BrianSmall
Well-known member
US Senate Passes Bill That Makes it Easier for Photographers to Film in National Parks
Say goodbye to permits.
petapixel.com
File under great news!!
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petapixel.com
Good news for those who shoot and publish videos. (Personally I only do stills, so it doesn't affect me, but still happy for you video shooters).
I have mixed feelings about this because although it will (hopefully) benefit me, and many here on BCG, there are those that will abuse this access, and destroy/damage portions of these parks in their quest for "the shot." I can only hope for the best in this situation... Cheers!US Senate Passes Bill That Makes it Easier for Photographers to Film in National Parks
Say goodbye to permits.
RikWriter
Well-known member
Glad to hear it. Too much potential for abuse by vindictive bureaucrats in the old regs.
kanonka
Active member
To be honest, it should have been a non-issue to begin with. Permits for filming in national parks? Seriously? What's next? Permits for breathing?
JohnC88
Active member
I have no doubt there will plenty of morons who will immediately start flying drones in national parks because they think they now can. This is not a good thing.
RikWriter
Well-known member
Yes, it really is. People fly drones now and most have never heard of this law, neither will they.
RikWriter
Well-known member
Initially, the parks interpreted the regs as just meaning commercial filmmaking. Then they REinterpreted it to mean everything that could potentially be used to make money, even cell phone footage, if it was published somewhere that could make money from it, like YouTube. This was to deal with that idiotic interpretation of the regs.
JohnC88
Active member
Drones are illegal in most if not all national parks.
RikWriter
Well-known member
And they still will be. Yet I saw people flying them in Yellowstone in October.
JohnC88
Active member
Yes, I’ve seen them in Yosemite as well and will report them every time I see them. Now you will have anybody who wants to call themselves film makers think it’s open season to set up shop and do as they please in these parks. With permits not required and nobody questing their plans for shooting they will do as they please to the detriment of others including the wildlife.
RikWriter
Well-known member
No, I don't think it'll have that effect at all. Most people won't even know about the law and those who do are going to be the same ones who were already taking videos for YouTube on hand-held cameras back before the NPS changed the interpretation to require a permit for that.
JohnC88
Active member
I certainly hope you’re right. But I’ve already had one conversation with a guy who told me he would just go and get a permit in order to fly his drone. I kind of doubt he’s the only one who thinks like that.
RikWriter
Well-known member
That dude needs to learn to read.
Doug Herr
Well-known member
People making photos and videos in the national parks will still be subject to the rules everyone else is subject to, i.e., don't harass the wildlife, don't paint the rocks, don't tip the hoodoos over.
JohnC88
Active member
I realize folks here know that. I just don’t have a lot of faith in others who will think they now have special privileges they didn’t have before. I’m not so much talking about legit film and video people but rather more like some of the social media bozos who don’t seem to know or care about the rules.
Doug Herr
Well-known member
If they don't know or care about the rules this change won't change their behavior.
I know that NPS and other government agencies sometimes have seemingly arbitrary and arcane regs, but I worry about the potential impact of opening up the national parks to commercial film making. Already there are too many people visiting many national parks (in my opinion), and having open season on commercial video enterprises runs the risk of making things worse. I can just imagine a film crew on the side of the road in Yellowstone shooting a car commercial, or maybe a bikini ad. Ya think it gets crowded with tourists gawking now, just wait for the marketing idiots to create a stir with their commercial endeavors.US Senate Passes Bill That Makes it Easier for Photographers to Film in National Parks
Say goodbye to permits.
Lest anyone think I'm being too cynical, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a certified curmudgeon.
RikWriter
Well-known member
"According to FIRE, as long as filming takes place where the public is already allowed, doesn’t harm or otherwise impact park resources or visitors, and involves fewer than six people, no permit will be necessary.I know that NPS and other government agencies sometimes have seemingly arbitrary and arcane regs, but I worry about the potential impact of opening up the national parks to commercial film making. Already there are too many people visiting many national parks (in my opinion), and having open season on commercial video enterprises runs the risk of making things worse. I can just imagine a film crew on the side of the road in Yellowstone shooting a car commercial, or maybe a bikini ad. Ya think it gets crowded with tourists gawking now, just wait for the marketing idiots to create a stir with their commercial endeavors.
Lest anyone think I'm being too cynical, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a certified curmudgeon.
That seems to allow a lot of leeway for the park service to put the kibosh on things that would interfere.
I applaud your optimism.
RikWriter
Well-known member
Well, the way things WERE was certainly worse. I could have been fined for putting up a video I took in Yellowstone on YouTube even though I'm not monetized.
Actually, this just puts the rules back to where they always have been. Recent Park Service officials issued an interpretation on the rules that said anything that anyone may make money on regardless of if the photographer made money or not (read Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and and probably our loved BCGF) qualified as commercial use and any photographer who shot video in a national park and posted it on a for-profit website must have a permit or face fines and possible jail time.
I don't think this rule will do anything to the parks because it seems to have reverted to the rules that have always been in place. The good news is folks who may post a video here of an elk bulging gin rocky or a bear in Yellowstone won't have to worry about UA Marshall or Park police knocking on their door with a warrant and ending up on the FBI Most Wanted List (mostly joking... kind of). To the best of my knowledge that didn't happen but some YouTube videos were forced down for simply recording wildlife and posting on YouTube (at least that's the story).
So, people being stupid, going off trail, destroying park features, bringing in recording crews, blocking trails, etc. are still prohibited activities without permits.
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Doug Herr
Well-known member
This activity would still require a permit.
Not according to the article, as long as there are six or fewer "crew" members.
RikWriter
Well-known member
Well, if the NPS didn't want this, then they shouldn't have interpreted the rules so strictly in the first place. They had their chance and screwed it up. To quote the article:
"Rienzie and Burkesmith had applied for a permit so they could film Michelino Sunseri’s attempt to break the record for the fastest climb up the Grand Teton in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming in September. However, the NPS denied the pair’s permit and pocketed the non-refundable $325 application regardless.
The photographers decided to film Sunseri’s feat anyway and ended up being investigated by NPS and Grand Teton National Park. The NPS suggested that the photographers could still face criminal charges if they ever sell or use their footage."