Outside a hospital

Is it legal? I was asked to leave yesterday shooting outside a hospital? I wasn't shooting in or through their windows, I was using the reflections of their windows.

Do I have to leave when asked?

Thanks

If you were on their property (which is private property), and they asked you to leave, yes, you did have to leave. If you are on public property (assuming USA), they cannot make you leave.

Scott

Just to add to the above post, many, many hospitals own far more land than you think they do. They will own the hospital, the parking garages next to them, and in some cases even the houses in the neighborhood around the hospital.

Thanks for the help.....how about outside of an Apple store downtown?

Apple might own the property. Or they might be leasing it from a landlord (for instance, if they're in a strip mall).

If you're polite and ask first, the employees might let you shoot there, as long as you don't impede other customers. Smile, don't act weird, say it's for an art project, bribe them with coffee or pizza.
Or they might not. If you try to shoot there and they tell you to leave, you must do so, otherwise you're trespassing.

However, neither the employees nor the police can demand that you delete photos you've already taken, or hand over your memory card or camera. They can ban you from the premises and call you terrible names and tell you they never want to see you around there again.


Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer; none of the above is actual legal advice.

Heya,

As long as you're on public strip and have disclosure on your photos that they are yours, your opinion, not the [Insert business/hospital/what​ever name]'s blah blah, so that you are not targeted with some kind of charge (which is actually possible), then they can riot all day. You can go stand in the street and take photos of the hospital all day. Same with an apple store.

Very best,

Yes owners of private property have full right to ask you to leave if you are on their property. Security Officers for most companies have instructions to stop unauthorized photo or video on their grounds. If you are shooting a property from across a public street there will generally be no issues.

If you are shooting a building from the sidewalk of a public street, then you are not on their property and not subject to their rules. Security may still ask you to leave or call the cops if are obstructing access or hassling customers. Using a tripod on a sidewalk on a public street may be considered an obstruction.