Do you need permit to shoot with a tripod in Paris?

[John Kasaian]

Just curious.

[Valdecus]

No. Just don't try to use it in any of the museums, palaces or inside the more famous churches.

Cheers,
Andreas

[xavier deltell]

In Paris don't know, but in Barcelona, where I live, it is forbidden to use a camera in direct or indirect contact with the ground without municipal permit.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Hello from France !

The question of "tripod permits or not" in Paris is raised here from time to time.
Andreas has given the best and quickest answer, congratulations!

Now if you want to go into the details, re-read this thread referenced below. To the best of my knowledge as of April 2012 nothing has changed regarding official regulations. The rule is: tripod allowed everywhere in the puiblic domain, provided that you do not block street or pedestrian traffic. But the rule has many exceptions for "some exceptional places" like Le Louvre gardens and inside all museums.

The thread starts with a question regrading taking pictures of "Villa Savoyee, a Parisian house designed by Le Corbusier.
Architect's image rights on their buidlings are strictly respected in France and Belgium, so forget about Villa Savoye except if you are ready to by a really heavy fee to the organization managing Le Corbusier's heritage.

Another exception are the public gardens near Le Louvre Palace for which special regulations exist and tripod users are considered as professionals, hence need to register in advance and, in principle, have to pay a heavy fee as well. Only "students" showing their official student's ID card can use a tripod for free in his place ;)
But do not try to argue with the guards. For example, it is useless to argue about the fact that zillions of tourists take pictures inside the Louvre gardens and even inside the museum itself, with their hand-held point 'n' shoot camera, so that "in comparison a single on-tripod image by an eccentric can do no harm."

In most other places downtown Paris, simply follow the good advice by Andreas and everything will go smoothly.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?62306-Villa-Savoye-Paris&highlight=paris+tripod

French regulations on photographic permits can change back and forth.
For example inside the Arc-et-Senans XVIII-st century Salt Works by Claude Nicolas Ledoux (this is located in Franche Comté near where I live), for many years photography inside the monument was strictly prohibited. (http://lewebpedagogique.com/jh1europe/files/2010/10/les_salines_darcetsenans.jpg) Streng verboten ! As they say on the other side of the Rhine river.

Of course, zillions of pictures of this Arc-et-Senans superb monument listed on the World Unesco Heritage freely circulate on the web .. Nonsense ! But do not try to argue.

Then one day we tried to organize a friendly LF gathering there, we asked for regulations, and surprise !!! The new director explained us that they had decided to allow free photography including on-tripod. So we enjoyed the place and unfolded as many tripods as we could.

But the last time I raised the question of Arc et Senans photo & tripod permits to a local LF friend, I was told that prohibiting photography was the new rule back again ...
The attached file was taken by a friend when we could freely take pictures on tripod inside the Arc et Senans monument. I have no idea whether I can show it or not now, I take the risk ;)

[Adrian Pybus]

You need a building release form to shoot buildings in Paris (whole of France?). A friend who photographs for the A10 magazine got taken by the police for not having one.
Correct me if I am wrong. Any members who actually live in Paris?

Adrian

[Steve Smith]

You need a building release form to shoot buildings in Paris (whole of France?).

Surely that's for publishing the picture, not the taking of it?


Steve.

[Adrian Pybus]

True, he was going to publish it in the A10 magazine. But I guess the police considered him professional and thus publishing implied. I don't know which building he was trying to photograph, maybe one from the list of buildings Emmanuel Bigler mentioned. It's obviously a bit more complicated than I thought ...

Adrian


Surely that's for publishing the picture, not the taking of it?


Steve.

[Adrian Pybus]

Thanks for the in-depth on the spot answer. I was first going to say clarification but that is perhaps not the best description considering the different and shifting rules :)
It's good to hear that one can photograph most buildings. About ten years ago I was in Paris and I loved the city but would never go on holiday in a Photography verbotten location.

Adrian


Hello from France !

The question of "tripod permits or not" in Paris is raised here from time to time.
Andreas has given the best and quickest answer, congratulations!

Now if you want to go into the details, re-read this thread referenced below. To the best of my knowledge as of April 2012 nothing has changed regarding official regulations. The rule is: tripod allowed everywhere in the puiblic domain, provided that you do not block street or pedestrian traffic. But the rule has many exceptions for "some exceptional places" like Le Louvre gardens and inside all museums.

