You will be surprised at the number of places you are not allowed to take photos. As a matter of fact, after reading this article, you will realize how many times you have broken the rule. Unless you have been paid or hired by authorities or owners of these places, you are not allowed to take photos of these places.
Airports
Pull out a camera at an airport checkpoint, baggage screening machine or baggage hall or direct it at a security personnel and you are asking to be detained.
Airports’ structure, the way they are staffed or how they work, are all fascinating facts to individuals who would try to evade the rules or cause us harm. But since airports are overloaded with security, it will be unlikely that you can get away with it.
People
People forget their manners nowadays, including to forget that it is only polite to ask before you randomly take pictures of someone. But there are other countries that legally prohibited, especially taking photos of women in many Islamic countries. And trust us, the consequences will not be just a plain old scolding.
Temples and Mosques
For these places, be sure to ask permission first. There are times it is allowed, sometimes it is not. It is uncommon to be permitted to take photos of Muslims at prayer in a mosque, or even for a non-Muslim to be allowed to stay inside during the prayer times.
Hindu temples, along with many Buddhist temples, mostly ban it within the internal sanctuary. Though, it differs between different countries.
Art Galleries and Museums
There are some museums and art galleries that prohibit photography entirely, but many popular establishments permit handheld photography given that the camera flash is turned off. This is because the light can result in faint changes in colors, and it is collective.
A theory claims that if an artwork is blared with enough flashes, the colors will evidently fade. How many, is still debatable but you do not want to have that wrangle with a gallery’s attendant.
Churches
It is unusual for churches to forbid photography. One rare example of a church banning photography is the Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland which was made popular by Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Another is Rome’s Sistine Chapel and Amish churches.
Government Establishments
The response differs considerably, and you may not realize it until a security personnel appears right in front your camera.
All government establishments in Turkmenistan prohibit photography inside their buildings. It is also not allowed to take photos of The Pentagon in Virginia. In India, they plaster notable warnings to government buildings where they do not allow photography.
Defense Installations
Military aircraft and tanks, military storage facilities, submarine bases and naval ships, military employees and army bases, and even the outside of the military bases — these are all sensitive subject matters.
Therefore, any person with a camera exhibiting too much interest is considered a suspect. The reaction you will get depends on how a fearful the country is.
