Street Photography Question

I've seen numerous street photos with a lot of people in the foreground, background, etc. My question is, before you take the shot, do you ask the people if it is OK to photograph them or do you snap the picture without them knowing? Some photos show the people as they are walking by and they don't know they are being photographed. Others look like they are posing.....just wondering

To my knowledge, in most places, if people are in a public place there is no expectation of privacy. As long as you are not defaming or degrading them when using or displaying your photos there isn't anything they can do about it.

I think it changes if you sell those photographs for profit though.

My street photography is pretty bad but, philosophically speaking, if I see the shot I take it. Nine times out of ten, that's all there is to it. I don't try to be furtive about what I'm doing, I just take the shots I want as they present themselves. Sometimes I see someone I want to photograph and I'll ask them to pose for me because there's something that puts them in context, for example, or there's an aspect that makes the shot critical that I want to control. If they decline, I thank them and that's the end of it.

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In the USA what Mike and Fish are saying it true. As long as you are in a public place when shooting it is legal even if what you are shooting is not. If you can see it without special equipment then it is fair game. I do think you can sell or display all photos you shoot in public places without any problems. You may get sued but you will probably win. Morally what you shoot is up to you.

Now other countries from what I have seen here is a different story.

Here in Thailand no problem. But me, I ask people if I take a close up. (Street-vendors, noodle shop-worker, etc. If I see something nice and it seems to be a candid shot I will afterwards. I would like to say I ask people 50% of the time.

I think it would be nice if I do something, and someone take my photo, that I get asked. Therefore I do it too.

But if situation like temples, marketplace, etc. I don't ask that much if it is not a very close-up.

Don Kuykendall said:

In the USA what Mike and Fish are saying it true. As long as you are in a public place when shooting it is legal even if what you are shooting is not. If you can see it without special equipment then it is fair game. I do think you can sell or display all photos you shoot in public places without any problems. You may get sued but you will probably win. Morally what you shoot is up to you.

Now other countries from what I have seen here is a different story.

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Same in the UK. A lot of folks are confused about data protection/privacy (such that, for years, people thought it illegal to film (for instance) school plays) but it's all okay. Many, such as illegal wheel clampers, will claim it is against the law but, in legal parlance, they're talking bollocks. For serving police officers and the like it IS and offence and on private property ditto. Otherwise, game on!