NYTimes on the limits to street photography in France

[Micah]

"In his 20-year career, Mr. Turpin has learned how to be inconspicuous, relying on a small Leica and a quick smile — especially when he’s shooting in France, whose privacy laws are among the world’s strictest. 'Everyone has the right to respect for his private life,' states Article 9 of France’s civil code. Yet, as many street photographers have discovered, the law is open to judges’ interpretation because legislators have refused to define the concept of privacy in clear terms.

"This litigiousness is playing out in a country on whose streets Henri Cartier-Bresson, Willy Ronis, and Robert Doisneau created historic images that continue to inspire photographers today. Yet in the 23 years since Article 9 became law, street photography in France has all but disappeared.

“'I’m producing a book project about this country,' said Mr. Turpin, who lives in France. 'It’s something that no one has really done in the past 30 years. And I’m planning to publish this book everywhere, except in France. When I think that people will be able to buy it in Dover but not in Calais, which is just 20 miles across the Channel, it just doesn’t make sense.'"

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/paris-city-of-rights/?hp

 

[L Collins]

We were recently having this discussion elsewhere.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131576

 

[bojanfurst]

Thanks for posting. That last HCB photo in the story is just so damn good.

 

[rbelyell]

i just recently spent a great deal of time in france, weeks in paris and lots of time in the central and south. i knew nothing of these privacy laws and returned to post dozens of photos on another forum (where i can actually and easily post photos), under the title of 'best street shooting ever' or some such thing. traveled on but also much time off the beaten path and took countless photos of single people to small gatherings as well as the omnipresent 'cafe society'. never a cross look let alone a confrontation in literally hundreds of photos.

now i am not an 'in your face' photographer. i try hard to be discreet. if im taking a picture of someone or group 'head on' i either use the back screen, use my external vf in the 'waist level' position, or pretend i'm focusing on something else nearby. i use the silent or most quiet setting. sometimes i move to a more discreet position. sometimes i pass up the shot. but i still manage to have great fun street shooting, and the most fun ive had with it was in france. and perhaps thats the thing to remember: this type of photography is supposed to be 'fun', not life and death, and not done to make others uncomfortable. show respect, show discretion, dont take on people 'head on'. find another way, change your style, and sometimes, yes, pass up the shot. its not important, its fun.
tony