Rules of Thumb on What You Can Legally Photograph

Kim Komando's column had a good rundown on general rules of when you can and cannot take photos:

• Public spaces are fair game. If something is out in a public area or on view from a pubic area, it's generally legal to take a photograph.
• You can photograph people in pubic places or visible from public places.There are exceptions, however. For example, you can photograph the outside of someone's house, but you cannot photograph someone in his or her bathroom or bedroom, even if the blinds are open, because they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
• You need permission to photograph in a private space. You have to have permissions to take photos. so a museum, for instance, can restrict photography while you are inside the building.
• You may not be able to photograph all public facilities, even if on public land.There are times you can be prohibited from photographing sensitive locations, such as a power plant or military base.

There are additional potential complications from how you plan to use photos, as well. For example, you can take pictures of someone in a public place and sell them as art prints, but you cannot necessarily sell them to an advertising firm. You can take a picture of an interesting building, but to use it in a marketing campaign might require permission from the architect, depending on the age of the structure.