Ever been in a situation with your camera when you’ve really wanted to take a shot, but thought: “Damn, is this even legal?” “Can I take a photo of someone in the street?” “ Can I photograph a public building? Can I sell those photos?”

You’re not the only one. Both Toby and Mez have been there, and have plenty of stories about run-ins with the authorities and one particularly dramatic occasion that put Mez at the centre of anti-terrorism laws. But what is the law? Listen in as our dynamic duo arms you with all the information you need to be able to shoot freely and fight back when someone says you can’t. 

Mez and Toby give some great and full on examples of situations they have been in where security an even the police have stopped them from taking photos. 

We go into how no one really knows the laws around what and where is legal to photograph and how security are often misinformed.  

We discuss briefly the situation in 2015 with Ken Duncan, when he was stopped from photographing at Barangaroo in Sydney. 

So…  What are our rights in Australia?

We go through the ‘Street Photography’ Arts Council Australia Document that sets out clearly where and what you can photograph.

WE GET TECHNICAL! Lots of Do’s and Don’ts

We cover:

• Can I photograph people on the street in public?
• What is a public place?
• Can I photograph people on private property?
• Can I photograph people FROM a private property?
• What to do if someone on the street confronts you
• Photographing people for commercial uses
• What is deemed as commercial use?
• When do I need permission?
• Can I photograph buildings?
• What are the exemptions when photographing people legally in public?
• How councils and certain areas of Australia have special rules and regulations around where you can photograph and where and when you need a permit. 
• Knowing your rights and how to deal with security, the public and police.