Might check to see if you with your tripod mounted Large Format gear will trigger "you're a professional doing this for money" in some of the parks. Only takes one Park Service worker at the wrong place to get you tossed out. Too many look at a tripod mounted view camera as "it is pro gear" even when you are a hobbyist - while ignoring the guy with a $40,000+ digital outfit doing full time commercial and stock work in the parks.
Check ahead and maybe a letter from administration or management will prevent misunderstandings.
” Never attribute to inspiration that which can be adequately explained by delusion”.
Nobody is going to bother you on ANY of these various Park lands for using a view camera, Willie. I have gotten approached by Rangers asking me how to set up their own darkroom or sharing personal memories of large format work. But I only do this kind of thing every single week, so what the heck would I know? Bringing in a film crew with props and actors is a different story, and does require a permit.
The only time I have been approached by a park ranger was at a CA State Park. I did not mean to confuse the poor fellow, but he did not know how to deal with someone who claimed to be an artist. If I remember right (15 to 20 years ago), he asked me why I was photographing or something like that. I did not click on the idea that he might be asking because of permit possibilities. Most rangers are updated now.
But even AA got a ticket at Pt Lobos for setting up his camera off the trail.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
All the NP websites are updated with the clarification of exempt private photography (even if it involves income) versus commercial activities basically disruptive needing scheduling and safety monitoring. What we do have here are routine daily helicopter flyovers of the Regional Parks checking for parking lot break-ins, trees downed on trails, fire hazards, and alas, the possibility of serious Cartel grow operations taking root way back in the brush somewhere. Besides a pilot there's a spotter up there with a set of gyro-stabilized high magnification binoculars. I can always tell when it's someone new because they see that big Ries tripod strapped to the back of my pack and do a second go-round to make sure it's not a rifle. After awhile they routinely ignore me. Hunting is illegal in all these parks, and drones are illegal too; but there have indeed been a couple of wild automatic weapon shootouts with woodsy drug operations over the years. A different helicopter is used by the utility company to check on power lines running through park properties. Therefore the parks tend to be very safe, with the exception of random car break-in in a few places, and lately, several people wandering too close to soft eroding ocean cliffs. Pt Lobos expects people to stay within the trail corridor where it is conspicuously bounded by a cable in order to protect sensitive vegetation like the cypresses. It's a very heavily visited place and this is necessary. But quite a bit of the rocky beach areas and pine forest is open to walking, yet well-defended by poison oak in the latter instance.
Crime scene in Pt Lobos pine forest. Bambi suspected.
Sorry, didn't successfully post the accompanying image.
The only run in I had with rangers over a LF camera was at Fort Point in Golden Gate National Park/Scenic Area or whateveryoucallit.
I'd love to shoot there but I've never been back---maybe that funny hat made some ranger's head pointy?
I can tell where I'm not welcome.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
I have had no issues at Fort Point (8x10 and 11x14, so I am noticable). As long as one is not blocking the movement of others and being obnoxious, it is usually cool.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
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