The thread starts with a question regrading taking pictures of "Villa Savoyee, a Parisian house designed by Le Corbusier.
Architect's image rights on their buidlings are strictly respected in France and Belgium, so forget about Villa Savoye except if you are ready to by a really heavy fee to the organization managing Le Corbusier's heritage.

Another exception are the public gardens near Le Louvre Palace for which special regulations exist and tripod users are considered as professionals, hence need to register in advance and, in principle, have to pay a heavy fee as well. Only "students" showing their official student's ID card can use a tripod for free in his place ;)
But do not try to argue with the guards. For example, it is useless to argue about the fact that zillions of tourists take pictures inside the Louvre gardens and even inside the museum itself, with their hand-held point 'n' shoot camera, so that "in comparison a single on-tripod image by an eccentric can do no harm."

In most other places downtown Paris, simply follow the good advice by Andreas and everything will go smoothly.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?62306-Villa-Savoye-Paris&highlight=paris+tripod

French regulations on photographic permits can change back and forth.
For example inside the Arc-et-Senans XVIII-st century Salt Works by Claude Nicolas Ledoux (this is located in Franche Comté near where I live), for many years photography inside the monument was strictly prohibited. (http://lewebpedagogique.com/jh1europe/files/2010/10/les_salines_darcetsenans.jpg) Streng verboten ! As they say on the other side of the Rhine river.

Of course, zillions of pictures of this Arc-et-Senans superb monument listed on the World Unesco Heritage freely circulate on the web .. Nonsense ! But do not try to argue.

Then one day we tried to organize a friendly LF gathering there, we asked for regulations, and surprise !!! The new director explained us that they had decided to allow free photography including on-tripod. So we enjoyed the place and unfolded as many tripods as we could.

But the last time I raised the question of Arc et Senans photo & tripod permits to a local LF friend, I was told that prohibiting photography was the new rule back again ...
The attached file was taken by a friend when we could freely take pictures on tripod inside the Arc et Senans monument. I have no idea whether I can show it or not now, I take the risk ;)

[Ari]

Police will hassle you in many public parks as well, especially if you are seen on the grass in some parks.
They will ask what you are doing, who you are, etc.
Best to be polite and say "Oui, Monsieur" a lot.

[sultanofcognac]

I live about 2 1/2 hours south of Paris (by TGV - actually close to Bordeaux) and visit about five times each year. Photographing with a tripod has never been a problem for me, but I'm a great bullsh*tter and have a slew of international press passes that I deftly whip out during my blabbing and forgiveness asking. Then, changing the subject, I discuss the weather and complain that the light isn't good for photographing anyway. . . I am usually laughed at then and left alone.

Sometimes I must show the image on the ground glass, one gendarme will stand in front of the camera with the other watching the confusing backwards movement, etc.. . . In other words, the trick is to be nice, apologise as much as possible, try not to seem too touristic, throw out your best few French words and keep agreeing. . . then change the subject. The police or gendarmes don't especially want the trouble of having to bother you but it's their job. Give them a reason to laugh and then leave you alone. That way they've done their job and can continue on their way.

I believe it's only not worked once out of the four or five times I've actually been approached.

By the way - I'm American, so my French accent is less than perfect (HA!). I receive no special favours, but my press pass from the ESDPA/APESD does help. If you want to shoot in Paris contact Joseph at the ESDPA, tell him you're a local budding journalist in your hometown and want to join the association ;-) then you will have some ammunition when the French (or other European) police need to fill their quota of tourist bothering.

[Steve Smith]

True, he was going to publish it in the A10 magazine. But I guess the police considered him professional and thus publishing implied.

Seems strange that this was a police matter. They should be more concerned with obstruction, etc, than someone's commercial intent.


Steve.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

To the best of my knowledge, restrictions regarding taking pictures of buildings only apply to "recent" buildings still covered by intellectual property rights of the architect. For example, all buidings designed by le Corbusier and other well-know architects are protected. Roman ruins do not need a permit ... at least seen from the public domain, outside the monument. See below some interesting cases ruled by courts : "café Gondrée" in Normandy and an extinct vocano in Auvergne (!!)

The Eiffel Tower, during the day, can be freely photographed, but the Tower's decorative lights at night are covered by the intellectual property of some artist.

