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The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography

Posted on 27 April 2008
Tags: Legal Issues, Photography Tips

A few years back, I took a basic photography course at my local community college. I loved to take pictures. I wasn’t bad, but I thought some formal training would make my photos even better (it did.)

One of the habits I developed then was to carry my camera with me everywhere. So I had it around my neck when I went to a local flea market. I got some great shots on black-and-white film of creepy marionettes and dark hallways lined with books.

As I was lining up my next shot, a voice came from behind me. “Hey, you can’t take pictures here.” A burly tattooed man who was selling some beat up tools was walking towards me. “This is private property.”

I pointed out that I wasn’t taking pictures of him or his belongings, but he was insistent. “This is private property and unless you have permission from the owner, you aren’t allowed to take pictures.” Since he had more tattoos, muscles and sledgehammers than I did, I agreed and moved on.

But truthfully, I was pretty sure I could take photos there — but I wasn’t positive. Later, I learned that you can take pictures on private property as long as it is a public place, unless you are asked not to by the owner (or if there are posted signs.) Mr. Tattoo had no right to tell me I couldn’t shoot photos.

If you start taking pictures on a regular basis, this kind of thing happens all the time. I found a great article over at Photojojo that lists The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography. It’s a fantastic resource, and worth printing out and throwing in your camera bag. While it’s never worth getting into a fistfight, sometimes just knowing the law can help you defuse a situation with an over-caffeinated mall cop or even the real police.

The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography

I. Anyone in a public place can take pictures of anything they want. Public places include parks, sidewalks, malls, etc. Malls? Yeah. Even though it’s technically private property, being open to the public makes it public space.

II. If you are on public property, you can take pictures of private property. If a building, for example, is visible from the sidewalk, it’s fair game.

Where’s the rest of the list? Well, you need to visit the original post to get that. It’s not cool to steal someone else’s content.

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