Photography Permits: Your Last Chance to Opinionate
Once or twice a week I like to pick a semi-random spot on the city map to explore with my camera. Sometimes these ‘photo safaris’ will include a friend or two, and I’ve been on some that have six photographers snapping away at the same subject.
Recently the city was criticized for mis-handling a situation where a tourist videotaping some landmark or another was mistaken for a suspicious terrorist scout. They responded with an effort to clarify the photography rules–but unfortunately these new rules pretty much put an end to the kind of photo safaris I’ve been going on. They plan to require securing permits with detailed shooting plans and, for some reason, proof of $1 Million worth of insurance.
Under pressure from the NYCLU and other groups, the Mayor’s office has agreed to extend the deadline for comments on the proposed rules. Let’s hope they rewrite them to be more fair to tourists and amateur photographers.
NYCLU on the Proposed Rules
Mayors Office Feedback Form
