Paris Metro Shots

[Designer]

Difficult decision about whether to take pictures or not. Could you be sued by the man or his family?

Even if he a a couple of glasses of wine, it still seems unlikely that he fell due to being drunk. He might have had some other medical condition which made him faint.

Oh, well, I love all your pictures of Paris. Thank you again!

 

[Dp-PARIS]

Thanks, very kind!

Not sure I can be sued. Could argue public interest for a public accident plus not using the photo commercially. In France though, the laws are tough. You are supposed to ensure people, sometimes even property is not recognizable, though I think that covers mainly commerical use of the photo.

 

[RobN185]

Thanks, very kind!

Not sure I can be sued. Could argue public interest for a public accident plus not using the photo commercially. In France though, the laws are tough. You are supposed to ensure people, sometimes even property is not recognizable, though I think that covers mainly commerical use of the photo.

French law regarding image privacy can certainly be tough...


1. French Penal Law (Article 226.1-226.9)
States that an individual's right to privacy is protected when they are in a private place, therefore it is not permitted to record/photograph anyone in a private place, without their consent.

Definition of a "private place" is a place where someone's permission must be sought to gain access there.

Therefore, conversely, in a public place an individual's right to privacy is NOT protected, so photography can take place freely (as in the UK)

BUT

2. The French Civil Code (Article 9)
States that everyone has a right to respect for their private life, this includes the right to oppose the dissemination of his or her picture (an attribute of personality). In civil law, this applies equally in both a private or public place.
Damages are commensurate with the degree of damage caused to the individual by the publication of the image. This is normally taken up by members of the" celebrity" and "political" circles and not by the "man in the street", however his rights are exactly the same.
This part sets France apart with respect to "Candid" or "Street Photography". However, Youtube, Flickr, Facebook and the like have thousands of images that openly flaunt this civil code, probably on the basis that you have more chance of winning the lottery than having a claim for damages for publishing a harmless image of a stranger.

Whilst researching this, I found a few other strange facts about "freedom" of photography in France.

1. It is illegal to photograph the police or their vehicles (even as part of a crowd scene!)

2. A part of the penal law, prohibits the publication, by any means, of photographs, prints, drawings or portraits which reproduce all or part of the circumstances of a crime or other serious offence.

3. Pictures of the Eiffel Tower, illuminated at night are copyrighted by the owners of the light display! However, daytime images are OK!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_...pyright_claims

France is quite a unique place to live!

C'est la vie, allez les gars!


And to lighten the mood a little...

In Paris, it is illegal to walk with your hand up a woman’s skirt, but while you’re on the Metro you may legally touch breasts.

In Paris, an ashtray is considered a deadly weapon.

In France, it’s illegal to name a pig Napoleon.

In a region of the Rhone, it is illegal for UFOs to fly over vineyards.

It is illegal to shoot Englishmen as they cross the English Channel towards France - unless they are sailing in a "boat of war".

In Paris any man carrying onions must be given right of way in the streets.

It is illegal to sell dolls that have non human faces

It is LEGAL to marry a dead person.


It's a minefield here!

Allez-y mes amis!

 

[amolitor]

None of these really do much for me. You have some ideas with the moving trains, perhaps, but I don't feel like the ideas really worked well.

The pictures of people are not very interesting. They seem to be pictures of people in subway stations and on trains. I see no particular artistic intent here, I see no real ideas. I'm not even sure that it adequately captures the relatively banal idea of "waiting for the train" or whatever. These questions are rhetorical: What is your goal, here? What do you want me, the viewer, to think or feel or understand or imagine, when I see these pictures? What made one moment special enough to photograph, and all the other moments not special?

 

[RobN185]

None of these really do much for me. You have some ideas with the moving trains, perhaps, but I don't feel like the ideas really worked well.

The pictures of people are not very interesting. They seem to be pictures of people in subway stations and on trains. I see no particular artistic intent here, I see no real ideas. I'm not even sure that it adequately captures the relatively banal idea of "waiting for the train" or whatever. These questions are rhetorical: What is your goal, here? What do you want me, the viewer, to think or feel or understand or imagine, when I see these pictures? What made one moment special enough to photograph, and all the other moments not special?

My guess is - it's about PEOPLE ... or is that too simple a concept?

 

[Dp-PARIS]

@ RobN185 - love the laws, so funny.

 

[GrahamPhisher]

the last one is really well executed.