Tell them you are an architecture student, came from the other side of the country to see the building, and would like to take some pictures.

The F-Word and a switchblade will do the trick.

I don't think that would be too hot. Those security guards at the front of Prada were huge. I think my face would have hit the concrete real fast.

yeah i had same experience in Tokyo Prada. My advice is shoot from the hip and hope for the best. Soon you will get very good at taking pictures with you camera mostly in your pocket!

Heh.

I'd like to see you carrying my EOS in you pocket :D

I smile, act cute and tell them how lucky they are to work there. I ask them what it's like to be in the architecture. ask them what they think and do and don't like. I may pretend to agree with them to make them feel good. I then ask if it's ok to take a few quick pictures.

it's called manipulation. it works and it is not evil.

"I smile, act cute and tell them how lucky they are to work there."

I do not see how it would work, unless they let their mind wander through the contents of your pantiess. Security guards are a disgruntled lot, the architecture they happen to work in is the last of their concern..in fact, it might very well piss their working-class minds off (architecture=>airy fairy). Of course this differs in the US, where 'pride' (including class-pride, status pride (obesity human rights for example) and occupation pride (the US is fundamentally a working class notion-the unharnessed labour base of feudalism-and it so still shows in their mainstream politics today) is the sibling of patriotism. They might very well fall for your manipulative ploys...(like a chauffeur needlessly wiping imaginary dust of his master's Roy's Royce ("comin' Miss Day-zé") ..but do keep in mind that you are aiding terrorism (going against the trustworthiness of the system as it is.....and your ploy might lubricate other seemingly nice people's ploys....in a covert terrorist attack).

this is Francis Soler's Ministry of Culture going up in paris . his site (http://www.soler.fr/SO_w-en.html) documents it well, but it is all projections, no real pics. I happen to live right accross the street from it, & am trying to take pics and put them online - i cant tell if theres a night gaurd or not - is there normally one?

xacto11
on sundays theres usually no one around construction sites _ don't know if the prada bldg is finished or not.

had to take covert shots of the new modern in Ft. Worth. as long as you arent using a flash, you can go behind walls and when their backs are turned. pretend you're a spy.

i took pics in prada new york... just walked in, took pics really fast. the guard asked me to stop, and i did. but i had already taken a few. fortunately they did actually work [were not a blurry mess]

i understand prada la has that giant door system... if so, how about a super zoom when it's open?

can you stand in the sidewalk and take pics from there? sure will anger the guards but they can't limit your activities in the sidewalk [supposedly public space]?

[yes i know no good pics will come of this advice but i like the idea of finding a loophole]

for construction sites; definatetly try on saturday and sundays. on saturdays (if the site's open), most construction workers don't like being there anyway so the atmosphere is bit more relaxed. dress appropriately (long pants and boots) and BYOHH (hard hat) they worry about OSHA more than anything.

for places of business: i'd take what pictures i could and when asked to stop, BE POLITE....i've been kicked out of buildings but have yet to be asked for my film. Hell, some poseur at Urban Outfitters tried to forcibly remove me from his store because he claimed that they have a trademark on painted pegboard....'uh...ok....nice trucker hat.'

for guarded places....i've lied...i don't like doing it but the case of a 'prada' type place...f'em....it goes something like this:

...'oh, i'm sorry...my professor said that our entire class has to get photos of this building/detail/whatever for studio...I'll let him know that we shouldn't so you won't have others trying to photograph'....that way it seems like you're doing them a favor...then click away on your way out the door. it's worked for me.

oh...another thing...definately don't even think of photographing around 'senstive government buildings'....i.e. the UN or even city Federal Buildings...in this post 9-11 world, its not worth the interrogation.

i was working on a post office project and got picked up by the postal police, my client had to come id me, good times by all

i was in the guggenheim, bilboa not too long ago and we weren't allowed to take pictures. but some colleagues decided to stuff their purses or bags with their cameras and allowed the lens to poke out. they snapped images all day. some nice ones too. it was hilarious watching everyone pretend to be spies

slomo, do you work at Rizzo?

who cares about taking pictures of these buildings? they're all well documented in books and magazines, with photos way better than we'll ever take ourselves if we were allowed.

cracker - I have to disagree with you. while it would be nice for a focus on the less well-published buildings, I think alot of people:

1. do it for themselves, it really gets you to look at the space & helps with actually remembering it afterwards

2. take pictures of all the details that the latest phaidon monster passes up

3. like having something of their _own_ - that they can reproduce, enlarge & share on the internet with others

when I went around shooting all my favorites I gained more knowledge & appreciation of architecture than my first two years of undergrad. plus the pics got me a job :)

Wear headphones, you dont have to be listening to anything (its probably better if you arent). Go in, start taking photos, when asked to stop turn in the other direction and take more photos. Wait until someone comes up to you before you stop. Scope out the place ahead of time to see what pictures you want and try to be covert, but the headphones should buy you some extra time. Also, pretend you dont speak english, this will ensure you keep the pictures you've taken. Security guards certainly dont want to deal with language issues.

thats true, a japanese girl at our college always got some awesome pictures of shops around london. Noone else could get a single shot. She pretended not to speak english if stopped - genius.

uneDITed--- I guess I won't be sharing any photo's with you ramrod.

Ramrod? That reads hard core.

30000 prada pix couldn't make me change my mind.

mwad...

no i do not

just promise to forward them copies of the upskirts. :-)