Photographers Have Rights Too!

By Krishanna Spencer

One of the things heard being discussed around the Gallery is what photographers can photograph and what they cannot. Here's a scenario: You are out strolling around, photographing interesting stuff. You come across a terrific landscape that has a complete stranger in it. Without that person's silhouette in the composition, you have no terrific photo. What do you do? Go ahead and take the picture?  And if you do,  do you need the person's permission order to print or sell the photograph?

I've always thought not and in asking around, I've found that ideas and opinions about this vary greatly. So off I went in search of some conclusive answers for myself. In fact, there are, surprisingly, very few restrictions on what and who can be photographed in the public view.

At this point though, I need to make you perfectly aware that although I'm devastatingly savvy, awesomely bright, and a talented writer, I'm not not a lawyer and none of this is legal advice.

A lot of this information was gleaned from attorney Bert P. Krages‘ website, which was chockfull of terrific and useful information about copyright, photography and art law and bunches of other useful stuff. There's even a downloadable PDF called the Photographers Right that covers quick access to your rights and obligations concerning confrontations over photography all in a handy-dandy flyer. So remember! If you have a legal issue, get in touch with a lawyer, not me or 12 12 Gallery!