This from the Picture New York website:
The Mayor’s Office of Film announced this afternoon that they are headed back to the drawing board with their regulations.
You spoke – they listened.
And did the right thing. Wonderful, right? We’ll be watching for the revised regulations, so we’ll have to get back to you on that. Tony Overman, president of the National Press Photographers Association really got it right: “We are offended at the notion that a city agency or police officer would have the power to keep a photographer from taking a picture or video on a public street. City property belongs to the citizens and the city has no right to limit safe, constitutionally protected behavior in a public venue.”
I am all about thinking and living green, but to say that limiting our first amendment rights b/c film is not biodegradeable could be approached in a much better way: such as implementing a disposal program that would prevent the film from reaching landfills as there is for ink cartriges for printers. Photography is my and many other peoples profession and/or passion and it would be very limiting and sad if the amendment passed- as a artist and a citizen.
As for the issue of landfills, my film is not thrown away, I keep and use it all. Not to mention, many people now shoot digital which does not require film.
I am very pleased they listened to our voices and are going back to the drawing board! Way to be unite and make a difference NYC!
They have every right to limit the amount of photos, especially with film being non-biodegradeable. All that excess film lends more creedence to the landfills, and makes the water less drinkable. I’m all for some respectable film limits in Brooklyn and America, but it should be the meter maids who police it. The police themselves are way too busy doing alot of other things, if you ever want to ask my opinion.