what's the etiquette for photographing strangers?

Wookie

Wookie

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Name
Lawrence
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Yes
what should I do?
do I need to get permission off people before photographing them?, after?
do I need permission?

life gets more complicated with rules and laws in this country.
For example: The local school had to follow official guidelines and banned photographing the kids during the school play a couple of years ago unless absolutely everyone sent a form in saying it was OK for their kids to be photographed, and we know how reliable school letters and forms are :cuckoo:.
Luckily the headmaster saw sense and declared it a school rule that photography is allowed unless someone has objected in writing.

So where do I stand if I take photo's of my kids playing football and I get other kids in the shot? do I have to ask their parents permission to display the photo? must I delete it?

Am I allowed to take photos of other people, or their kids?

On another forum I'm on (motorbike club) one member had video surveillance looking out to the street where his motorcycle was stolen, offering the tape as evidence to the police it was refused and he was warned he could be prosecuted for pointing a camera at a public place

It all makes me nervous to take a camera out other than for socially acceptable holiday snaps of my own family.

I've had a few photos published in the motorbike club magazine (got one on the front cover :clap:) and frequently stick links on the bike forum to uploaded photos. Am I a criminal?
 
You can photograph in a public place. Simple as, end of.

What you can't do is use an image commercially (for profit or gain) that contains a recognisable person, trademark, property or anything really without a written release to do so from said person or owner of property.
 
Basically, you don't have to ask permission to photograph anyone in a public place including kids. Don't let anyone tell you different. If you intend to sell the shots then you'll need the person(s) to sign model release forms if they're a main part of the picture.- not if (for example) they're just a face in a crowd.

On private property the owners/managers/ organisers can set any ground rules they like. This includes normally public parks where for example school sports are being held.

Most schools now take the attitude that if you photograph your kid at a school sports day, you must have the permission of the parents of any child likely to appear in the shots, which in practice means all the parents. Even then the headmaster can still play his joker and veto it. It's all part of the PC madness taking over the world. :shrug:

There are not however any laws you're in danger of breaking which cover this at all. If you feel you're in the right - stand your ground. If you know you're not and can't persuade people to let you get on with it then know when to back down.

The only way I can see the law getting involved is if you push a situation to the extent that there's the danger of a Breach Of The Peace developing, and The Old Bill being called.
 
If people challenge you for photographing them in the street, show 'em the shot and offer to send them a print. It's surprising how co-operative they can become. ;)
 
Here is a link to a guide to UK Photographers Rights as produced by a lecturer in UK law. It should answer most of your questions.

The problem we face is that most people don't have a clue as to what is legal in this arena and what is not and that includes the police unfortunately :(.

Hope the guide helps

EDIT - beaten by LL :p
 
I have pushed the buttons too! I always feel very awkward taking photos where there are a lot of people, in case they come after me. This helps to make things a bit clearer. Thank you both!
 
Like many, I have found street photography an awkward thing to do. I am ok if the people are not the main subject, for instance, taking pictures of buildings that happen to have people around them, but actual pictures of people I struggle with. So, my tip for the day if you like, and something I discovered last weekend.

To break yourself in, try attending a 'people' event or three. In my case, it was the Diwali celebrations in trafalgar square, where there were lots of togs around and people were in a way, expecting to have their photograph taken. I posted some of the results here and got quite good feedback, so feeling a little more confident, I was wondering round london generally last thursday, and took several genuine 'street' shots. Yes, they are very uninteresting to be honest, but already feeling more confident about doing it, so the next step is to be able to ask someone if they dont mind their picture taken, which I am quite determined to acheive this weekend when once again out in London for the Lord Mayors celebrations.

So to summarise that rambling, build your confidence slowly when waving the camera around people ;)
 
I have read somewhere that the European Human Rights Act 1998 covers this and you can shoot what you like freedom of expression type of thing.

It was on the tinternet somewhere giving what section and paragraph it was.
 
thanks for all the input so far, been doing lots of button pushing apologies if I miss anyone

As I read it you can basically photograph (& distribute the results) who and what you like without permission as long as
- its for non-commercial use
- its a public place (even if on private property)
- its not on or of MOD or courts,
- visible rules specify no-photography on entry or until you are asked not to if you are standing on private property (but still OK looking towards the private property from elsewhere)
- its not a deliberate recreation of somebody else's photo
- its not an image with the main subject being somebody famous or a trademark

and all this goes out the window if you get permission first from a person runjing the establishment.

have I got that right?

if I've got the basics there are a couple of related questions:

what's this "model release form", is it to allow commercial use of a photo of somebody (the 'model'), or is it a 'standard example' type model of a "release form" for commercial use of photos of anything? (& where would I find one?, . . . is it a good idea for an amateur snapper to worry about this?)

If something gets published by somebody else (with my permission) even though I don't get paid does it become "commercial" (thinking photos that go into the motorcycle club magazine, the club gets paid for the magazine by membership subscription and there is a further charge for additional copies & copies to non-members)? Can anybody follow me on that?

cheers
Lawrence
 
Wookie said:
As I read it you can basically photograph (& distribute the results) who and what you like without permission as long as
- its for non-commercial use
- its a public place (even if on private property)
- its not on or of MOD or courts,
- visible rules specify no-photography on entry or until you are asked not to if you are standing on private property (but still OK looking towards the private property from elsewhere)
- its not a deliberate recreation of somebody else's photo
- its not an image with the main subject being somebody famous or a trademark
Click to expand...

so if you cant take someones photo for comercial use without their consent, how do paparazzi get away with it? they must surely be doing it for both comercial reasons and without the famous person's consent.
 
kingborris said:
so if you cant take someones photo for comercial use without their consent, how do paparazzi get away with it? they must surely be doing it for both comercial reasons and without the famous person's consent.
Click to expand...

This is a great point. Can anyone answer it?
 
According to that PDF on photographers rights, no person in a public place should have an expectation of privacy, and under UK law no model release is required, and pictures can be taken, and subsequently published.

The lack of any coherent law of privacy in the UK means that photographers are not only free to take photographs of people in public places, but they can use those photos as they wish, including for commercial gain. Linda Macpherson
Click to expand...
 
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