Etiquette of taking photos of strangers

Andre L, I agree with others here that it's a bit of a "tricky" subject, and one that's difficult to come up with clear guidelines for. Photography is a big part of my travels, and I try to capture the "character" of the places I visit, which sometimes includes people. Most of my shots have been scenery or architecture, but I often wish I had more "people" photos. For some reason, I haven't got a lot of people shots, which is unfortunate as they often provide the best examples of the character. I always resolve to get more on the next trip, but somehow I usually end up sticking with scenery or street scenes, and while there may be people in those they often can't be seen clearly. I also try to avoid taking photos of children, but there are occasional "exceptions". On a Photo Workshop in Tuscany, the Instructor pointed out a good shot of a group of high school students in front of a Bar. They were all facing away from the Camera and wearing coats, so it wasn't possible to identify any of them. I always try to be polite and respectful, and always make a "donation" if I taking photos of street performers. I agree with others here that while it would be nice to always ask permission when taking photos of locals, in some cases it's better to have spontaneity rather than a "posed" shot. With the right Lens, I can do that from a distance so that I don't make people uncomfortable. I'm often handed a Camera and asked to take photos of others. There are usually some of the locals or street performers in the background, and it's difficult to avoid that. The "people aspect" is something I often struggle with when I'm travelling. Cheers!

I always ask. A simple smile and "Photo OK?" seems to work in any language. If they say no or seem uncomfortable, I walk on. It's just common courtesy, don't you think? I wouldn't like a stranger taking a photo of me without my OK.

It's very tricky. It's polite to ask, but then you loose the "spontaneity of the moment", and it may be a completely different photo. From legal point of view, one has the right to take images of people out in public for non-commercial use. But it can be also be considered rude, and intrusive. Also some folks can get away with it, others not so much. Take NY Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham. Most New Yorkers would be honored to have him snapping photos while walking down the street. If a Japanese tourist did the same then those same people might direct obscenities at them.

I always ask and have never beeen turned down. If the person is some distance away I will have my wife stand in front of me, like I'm taking her picture. I'm not. I'm aiming my telephoto lens (Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS9) over her shoulder to photograph what's behind her. Or, I take shots from behind which sometimes are more interesting.

I should preface this by saying I'm not someone who finds a camera indispensable while traveling. (In fact, I often travel without one at all, which I think bugs my husband when I return from someplace he's never been with no photos at all.) I share the sense that taking photos of people can often seem intrusive and creepy, especially when the photo target can see you doing it. It seems like that is symbolically treating them as an object rather than as a person, perhaps. Having said that, I have a series of beautiful photos I took of an elderly Chinese woman doing tai chi at sunrise in the courtyard in front of a small temple in a small town outside Guangzhou that to me symbolizes the resilience of Chinese culture in the face of a modern world. The photo would be entirely different if I had approached her and asked to take her picture, posing and smiling for the camera. I'm less creeped out by photos of cars and houses, I think. If you park your Bugatti or antique Morris Minor anywhere my husband happens to be, I guarantee he'll be the old guy snapping photos of it. They're of no interest at all to me, but I don't have the same kind of 'creepy' reaction to that. And I have photos of cottages in the Cotswolds, hutongs in Beijing, Victorian gingerbread houses in San Antonio; I am sure that somebody lived there but it didn't seem to me the same kind of invasiveness as taking a photo in somebody's face. One other consideration is that in a lot of touristed places, people make money by charging tourists for the privilege of taking their photos. Obviously in those circumstances, sneaking in a shot without paying is wrong, and taking a photo after paying seems fine to me.

I'm certainly not limiting myself to the legal aspects of it, like many photos are legal but bad manners. With face recognition becoming more ubiquitous, including passive face recognition in social network websites and else, I think attitudes of people towards photos will change. Personally, I don't like photos of people, including myself. I'd rather have an empty place or only with anonymous (from distance, just blurs in a plaza or beach) people that can't be identified in any way. However, for some people capturing these scenes are apparently a huge deal. Once I had a friend who got in the occasional trouble in Italy because she was so fascinated by the Italian people doing simple things, especially in the countryside, that she felt she needed to take pics of them, sometimes intrusively (I'd just distance myself from her and let her deal with the angry reactions alone after the 3rd time lol). Now... what I found really creepy and unacceptable is for someone, anyone take pictures of strange kids without clearly asking the parents beforehand. I've seen a fair deal of "excuse me, what are you doing", then "Oh, sorry, it is just that your toddler/baby/infant is so cute".

Not to hijack your thread, but when you said that you don't like pictures of people, including yourself, it made me think about something I've never understood. Namely, the compulsion a lot of people have to have their picture taken standing in front of some famous place. For those who just want pictures of the place itself, they'll have to either wait out the groups of posing people or just eventually settle for a photo with somebody else in the foreground posing. You see this everywhere, but it is especially ubiquitous in East Asia. Try to get a photo of a pagoda picturesquely sited in a misty mountain scene without anyone in the shot, I dare you! On the other hand, I have discovered that learning to say "would you like me to take your picture here?" in the local language is often considered a polite and much appreciated gesture.

