On two recent occasions I have been told I need to obtain a permit to photograph in National Parks, monuments, state parks and historic monuments. I have been photographing for 20 years and sell work online and in shows and have never known I need to obtain a permit if shooting for commercial purposes. Does anyone know about this policy and what the costs are for independent photographers such as myself? I looked on the NPS website but couldn't find any info.

My first reaction was I pay taxes to support these places so why should I have to cough up more? There must be thousands of photogs like myself too who sell images taken from protected areas- are they all tracked by the park service? Then again, we tend to go into off trail areas that are fragile so paying a fee is justified. I'm well aware of low impact practices however and only leave my footprints. I wouldn't want the cost of shooting to be over the top- it's hard enough to make it as an outdoor photographer.

Can anyone comment on this?

M

Since you didn't bother to fill out your profile I have no way to know whether or not you're in the United States. If you aren't, you may be out of luck. But if you are:

Point your browser at http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm. That's a single-sheet .PDF exposition of photographers' rights written by Bert Krages, an attorney who's also a photographer. I'd suggest you print a copy, fold it, stick it in your pocket or camera bag, and show it to the next person who tells you something like that. Unless the "parks" are military installations, or you're trespassing in areas that aren't open to the public, what you've been told is a complete crock. Next time someone tells you that, take out a notebook and pen and ask for the person's name, position, and the name and telephone number of his supervisor. Then, if the person persists, follow up and contact the supervisor. I like to carry a small digital recorder for this purpose. It gets their attention even more than a notebook.

There's been some confusion about this because the national parks do have permit requirements for photography and filming that some have misinterpreted and tried to incorrectly enforce. The permit requirement applies to filming or photo shoots that involve production crews, props, etc, that would have a larger impact on the area than a regular park visitor would. Also permits may be required to get special access that is normally off limits to regular visitors. But you do not need a permit to take pictures with your tripod and SLR, even if you're a professional and plan to sell the images.

Other countries may be different though. I seem to recall hearing that Australia has restrictions on any kind of professional photography in national parks (which I think is ridiculous).

Here's a link to the official US NPS information regarding permits for commercial filming and still photography:

http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/pe...urlarea=permits

Quoting from the above regarding still photography (but you really need to read the entire page):

When is a permit needed?

All commercial filming activities taking place within a unit of the National Park system require a permit. Commercial filming includes capturing a moving image on film and video as well as sound recordings.

Still photographers require a permit when

1. the activity takes place at location(s) where or when members of the public are generally not allowed; or

2. the activity uses model(s), sets(s), or prop(s) that are not a part of the location’s natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities; or

3. Park would incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity.

Instructions on how to apply for permits and fee schedule also given.

Paul

This is something which is also raising its head in Southern Africa and the National Parks Board in South Africa expects photographers taking pictures with a commercial intent to apply for permits. They exclude the "happy snappers" and allow photographers to enter wildlife competitions etc. Similar conditions apply in Namibia and a few neighbouring countries. It is difficult to control and we are rather concerned about long term implications.

I live in Chicago, the city that tried to collect royalties from photographic prints of items in public parks.

http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:3vh-8W...=clnk&gl=us
http://www.vrmag.org/issue27/UNDER_THE_BEAN_IN_CHICAGO.html
http://carlosmiller.com/2008/11/18/chicago...crime-on-story/

I wanted to have more/better results of the things I've read of past litigations, but unfortunately the city has so many permit types in the bureaucratic maze that the articles I want are diluted.

All of their photography rules are written vaguely. I get shooed away frequently wherever I'm at downtown, usually by rent a cops.

The CTA (the public transit system) requires a permit to use a tripod anywhere in their facilities, of which they have extensive outdoor platforms.