London High Street, thousands of people will see the car. Potential thievs would find the cars owner without browsing forums... Lot's of people seeing the car parked may write down the plate and check the owner. In Sweden there is an SMS Service, just send the reg.no and you get owner info. If I see a really cool car I sometimes get curious who the owner is...

If I take a pic and the owner asks me to do it, I blur the plate. I took some pictures of a few cars in London, the owner asked me not to post the cars or the location, I have honoured that and have the pics only on my HD...

 

Most of the time I don't censor or leave out the plates. If it is at a car show and I strike up a conversation with the owner, then I will ask them if they mind if the plates are in the pics as I make youtube videos of them. If they don't want their plates to be seen, I just leave out pics or film clips which show the plates in my videos because I don't have photoshop to blur the plates out. -kevin

 

I blur/cut the plates out of common courtesy. Internet posts last longer and are seen by a lot more people than a car parked on the street.

Sadly, common courtesy is lacking in many these days.

 

Uh... how? The vast majority of state legislatures - if not all - have passed laws disallowing people from looking up names and addresses with a license plate number.

 

If it is the type of car someone would be interested in (at a car show, exotic, etc.) I always try to remove the license plate information from any pictures I take before posting them anywhere on the internet. I always thought this was common courtesy....

 

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