Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Yes Tom, you need a permit for commercial *product* photography within a park. But the rangers of many parks were simply taking matters into their own hands and forbidding anyone to use a tripod, or a view camera. And nothing you could do would dissuade them. They threatened confiscation and prosecution. What they were doing was absolutely wrong. They recognized people like Galen Rowell and allowed him (and others like him) to do anything. This has been written about in most professional photographic journals. Even here in San Francisco, in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, people couldn't use "professional" looking equipment to take pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge (from within the recreation area - which is everything north of the bridge out to the Pacific). The Park Service finally sent out an edict, which you can find at http://www.nanpa.org/ then go to " Alerts and News from NANPA " and you will find the Official National Park Service (NPS) position. I suggest you print it out and carry it with you if you take photographs in a park, using "professional" looking equipment. The BLM is also discriminating against "professional;" looking photographers. Jim At 09:45 PM 3/1/98 -0500, you wrote: >Jim: > >I must stand in defense of the National Park Service. I am just completing >a book on the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to be released this >fall. When I began the project last summer the Director of the park asked >that I get a commercial use permit. I was not forbidden from taking photos, >but for commercial use I needed a permit. He asked me how long the project >would take and wrote the permit for the entire year. Of all the things I >spent money on for this project, $200 for a permit was peanuts. Also, once >I got the permit, the director let all of the staff know that I was working >on the project. They treated me well all year. All of my phone calls were >promptly returned. They helped me find uncharted locations and gave me >access to restricted areas. > >You don't need a permit to use professional looking equipment. You need a >permit for professional use, which would include shooting stock. > >I have no problem paying to use our national parks, particularly when my >use will generate income. > >Tom > > >At 01:54 PM 2/28/98 -0800, you wrote: > >>It's like the forest rangers in US parks >>keeping people from using "professional" photographic equipment saying they >>need a permit. This is NOT true and what was happening was many of the >>rangers were shooting stock in the park and marketing it on the side. They >>didn't want any competition. >> >>Jim >> > >================================== >Thomas Kachadurian >http://freeway.net/~kach >