Photography is Legal

On October 31, 2009 while on his way home from the Hollywood and Highland area, Photography Rights Activist Discarted was unlawfully detained for 25 minutes by LASD Officers for taking two photographs of the turnstiles located at the Hollywood and Western Metro Station — an act that is completely legal and occurred in public space.

"Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism (the collecting, editing, and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast) that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, and in some cases to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such as documentary photography, street photography or celebrity photography) by the qualities of:

* Timeliness — the images have meaning in the context of a recently published record of events.

* Objectivity — the situation implied by the images is a fair and accurate representation of the events they depict in both content and tone.

* Narrative — the images combine with other news elements to make facts relatable to the viewer or reader on a cultural level.

Like a writer, a photojournalist is a reporter but he or she must often make decisions instantly and carry photographic equipment, often while exposed to significant obstacles (physical danger, weather, crowds)."

Photographer’s rights are being violated daily - read the horror stories here…

PhotoRights.org exists to document and record the actions of those who through lack of comprehension, bone-headed officiousness, vested interest or malice, wish to contain and control photography.

Australian street photography legal issues

A short guide to photographers rights in the UK.

Informative blog by Carolyn E. Wright, a photographer and an attorney who works for photographers.

A Downloadable Flyer Explaining Your Rights When Stopped or Confronted for Photography

The Photographer’s Right is a downloadable guide that is loosely based on the Bust Card and the Know Your Rights pamphlet that used to be available on the ACLU website.