NANNY STATE

Children in artwork rules 'too restrictive'

Artists are warning that something as simple as street photography could die out under the Australia Council's proposed protocols for photographing children.

The rules require anyone who takes a picture of a child under the age of 15 to obtain permission from a parent or guardian. They are intended to protect the children.

But photographers and visual arts groups say the rules will restrict the work of documentary photographers who take spontaneous pictures in public places.