Re: [Leica] photography in stores, malls, etc.

["Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@hotmail.com>]

George Lottermoser writes:

> If you take a professional view camera into
> a national park and start working with it on
> a tripod, etc. and an official sees you working,
> in all likely hood they will ask you to show
> them the appropriate permits.

I guess they could argue that a tripod might damage something.  Still, how much
damage can you do to dirt?  Do they explain the rationale behind the requirement
for a permit?

Lately I've gotten the impression that the main reason for requiring permits
anywhere is to generate revenue.

I was surprised, however, to learn that the City of Paris dropped its policy of
routinely requiring permits for the use of a tripod on public streets and
sidewalks, and now only requires them if the equipment really obviously
interferes with traffic.  The justification for permits here has always been
that equipment gets in the way of pedestrians and vehicles, which is true, when
there is a lot of it, but requiring permits for _all_ uses of a tripod was
rather extreme, and fortunately this has finally been recognized.