Photography in public place and children.

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Does anyone know how we (photographers) stand as far as taking photos in a public place such as High Streets, Places of Worship, Tourist attractions etc., are concerened whereby members of the public includes children?
It is inevitable that there will always be a child or children in the picture somewhere and in some cases a childs expression can make a picture. However, in this day and age it is 'dodgy' subject.
 
It is not illegal, though the media and the "Community Support Officers" are trying to make people believe that it is.

Even the fact that someone "Feels funny" about photographing children is a damning and sad indictment of just how broken this "society" of ours is.

I understand and feel for your dilemma, and am angry that this country should even allow it to exist, much less champion it on the news-stands. :(
 
This has been overed many times on here and iam sure if you did a searh you will find many threads.. but i am sur someone will be along soon with some advice. i have taken pic's of kids in the past in the street and at the sea side without a problem but i am female, i know other have had problems.
 
Yes it is a sad time of events nowadays. Bordering on the sublime to the rediculous. I take many wildlife pictures but it doesn't mean I'm into Bestiality for goodness sake!
 
the interesting thing is ...if you go to india or wherever to villages...you will be head over heels to get the kids in photos....
we are getting into a guilt complex society here and i feel protection has exceeded the necessary bounds
the candid shot may die because of this..in this country anyhow..

 
As the law stands it is perfectly legal to photograph anyone in a public area.

Public area however does not include things like shopping centres where they are privately owned and can impose a no photography rule which is part of your entry.

When it comes to children, yes you are quite legal to take as many pics as you like so long as you (and they) are in a public place. You may get an approach from a social worker who would identify themselves if the child is deemed to be vulnerable and in the care of social services and they can ask you not to carry on.

You cannot be forced to delete your images by anything other than a court order.

That's where we are right now but there is a new bill going through parliament in the next six weeks which will turn all that on it's head so get out now while you still can!
 
It's been discussed, but I'm not sure this has been adequately answered.
So I'll add my 2p

OK - so it's legal....
But if you head down the local park and start snapping children you may still end up being chased by the tar-and-feather brigade.
It's not about the law or the reality of the situation, it's about perceived risk.....

I think there are a few exceptions....
a) You look harmless
If you are a female with your own kids using a P&S nobody will bat an eye. Meanwhile, an SLR carrying male in a trench-coat will get a completely different reaction. IMHO The parents / lynch-mob will only pause in their single minded purpose briefly while they call security. Reality is almost certainly between these two extremes.
b) You have a purpose for the images.
E.G. The snapper for the local papers will be welcomed. Ditto for accredited event photographers. Conversely if the dodgy looking bloke described above when challenged by security has no explainable purpose and 'just likes taking pictures' then he'll be told to sod off immediately or the police will be called.

Also IMHO - Anyone challenged about why they are taking photos of children who responds by quoting their legal rights will just be making life difficult for themselves.
 
Just worth noting that my camera club issues membership cards designed to carry in our wallets; these are the sorts of situation that could easily be diffused by showing club membership and explaining they are for a comp / project.

I also know of an A-level photography course where sufficient students have had run-in's with security / police that they are now issued with photo-id accrediting them as photography students. I believe this has helped them.
 
the moral majority will probably move you on and i dont think there is any point in making a fuss, unless it really matters that you take the photos. Last summer sitting in a park killing time before a party i had just loaded a film and was just playing with the camera, almost unaware of the splashing made by kids in the paddling pool. it was not long before i was asked to explain myself by an upstanding pillar of the community. this was in the Kew area of london last summer, if that helps anyone doing research into this phenomenon!
 
BouncyMelons said:
That's where we are right now but there is a new bill going through parliament in the next six weeks which will turn all that on it's head so get out now while you still can!
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I've not heard anything about this, walking round in my own little world and all that, can you give a few more details

Hugh
 
Denyerec said:
Even the fact that someone "Feels funny" about photographing children is a damning and sad indictment of just how broken this "society" of ours is.
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Definitely. I like to take photos of trains and buses which obviously involves the passengers getting in the way sometimes. Whenever they are getting on and off, I lower the camera and make it blatantly obvious I am not shooting, for this very reason. Plus the fact, many 'normals' treat someone carrying a 'big' camera like a some sort of freak. Some of the looks I get with this thing round my neck are priceless - and the comments, well, let's not get started there...
 
