Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/03/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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