California Photojournalist Detained for Photographing Naval School From Public Street

Nic Coury, who shoots for the Monterey County Weekly, said he was on assignment to photograph the Naval Postgraduate School when he was ordered inside the guardhouse and told it was a “national security issue” to photograph the school.

He wrote about the incident on Sports Shooter, which consists of mostly professional photojournalists who work for the mainstream media.

I was detained today while taking photos of a military school in town for a story we’re putting together on the school.

I was on public property the entire time—the city sidewalk—and the places I was photographing could be seen by any passer-by, etc. I was shooting photos of the main gate where cars and military personnel enter and exit the campus after they check in with a gate guard, who I think it an MP.

I was asked by the gate guard to follow him and was told to sit in the guard house while the guard called his supervisor and I asked why I was being held, to which his answer was, It’s “very illegal” to shoot photos of the school. It’s a national security issue.”

I explained my position of shooting from a very public place and asked if everyone who shot a photo of the school was detained and he said yes.

I was eventually let go after they determined I wasn’t a threat and my editor called they school’s PR folks whom we have been working with for a few weeks on the story and they confirmed who I said I was and what my press ID and driver’s license said I was.

All in all, it was like 30 minutes of my time.

I’m curious on the legality of their claims that it’s “very illegal” to photo a military base/school, even from a totally public place.

Some of the responding commenters gave him some good advice but one commenter advised him to call the school’s public affairs department days in advance next time he plans to shoot to avoid any such hassle.

more -- http://intellihub.com/2013/04/06/california-photojournalist-detained-for-photographing-naval-school-from-public-street/