BouncyMelons said:
That's where we are right now but there is a new bill going through parliament in the next six weeks which will turn all that on it's head so get out now while you still can!
Click to expand...

Details pleez. Should I be putting camera on ebay?
 
If you're in the United Kingdom, then what people have already said applies. It is completely legal, despite what people think, to take pictures of other people in a public place where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. A public place where privacy would be expected could be [as an example] a public toilet, whereas in a park there would be no expectation of privacy.

Note that only applies to public property, and not to shopping centres (or shops for that matter), homes, offices or other buildings which are not publicly owned, but may have public access.

The law may of course be different depending on where you live.
 
DuncanDisorderly said:
Just worth noting that my camera club issues membership cards designed to carry in our wallets; these are the sorts of situation that could easily be diffused by showing club membership and explaining they are for a comp / project..
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Are they laminated? :lol::lol::lol:

Sorry but are you serious? Big angry dad + big angry dad plus a few angry mums come charging towards you because they see you taking pics of there kids... and just as you see the whites of there eyes you whip out the camera club membership card and win the day..

haha... OK sorry :) But even one angry dad isnt going to be interested in your card once he has made his mind up..
 
KIPAX said:
Sorry but are you serious? Big angry dad + big angry dad plus a few angry mums come charging towards you because they see you taking pics of there kids... and just as you see the whites of there eyes you whip out the camera club membership card and win the day..
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oh great, now my keyboard is dripping with guiness :suspect:
 
part of the Government's grand plan to ban all photography in public
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should be enough togs out there to put a stop to such "laws"

photographers do vote,
 
It will become Law before the election Chris and if they are not re elected then it's hardly going to be the priority for any incoming administration.
 
No-one is gonna stop me taking photos.

This is absurd what they are proposing. What about holiday snaps on the beach, no-one will stop me taking pics of my own kids....i want those memories thanks!
It's this country all over.

If this is the case...then I don't want my image caught on CCTV...it is an invasion of privacy..whether or not you are told the cameras are there...
you can't walk around town these days without being on camera...to me there is no difference...
:bang::bang::bang:
 
It may be legal to take shots of people in public, but if you persisted after the subject or their parents had objected then surely it would fall into the realms of harassment anyway?
 
mid_gen said:
It may be legal to take shots of people in public, but if you persisted after the subject or their parents had objected then surely it would fall into the realms of harassment anyway?
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Yes it would. Them Harassing YOU for doing something you are perfectly entitled to do.
 
It will become Law before the election Chris and if they are not re elected then it's hardly going to be the priority for any incoming administration.
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send in petion to them now, before it makes law,reminding them were are voters too,
 
I was walking round Derwentwater with my wife and camera last year - found a nice place for a bit of 10 stop long exposure goodness and went to set the camera up... Until I spotted the family with their children, playing completely naked (the children, not the parents!) by the shore.
Any thoughts of taking the picture immediately disappeared as I could just imagine what would have happened if I had pulled out the camera :(
 
Nick T said:
I was walking round Derwentwater with my wife and camera last year - found a nice place for a bit of 10 stop long exposure goodness and went to set the camera up... Until I spotted the family with their children, playing completely naked (the children, not the parents!) by the shore.
Any thoughts of taking the picture immediately disappeared as I could just imagine what would have happened if I had pulled out the camera :(
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surely thats just common sense and nothing to do with the mad mad world of PC we live in.
 
