Taking pictures in the city of Detroit

[Switchmanjim]

http://www.copblock.org/cameramap/

[smogboy]

Exterior of a building from a public vantage point? Not an issue.

From within a building, they can limit you though.

Years ago I was doing some work for a company downtown and I was to gather reference about their interior. So I took the trusty camera and starting snapping various shots of their interior. I was quickly confronted by a manager who was firm and yet understanding. He told me that taking pictures inside of a store could also be used to case the place for security issues and his company's policy was to not allow anyone to take pictures of their store from the inside.

I deleted the pics in front of the manager and we were cool. I had to go back to corporate to get their permission the next day but I played it their way and took the proper route in obtaining what could've been sensitive pictures.

[wolverine]

Of all the times I took pictures in Detroit, I can't think of a time I've ever been approached by a cop or security guard and told to stop taking pictures.

When on private property, like an office building lobby, I usually ask security and they are almost always okay with it.

Taking pictures on a public street of buildings or "non-human objects" is 100% legal. Taking photos of people for the sake of taking photos of people is almost always considered legal. Using or publishing those photos online though is another story. If a photo taken without someone's permission is published and misrepresents the situation, they could actually sue, and win...but that's incredibly rare and very hard to prove. Also taking photos through the glass of a storefront from a public sidewalk and publishing that photo can also put you at legal risk if the business can prove the photo compromises their security.....but again very difficult and time consuming to prove. I should point out that photographers should use some discretion and think on the other side of the lens sometimes if the subject may be controversial.

If a cop were to ask me to stop taking photos, I'd be polite and stop. No sense making a scene. But that doesn't mean you can't do something. Get the cop's name and badge number. Make a complaint, or tell it online. If the issue gets public notice, the department may respond and correct the problem through education. But this situation seems incredibly rare. Rent a cop? Absolutely. Police officer, probably never. In fact, most cops see people holding cameras as tourists. I've been asked what I was taking photos of and when I said "architecture" it was followed by dozens of recommendations of great neighborhoods to photograph.

I remember in Philadelphia, I asked a parking garage attendant if I could photograph from the roof. They gave me permission and later came up and said that if I wanted access to more buildings he could arrange it. He called security to 5 other buildings and I got superb evening shots of the Philadelphia skyline. Out of the 1000 photos I took of the city, those photos were the absolute best with the rest practically throwaway. What an opportunity I would have missed had I not asked.