Update on Fatali Incident

[Matt Long]

On Feb. 1, Michael Fatali was sentenced to two years probation by a federal judge in Salt Lake City. During this period, Fatali is prohibited from entering Arches and Canyonlands national parks. In addition to 150 hours of community service, Fatali had been ordered to pay $10,900 in restitution to the Park Service.

During court proceedings, Fatali also admitted to setting two fires in the Needles district of Canyonlands in 1997. Federal officials have seized all the negatives, originals and prints of the firelight photos.

While the Assistant U.S. Attorney had asked that Fatali be banned from all NPS lands in Utah, the judge denied the request saying that the penalty would be "onerous."

Watch out Zion National Park!

[pat krentz]

The man has paid his debt to society, why don't you give him a break and leave him alone! Pat

[james mickelson]

Yeah. I second that. How about leaving him alone. You don't even know the guy. Nor the incident in question. Have you gone to the site of the incident and seen any damage? Until you do then let it be. James

[Alec Jones]

So, who cares. The matter is over. Let him alone.

[Matt Long]

Pat and James:

With the exception of the last tongue in cheek comment, I am merely paraphrasing an AP report of a subject that has been the topic of discussion in this forum. Take it or leave it, but don't make assumptions of what I may or may not have seen at Delicate Arch.

I might suggest a 1:1 dilution of single malt scotch to soothe ruffled feathers.

[Nigel Turner]

Or a tall Gin and Tonic.. lots of ice and a slice )

http://www.nigelturnerphotography.com

[Ellis Vener]

I think he got off cheap. I wonder if all of you who say lay off the poor guy (Fatali) also piss and moan about the National Park Service Rangers giving them grief. Next time you start to get on a high horse about that subject think first of Michael Fatali setting fires in the Parks to serve his selfish purpose and his self righteous posturing.

[Georges Pelpel]

I agree he paid his dues to society, lets give him a break now. I don't know him personally but I guess he must feel quite dumb and sorry about what he did. I am sure he didn't intend to harm the Delicate Arch area, he just didn't think ahead. Anyway he is still a good LF photographer. He made a mistake, who doesn't, lets hope he learned from it.

[Nigel Turner]

Ellis.

I don't think Fatali got of cheap. I think the outcome of this will seriously effect his business in the long run, not to say anything about his reputation as a photographer.

What he did was wrong.. He knows that.. You know that and the courts know it. But he made a mistake and is paying for it in more ways than one.

I know Michael personally. We go back a few years when we used to shoot in Lower Antelope Canyon, before most people had ever heard of the term 'slot canyon' and I know he would never damage a place of beauty on purpose.

As for the National Park Service, I personally think they are the biggest hypocrites ever. They talk about environment issues such as excessive traffic in the parks, but at the same time penalize commercial companies with outrageous entrance fees and permits. I'm a one man band, and for example visit Yosemite no more than twice a year running photographic workshops, and they require $5,000,000 liability insurance just to enter the park.. do you have any idea how much a policy like that costs? Then you have an entrance fee of $125.00 for a fifteen passenger van. Where is the sense in this??

Nigel.

[Ellis Vener]

Nigel, I too doubt that he would damage that which he worships on purpose. But I also doubt that Captain Hazelwood grounded the Valdez on purpose.

His bigger crime was that he felt comfortable teaching a workshop full of students hat what he was doing was an okay technique. Even if the immediate damage to Delicate Arch had not occured isn't it fair to suppose that perhaps not all of his students or the people they pass the trick to would be as careful or know to be as careful? Sure this is suppostion on my part but that suppostion is based on what I know of human nature and also the nature of lessons taught and learned.