I also tend to take more photos of things rather than people. And I'm not big on having photos of myself in front of a landmark. A few pictures of myself and my friends per trip is enough for me. I post photos to Flickr so I try to be very careful with other peoples' privacy. One exception is street performers (I always give a tip) and anyone in an official capacity (like the royal guards in London). As far as I'm concerned they are fair game because they don't have an expectation of privacy while they work. Kids are definitely off limits to me. I also have friends who sometimes don't know when to put the camera away. I often react the same way as Andre... I quietly walk away from them.

In England, it may be against the law to take pictures of children. We were in the British Museum and we saw a wonderful group of school children drawing pictures of the statues. As we began taking pictures, guards immediately rushed us and told us to stop and that we couldn't take pictures of the school children.

Though not so much a situation in Europe, in some countries there is a religious aspect to this, that is it is considered taking someones soul when a photo of them is taken. So just be aware that what one might consider innocent another might or will consider religiously and or culturally intrusive and very upsetting.

When I was in Venice in December, I saw a very cute dog and really wanted to take his picture. I asked the owner if I could and he was flattered! When I was in Buenos Aires last year I saw a man walking about 20 dogs at one time. He was resting with the dogs in a park and I asked him If I can take a picture. Just in case if he didn't understand me I pointed at the dogs and then pointed to my camera. He said yes. I guess you can tell I love dogs! I have some great pictures of dogs and cats in Europe! So far I find that people are flattered when I want to take a picture, but I would never take a picture of a person or a pet without asking first.

It's something I personally rarely do, but one of my favourite overseas photos was taken last year in Avignon. We were walking back to our B & B after dinner through the narrow cobbled streets when we came across a group of young children playing outside the door of their house which opened right onto the street. The moment resonated with me, who like most Aussies, owns a home on a quarter acre block with large areas of garden both front and rear. An adult came out of the house and I asked if I could take a photo of the children. He said yes and then invited two complete strangers into the front room of his house filled with friends and relatives to have a drink and share the birthday cake.
It was a wonderful moment we will remember forever. None of us could communicate verbally, but we shared a lovely 15 minutes and some great red wine. My smattering of high school French caused much mirth among the children.

I've struggled with this on occasion. I like people pictures, but I hate the idea of intruding on privacy, I especially hate the implied condescension in certain situations. I would hate if someone from NYC came to my hometown and said, "Oh, you're such a wonderful example of an unfashionable mid-western slob; can I take a picture of you?" However, I don't think the oh-aren't-you-quaint attitude is the basis of the people pictures I like to take. Basically, if the people are part of the scene, especially if it's a group so that no one is singled out, I feel okay taking the picture. I've taken a picture of a street performer with a wide angle so that I could get the picture I actually wanted which was the crowd watching with rapt fascination. I love that pic; and yes, I tipped the performer. I also have a picture of a crowd of football (soccer) fans celebrating a victory with flags and scarves waving. There is no way of identifying individuals, and it was the color of the bright red flags and scarves against a brilliant blue sky that I really liked. I don't usually take pictures of houses, but I have a weakness for Trebants; I think they are adorable and I can't resist photographing the brightly painted ones.

In regard of house photography, I was referring to close-up photos taken from the interiors from windows and such. Here in The Netherlands, where I am now living, it is common for certain type of neighborhood to have houses aligned right on the street, without a garage, garden or other buffer, with huge windows. Sometimes I stumble upon people finding the decor and the apparatus on the windows (curtains, porcelain attachments etc.) so "cute" and then start taking pics that clearly show the inside of a house. (It's off topic, but a watered-down and smaller version of the all-American "suburban house" is gaining popularity in the country, and people now have more expectations of a private garden, which is a good trend IMO) Interestingly enough, the most "intrusive" photographers I've stumbled upon are not the typical tourist with a hat, Hawaiian shorts and sandals with tight socks, but the semi-pro photographer with nice cameras/gear trying to get the best angle.

I like to take pics of food in markets and shops. I do try to buy some cheese or produce first, and then I always ask. No one has refused, and I hope I haven't made anyone mad.

I try to mix up taking pictures of people/things. For street scenes, I don't worry about asking permission of the 100 or so people in the picture. When I take a picture of someone's dog, I'll ask if it's okay. Usually they don't mind as long as you ask. When I take a portrait of a specific person or family, I'll generally ask. I got in a little trouble taking a candid of a Russian lady lighting a candle in church. It was such a great candid, and I didn't use a flash, but it was inappropriate. Entertainers are fair game but, if it's a street performer, you should tip them something. Years ago we sent photos from a trip to our in-laws. They wanted to know why we weren't in any of the photos; since then I try to get us into at least some of the pictures.