I was walking round Derwentwater with my wife and camera last year - found a nice place for a bit of 10 stop long exposure goodness and went to set the camera up... Until I spotted the family with their children, playing completely naked (the children, not the parents!) by the shore.
Any thoughts of taking the picture immediately disappeared as I could just imagine what would have happened if I had pulled out the camera
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surely thats just common sense and nothing to do with the mad mad world of PC we live in.
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same could be said about letting the children play naked

If i'd have wanted to take photos i'd have gone over and had a word
 
dcash29 said:
same could be said about letting the children play naked

If i'd have wanted to take photos i'd have gone over and had a word
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a word? good luck if the situation ever arises :)
 
Yeah, you can say it's common sense - and the photo I wanted to take was in a slightly different area to where the children were... But the point I was making was if I had even tried to get the camera out - no matter where the lens was pointing it would have been a full scale P**** alert.

As dcash29 says though - why were the parents letting the children play naked? If I had children I certainly wouldn't...
 
Nick T said:
Yeah, you can say it's common sense - and the photo I wanted to take was in a slightly different area to where the children were... But the point I was making was if I had even tried to get the camera out - no matter where the lens was pointing it would have been a full scale P**** alert...
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so eeerm.. sorry am I missing something.. if you set up a camera and there are children in view and these are naked or even semi naked about to go swimming or whatever... its common sense to have alarm bells go off .. from you as the photographer..

I mean for crying out loud we cant all keep saying "but we are allowed" .. using some common sense ? has to come into play now and then..
 
It is a sad world we live in.... i took my lilttle boy and nephew to the public park the other day, and with me, took my camera.... it was only me and the two kids there until a women with around 6 children turned up.

I was taking shots of my lad and my nephew (before they turned up), until the women came up and asked me if i could stop taking pics while her kids were there too!!! I wanted to argue the point that i was taking shots of my kids and that we were there well before they turned up, but thought to myself, it just aint worth causing a fuss over (in front of the little ones)

It did up set me when my little boy asked why i didnt take any pics of him jumping of the swing :(
 
KIPAX said:
so eeerm.. sorry am I missing something.. if you set up a camera and there are children in view and these are naked or even semi naked about to go swimming or whatever... its common sense to have alarm bells go off .. from you as the photographer..

I mean for crying out loud we cant all keep saying "but we are allowed" .. using some common sense ? has to come into play now and then..
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I don't really see where you are coming from... I applied the common sense by not getting the camera out and shooting :shrug:

... and the family arguably didn't show any by letting their children play naked in a very public place.
 
KIPAX said:
I mean for crying out loud we cant all keep saying "but we are allowed" .. using some common sense ? has to come into play now and then..
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I do agree with what your saying.... if i had to let my kid be naked (not that i would) in a public place and someone pulled out a camera, i would raise a few eyebrows, regardless if they said they are a photographer... its just something you wouldnt even attempt to do or even go ask about

But then on the secondhand, why would you let kids be naked in public, i understand half naked or something but not totaly
 
Nick T said:
Yeah, you can say it's common sense - and the photo I wanted to take was in a slightly different area to where the children were... But the point I was making was if I had even tried to get the camera out - no matter where the lens was pointing it would have been a full scale P**** alert.

As dcash29 says though - why were the parents letting the children play naked? If I had children I certainly wouldn't...
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KIPAX said:
so eeerm.. sorry am I missing something.. if you set up a camera and there are children in view and these are naked or even semi naked about to go swimming or whatever... its common sense to have alarm bells go off .. from you as the photographer..

I mean for crying out loud we cant all keep saying "but we are allowed" .. using some common sense ? has to come into play now and then..
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So what if there are children in view but not in frame?

As it was indicated, he wanted a different view but chose not to get the camera out because there were children in the vicinity

Methinks you need to read the post a little more. To help out I have put the important bit on bold.
 
You are "allowed" to do lots of things, but thats not to say you won't get punched in the face and your camera smashed.

Ok, so those actions would be assault and criminal damage on you, but thats not to say it won't happen.

Have a little common sense?
 
I'd be less worried about the "public places issue" (which only applies to pro's and is more designed to protect people not wanting their photo's taken, ie: JK Rowling) and more worried about the "orphans" part of the bill which will allow all your shots not plastered with your contact details to be used without a licence effectively...
 
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