It never hurts to ask for permission to photograph something special. Many times the answer will be no, but sometimes you'll be surprised and get what you want. For example, these are the famous baptistry doors in Florence, Italy, and there is always a low gate in front of the doors to protect them from the hordes of tourists. I wondered if the gate was ever opened, or lowered, to get an unobstructed photo. I asked a security guard if this were possible, and he directed me to an office two blocks away where I could ask the authority in charge. Assuming there was no way this would be done for me, I was very surprised when the man who had the decision making power said to me, "When would you like to do this?" I answered, "How about tomorrow morning at 7am?" And then he said "Ok." He didn't ask for any money (which shocked me even more than getting permission). The next morning there were two security guards, each with a key, and they lowered the gate so it disappeared below the street. Now that I had permission, the two guards kept away the tourists wondering around that early in the morning while I shot the beautifu doors. Pretty amazing.
3 Comments
Apr 8, 2016, 5:55:37 AM
Jim - Hi Bob,
I ask permission of a person to photograph him or her even though I feel uncomfortable -- like you -- about it. The desire to have a great picture trumps my shyness. Regarding the release, since stock photography has basically crashed and burned -- meaning the income from it is so low now that it's essentially meaningless -- I don't ask for releases anymore because I don't submit pictures to stock agencies. In the past, when I was still a serious stock shooter, I paid people to be my models and that included a signed release.
Apr 8, 2016, 5:27:52 AM
Cookie - I would rather ask for forgiveness rather than permission(knowing it would be no), but in this case it was worth asking for permission.
My favorite color, great shot!
Apr 8, 2016, 12:54:38 AM
Bob Vestal - Amazing story, an important lesson, and beautiful image. Personally, I feel shy about asking permission to take photographs of interesting people whom I don't know but whom I might encounter while traveling or even in my home town. And it feels awkward to ask a stranger, or even a friend, for an image release, especially after taking a candid picture. Jim, how do you approach such situations?