The French National Railways, (the SNCF state company was recently split into several independant business entities, the new spin-off company who owns and manages the installations is named: réseau Ferré de France), does apply some strict regulations regarding commercial use of pictures of all their property; train stations, tracks, bridges, etc ... except if you work for a railway magazine promoting the use of train, but you have to ask for a publishing permit or something like that. If you keep your images private, you'll probably never hear about the lawyers working for the French National Railways.
Hence for private use I cannot but recommend our readers to take all pictures they wish of some old and spectacular railway bridges like this one, which is probably no longer covered by architect's rights for the same reason as the Eiffel Tower ; it is Gustave Eiffel's design.
http ://www.lf-photo.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1753&p=12006&hilit=garabit#p12006 (http://www.lf-photo.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1753&p=12006&hilit=garabit#p12006)

As a general rule, old buildings, anywhere in France, can be freely photographed, with exceptions inside monuments managed by the Ministry of Culture or other public institutions (for example, the Arc-et-Senans Salt Works are the property of the local government of Départment du Doubs who has authority on image rights & other local regulations for the monument).
The problem is well-known to professionals working inside some public historical monuments covered by such image rights: they have to pay a fee.
But in France you have so many buildings visible from the public domain, from Roman ruins to humble houses, that you could spend a whole life freely taking pictures on a tripod, be it for private use or for a commercial publication.

For example, this famous view of one of the most picturesque villages in Eastern France (Lods, Doubs) can be freely taken with absolutely no restriction.
This is jpeg preview of a nice 8x10" platinum print by Alain Carrillo
http: //www.galerie-photo.eu.com/contents/media/l_carrillo-platine-palladium.jpg (http://www.galerie-photo.eu.com/contents/media/l_carrillo-platine-palladium.jpg)

Once I met in person the owner of the old buildings (a former water mill) just near the river. He confirmed that there was no objection on his side. His water mill has been photographed thousands of times.

Regarding the actual French jurispridence relative to image rights of private properties, this is a very, very, complex story.
It started some years ago when the owner of a café in Normandy, "café Gondrée", the first building supposed to have been liberated by allied troops after June 6, 1944, became a a kind of a "hot spot" for pilgrimage. The café's owner tried to get money from the publication of images of his café, and eventually he won, so it was prohibited to take pictures of café Gondrée without a written permission and paid fee.
But this decision by courts boosted other similar requests for image rights on: small fishing boats, gardening huts, cows, dogs, etc...
Eventually the French courts, over-flooded with excessive procedures on this kind of affairs, reversed their jurisprudence. People now have to prove that a publication of an image of their property as seen from the public domain is actually detrimental to them. And to the best of my knowledge, the courts now do not make any difference whether the image is kept private or used commercially.

So this has cooled down many attempts to sue photographers and get money.

A famous French brand of mineral water used the image of a famous extinct volcano in Auvergne. The place is a private property, the owner tried to get money from the courts. Eventually the court ruled that anybody could freely use the image of this volcano. Sure, you can argue the the big company behind the mineral water brand can pay for the services of good lawyers, that no single photographer could ever afford ...

So the situation is likely to change again in the future. When you see the quality of images that can be taken with digital systems at very high ASA/ISO sensitivity ratings, absurd retrictions against "on-tripod" photography will probably dissapear, simply because commercial photographers will use hand-held digital equipement !

So if you want to take a professional top quality image from the inside of the Louvre Gardens, inside the "streng verboten" area, simply do not show any tripod, you'd better take an Alpa 12 or an Arca Swiss Rm3D hand-held, with a film or digital back, you'll be indistinguishable from the troops of tourists with their hand-held digital cameras ;-)

[doublezero]

hello ,

paris as many big cities : anything is forbiden , but you can try anything anywhere ,

all the advices written above are right ,

sultanofcognac gave a good description

good pics

[stradibarrius]

From the title this thread didn't seem that interesting but I have really enjoyed reading this!

[Steve Smith]

To the best of my knowledge, restrictions regarding taking pictures of buildings only apply to "recent" buildings still covered by intellectual property rights of the architect.

The Berne convention has stated that a photograph of a building does not constitute a copyright infringement as a photograph is not a copy. Only another building in the same style can be a copy.


Steve.