It happens to almost every photographer. You snap a photo on the street, and suddenly someone who was in it either gets self-conscious--or downright angry. But, like any good photographer, you know your rights: It’s perfectly legal to take a photo of someone in a public place (at least in the U.S.).
But what about other countries? And what about the rights of the person who is the subject of the photo? Do they have a right to prevent you from taking a photo? That’s when you get into some messy territory.
In March, Hungary enacted a law that requires photographers to ask permission to photograph anyone who could be easily identified in the final result. As reported in The Guardian, photojournalist Ákos Stiller posed some good questions:
"Can we take photos of strangers: say people looking at a shop window? Do we shoot first and ask permission later?"
In April, people in London struck back at a Facebook group called “Women Who Eat on Tubes,” which showcases photos of women eating during their commute on the London public transit system. What the group owners are doing is legal, but again, it raises questions on how far is “too far” when it comes to street photography.