Comments on: Your Rights As A Photographer

By: marilyn's shampoo

marilyn's shampoo — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 22:40:19 +0000

this is a really interesting topic and, as allready stated, i think the debate is more a moral one than legal. it’s something i’ve been thinking about a lot with the upsurge in flickr usage and people very much photographically documenting their lives (and thereby their friends) online. being the vain creature i am i would hate to have one of my friends publish unflattering 3am photos of me on flickr yet legally i wouldn’t have a leg to stand on as, creatively, it is their property. once commerce becomes involved it is a far more thorny issue as you are directly profiting from someone elses likeness.

i guess, ultimately, as with paparazzi it comes down to whether you can sleep at night or not!

By: marilyn's shampoo

marilyn's shampoo — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 22:40:19 +0000

i guess, ultimately, as with paparazzi it comes down to whether you can sleep at night or not!

By: Adrian

Adrian — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:24:02 +0000

For more of a moral slant, PhotoCritic.com added some thoughts to my post. Just because you can, legally, doesn't necessarily mean you should, morally.

By: Adrian Hanft

Adrian Hanft — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 22:54:58 +0000

The way I understand it, the paparazzi aren’t breaking any laws as long as they aren’t invading someone’s privacy. Even though selling the photo of a celebrity to a tabloid seems like a commercial purpose, I think it is protected by the law. I am starting to get in over my head when I try to understand point number three, though.

I have mixed feelings about the Paparazzi. They definitely aren’t “crusaders of photographers’ rights,” but I don’t really think the laws should be changed to make it illegal to take photos in public. Maybe I will change my mind when I get famous…

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 22:13:49 +0000

It would seem the Paparazzi would fail test #3… based on the fact that they typically sell those pictures for a hefty profit.

Then again, maybe they just risk their personal well being and expensive gear getting those shots out of pure adoration for the celebrities themselves. Who knows.

Great post, by the way.

By: Bennett

Bennett — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:19:01 +0000

These are good topics to bring up, and things I have wondered about while taking BA photos in public. Luckily I am not taking photos of people, but of signage.

So what do you think of the Paparazzi? Are they crusaders of photographers rights or are they low-life scum that capitalize on other people’s success?

Even if we have the right to take photos of people in public spaces, isn’t there an ethical standard that a photographer has to take into account when considering the beliefs and/or feelings of others.