The ethics of shooting people on the street.

One of the things I do struggle with when taking photos of people on the street is the question of ethics. Is it ethical to capture an image of someone without their permission? In Australia, as in the UK, it is legal to do this. But nevertheless there is a certain uncomfortableness or feeling that I am doing something illegal each time I lift my camera and frame somebody. Here is a nice summary of street photographers rights in Australia. This is perhaps the best discussion of this topic that I have seen. The UK based professional photographer Sean Tucker looks at the art and responsibilities of capturing the unguarded moment. Sean has a new book on street photography that will be released in Australia next month. I am very much looking forward to snagging a copy. Of course you could always consider throwing a couple of bucks into my coffee jar to help sweeten the purchase: Buy me a Coffee.