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Taking pictures in public... Laws..

I

InGearX

Android Enthusiast
Are there exact rules if you can take pictures for personal use on the streets .. Public areas.. Etc..

If a person happens to be in the picture .. What's the legal take on that?

Any links to exact laws .. Is it per state? What about in Australia ..

Thank you..
 
You'd have to contact an attorney in the local jurisdiction if you want the exact legal standing, but generally people who happen to be in a picture you're taking of something else, for personal use ("Look, Mom, I was at the Eiffel Tower today") don't have to give any approval. Also, again generally, people who are newsworthy don't have to give consent. You can photograph a car accident with someone's face showing, a famous person (politician, rock star, etc.) without permission (Assuming there are no signs to the contrary - "No photography allowed" means none, not "none, except when I want to".)

Again, that's generally. You'd need an attorney to get the specifics of the area you're interested in. (Taking pictures of a riot involving the police in NYC can get you arrested and get your phone permanently confiscated. It's been done - it hasn't yet been determined whether it's legal for them to have done it.)
 
I'm no lawyer but I'd think it would hinge on expectations of privacy. If you're in a public area I would think all bets are off and is fair game. But as already advised, you'd be wise to seek out advice of a lawyer to be sure.
 
Simple rule is you can take pictures in public, but then again there are limits. If you are taking pictures of women underskirt it will get you in trouble. At certain point excessive photography of someone can be treated as harassment. Do a research, every country's different. Then again, if it says you can't take pictures in certain spots, doesn't mean it's the law and you actually can't.
 
unnamedny said:
Simple rule is you can take pictures in public, but then again there are limits. If you are taking pictures of women underskirt it will get you in trouble. At certain point excessive photography of someone can be treated as harassment. Do a research, every country's different. Then again, if it says you can't take pictures in certain spots, doesn't mean it's the law and you actually can't.
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Also there might not be any notices, and photography is prohibited. So if the dude brandishing the QBZ assault rifle orders you to stop taking pictures, you better stop taking pictures. Indeed every country is different.
 
Authorities can make up strange rules that are not official. Taking pictures of children can get you grief. You are a distraction and/or your equipment might be (tripod in the way or flash annoyance)
Here's a link to Digital Photography Review discussion on taking photos:Forum Search: Digital Photography Review

You can read, but not post.
 
unnamedny said:
Simple rule is you can take pictures in public, but then again there are limits. If you are taking pictures of women underskirt it will get you in trouble. At certain point excessive photography of someone can be treated as harassment. Do a research, every country's different. Then again, if it says you can't take pictures in certain spots, doesn't mean it's the law and you actually can't.
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Not in Mass. There was just a case of that recently and the charges were dropped because of the wording of the law. You'd think it would be rectified in pretty short order but being Mass, who knows.
 
03bluecoupe said:
Not in Mass. There was just a case of that recently and the charges were dropped because of the wording of the law. You'd think it would be rectified in pretty short order but being Mass, who knows.
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Aside from that just being wrong (not your statement, taking photos up a skirt) it is now illegal again. Within 24 hours of the judges ruling that the state law didn't adequately address that, it was passed through both the house and senate and signed by the governor to fix it.
 
Unforgiven said:
Aside from that just being wrong (not your statement, taking photos up a skirt) it is now illegal again. Within 24 hours of the judges ruling that the state law didn't adequately address that, it was passed through both the house and senate and signed by the governor to fix it.
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Excellent, thanks for the heads up as I hadn't heard that. The news media saw fit to slam Ma. here when it happened but not enough to applaud when they fixed it quickly. Sorry about the slam on your state. I shoulda known...
 
Photography is a personal liberty. It's more about the intent than the actual taking of a photo. Personal behavior is more noticeable in heavily CCTV monitored places, taking a quick photo of a government building (which has great architecture) is usually OK but if you loiter around taking many photos, looking shifty then your intent for taking photos is called into question & you might find you will have an extended shadow for the rest of the day!

Reasonable intent is key here; you have to have a good reason (tourism is one), you should be able to photo anything that your eyes can see from a public area. It's when you are 'casing a joint' or trespassing that you'll get collared.

Paranoia over certain issues meant that some over-officious jobs worth have tried to stop people taking photos in public places without assessing what it is they were doing. Like train spotters for example :rolleyes:
 
Be prepared for more restrictions. As drones become popular it won't stop any unscrupulous person from taking a picture wherever they want.
All photographers will wind up paying for it.

I can take pictures of some places that are forbidden simply by using a 6-8 inch telescope and a camera eyepiece and altitude. My house is higher than restricted area so I can imagine what hobby-type drones can do.
 
InGearX said:
Are there exact rules if you can take pictures for personal use on the streets .. Public areas.. Etc..

If a person happens to be in the picture .. What's the legal take on that?

Any links to exact laws .. Is it per state? What about in Australia ..

Thank you..
Click to expand...

So long as your definition of personal use doesn't extend to publishing, otherwise you may need to look into consent and release forms.

If using a cell phone camera, some jurisdictions require that it produces an audible signal to let people know that you're using the camera.
 
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