Thanks to tabloid press rabble-rousing there is massive paranoia about pedophilia in the UK. You may get hassle if you're female or one of a mixed-sex group but if you're a lone male and you take a picture of a child there's a high chance that you'll get your camera smashed and possibly get handed over to the nearest cop or just beaten to a pulp.

Today I noticed a sign as I was coming onto my college campus notifying entrants that, by entering campus, they were agreeing to having their photograph taken in connection with campus activities and potentially used in university electronic and print publications. Never noticed this before, but thought it interesting in light of this thread.

Often my pictures "require" the presence of a person to make it more interesting. However, I don't take pix of people's faces. A view from the back or side is fine; I just want a person in the frame.

I was thinking along the same lines as Philip, although this issue certainly transcends Europe. You had better be careful about taking photos of kids anywhere, less you get seriously messed up by a parent or anyone else who thinks you're a freakin' creeper. It's different if you're normal and ask first...recall a time years ago when a group of Japanese tourists at Williamsburg asked if it would be okay to take photos of a beautiful, blond baby girl in our traveling party...no problem. I don't randomly photograph people, but they always end up in many of my shots of plazas, streets, concerts, tourist sites, etc. When looking through photos later, I'll notice someone – a couple, another tourist, whomever - and can't help but wonder how many random vacation photos belonging to someone else I may be in without ever knowing it. Who took the photos, and where are they from? Do those people ever think – there's that guy – he doesn't even know he's in our photo. And do they then ever wonder about photos they may in without knowing it?

Isn't it funny that today we have some who are so paranoid about getting their picture taken, and others who plaster themselves all over the internet? It doesn't make either one right or wrong, just interesting the way our society's views on privacy and publication are rapidly changing.

In 1995 we made a brief visit to Gorzalec, Poland. Two instances happened. First I was taking pictures on the street of a food cart. The owner began to yell at me in Polish. So I just walked away. I began to notice people on the street were shying away from the camera. The second instance happened in a small liquor store. My friend bought some vodka. He wanted to take a picture of the older lady behind the counter. He rose his camera, she screamed and ran. She didn't just turn her head she ran out of fear. I thought she was crazy. It was suggested to me that there were still lingering memories of the KGB in some countries. They explained it this way. Strangers come to town, they take your picture and weeks later you're never heard from again. I found out later that in Poland it's considered rude to take photos of someone's home or property if you don't know them. I don't take pictures of strangers (especially children) without their approval. People watching does not bother me though. Personally, I would rather be looked at then ignored.

Philip, it is not "massive paranoia". Perfectly "innocent" photos of children's faces can be photo-shopped onto other, very unsavory, images. The creep's defense attorney argues that no crime was committed because the image is "virtual" and there is no victim. I don't think they get away with it, but the harm has been done.

Michael of Des Moines said, I don't randomly photograph people, but they always end up in many of my shots of plazas, streets, concerts, tourist sites, etc. When looking through photos later, I'll notice someone – a couple, another tourist, whomever - and can't help but wonder how many random vacation photos belonging to someone else I may be in without ever knowing it. Who took the photos, and where are they from? Do those people ever think – there's that guy – he doesn't even know he's in our photo. And do they then ever wonder about photos they may in without knowing it? My travel photos pop up as a screen saver so I often see my pictures, and I almost always think the same thing! I especially love the ones of someone taking a picture of something behind me as I photograph something behind them. I also wonder if I have any pictures of Helpline contributors :)

I don't take pics of kids, but when I was in Japan in the early 90s they have a day where all the 4 year olds dress up and go to the temples, I did take a lot of pictures there an no one was offended. Of course,t hat was the ealry 90s. I take pics of houses if they're interesting, and gardens, and no one has ever come running out to yell at me.

I love to "people watch," but from a park bench, or just strolling along. Anything more obvious could be interpreted as rude, or even stalking. I have hundreds of photos of strangers in my travels, but I think distance is the rule. ie. my cameras all have some sort of zoom, and you can discreetly zoom in to an interesting person without them knowing. I agree with other posters, though, that if you are within earshot, the polite thing to do is just ask. I have never been turned down, and most people are proud to accomodate. Sometimes, they will even ask if I would like to pose with them, which turns into an added bonus!

To remove us from a subject a telephoto lens is used often in crowded conditions (a town square or street scene) and taken from a low profile position to bring home the character of the people or event. Often we get and interesting close up of a face with many years of wear and tear etched on it. With a standard lens, when shooting a "shop owner" or "up close event--drinking tea and playing backgammon", we usually ask permission (which certainly changes the spontaneity of the photo. We have shot a number of children's events, with permission or when other cameras were in use (in Turkey a rural school international dance festival). Our ETBD tours and own travel in Europe photos number +30K--they are strictly for a personal record of our travels; and the scenery plus people are major reasons for why we travel.