I would agree with the comment that cameras don't get in the way of good law enforcement, but sometimes photographers do. I worked almost 10 years as a photojournalist and saw photographers sometimes get in bad situations with police officers. Remember if you cooperate, they can make your job easier.

I have seen young graduates from college courses in photojournalism strutting around a wreck scene with the attitude that nobody can stop them. What they overlook is, all first amendments rights aside, when there is a wreck or crime scene, that particular little piece of real estate belongs to that investigating officer and you are at his mercy as to how close you can get to the scene.

Here is another factor. If it is private property, you have no assumed rights to be there. One night in the news room, we heard on the police scanner that there was a fire inside the local Walmart. The editor sends me out with my trusty Nikon. When I get there, guess what? The Walmart people will not let me through the door. It is private property, after all, and they are within their rights to bar photographers if they want to.

Here,s a tip. Do you have a good working relationship with police and other emergency officials? It surely does help. The fire dept. captain on the scene knew me and that I was working for the local paper. He told the Walmart people that he needed pics of the damage and guess what. I got in.

So if you are at a 'scene' and the ones in charge don't want you near the action, give them a break. If they see that you are cooperative they can be helpful. Over the years, I got to know most of the police, city, county and state, well enough that they would allow me onto any wreck or crime scene. But I can guarantee you that I stayed out of their way and that makes a big difference. I am sorry, but fresh out of college, you haven't had time to cultivate that relationship.