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Restrictions at wildlife park


Allan Bell

Question

I was considering a visit to a local wildlife park when I saw this statement in their conditions.

 

(A guest is not permitted to conduct any commercial activity in Wildlife Park grounds including the use of any media equipment.)

 

Purpose of visit was to take photos of the animals.

 

So it looks like the visit is off.

 

Allan

 

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That's an unfair contract term in my book- what is "media equipment" anyway, and how does using it constitute "commeecial activity"? It's so vague as to be meaningless. You're not bound by it.

Alternatively, a paying customer isn't a "guest". Since you're not a "guest", it doesn't apply to you.

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I would interpret that sign to mean equipment like tripods and lights that would disturb the animals-- plus no commercial photo shoots. Unless the park has notices that specifically prohibit photography, I wouldn't worry about it. Probably everyone who visits is busy snapping pics with their phones. Also, you can often frame wildlife shots so that it is impossible to tell where they were taken. Hippos (or hedgehogs) tend to look a lot alike. 😁

 

P.S. Use a small, unobtrusive camera of course. Leave the big guns at home.

Edited by John Mitchell
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Hippos look a lot alike to a lot of us but the zoo probably knows their animals. Not that you shouldn't take photos but some zoos are better than others about not minding if you sell them for stock. Don't be afraid to say an animal is in a zoo. I have had sales when people are looking for zoo animals or animals from a specific zoo. I agree that it is probably commercial shoots that are prohibited. Most zoos encourage photography. No flash, of course, and you may be OK with a monopod but tripods create problems for other visitors. Pictures showing people enjoying the zoo are a good idea.

 

Paulette

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I'm sure that we look a lot alike to the hippos. Actually, images of Homo sapiens gawking at the hippos will probably be more likely to license than the hippos themselves. 😏

 

P.S. Paulette's superb hippo images are an exception to this rule.

Edited by John Mitchell
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Have you done a Google Images search for the zoo in question? An Alamy search? AoA? AoA for just zoo, to  see what clients are looking for in zoo images?

And all Paulette said. Except I don't have a lot of zoo images and have sold very few for only small/tiny sums.

 

wim

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12 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

Have you done a Google Images search for the zoo in question? An Alamy search? AoA? AoA for just zoo, to  see what clients are looking for in zoo images?

And all Paulette said. Except I don't have a lot of zoo images and have sold very few for only small/tiny sums.

 

wim

 

I don't like most zoos, so I haven't got many zoo pics. This is one of the few that have licensed. It was taken at the the Belize Zoo, which is one of the better ones. The animals -- many of them rescued -- are in their natural habitat and have plenty of space to roam around in.

 

humorous-tapir-sign-at-the-belize-zoo-be

 

 

Edited by John Mitchell
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6 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

 

I don't like most zoos, so I haven't got many zoo pics. This is one of the few that have licensed. It was taken at the the Belize Zoo, which is one of the better ones. The animals -- many of them rescued -- are in their natural habitat and have plenty of space to roam around in.

 

humorous-tapir-sign-at-the-belize-zoo-be

 

 

 

 

 

Never peed on me ... 🙂

A young Brazilian Tapir, Tapirus terrestris, nuzzling it's mother. Mothers love. Stock Photo

Edited by TeeCee
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21 minutes ago, TeeCee said:

 

 

 

Never peed on me ... 🙂

A young Brazilian Tapir, Tapirus terrestris, nuzzling it's mother. Mothers love. Stock Photo

 

I guess you lucked out in the peeing department. Very nice portrait. It might be Mrs. Scotty, though, and her calf. My image is over 15 years old, so Scotty would be pretty old by now (tapirs can apparently live 30 years). This could be Scotty back then. Can't remember for sure.

 

central-american-tapir-or-bairds-tapir-t

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Hello Alan,  don't be put off by a caveat like that. It's main benefit to the zoo/park is to protect them from the trip hazards of tripods and film crews taking the Mickey. Of course they may be very protective of their property but not every organisation takes the same line as the NT.  If  taking some pictures and asking for forgiveness afterwards isn't your way of doing things, and for many of us it isn't; then why not drop the PR department an e-mail seeking clarity. Hardly anybody outside of photography knows what stock photography is and how the press use it for their "where to go" articles.

 

What's the worse that could happen? They let you in and don't let you out?

 

Good luck.

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These days I quite often send an email explaining what I do, who I am, that I live locally ( whatever) how I'd like to take photos for editorial use globally through agencies such as Alamy and GI, which would give them free publicity in books/mags/newspapers, that I don't use flash or a tripod, do not need any special treatment, will pay and enter just like any other visitor. 

 

I can't say that it always works but then again when it does I know that I won't be wasting my time. Small museums run by volunteers are generally more than happy to give permission.

 

For example:

 

Many thanks for your email
We always encourage photographs around the museum so you are very welcome to come on a day we are open and take photos within the visitor areas
No problem with publicising, you can use them for your own purposes
Hope that helps
Look forward to seeing you at the museum
Edited by geogphotos
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Thank you for all your replies and experiences and advice. I will now consider all thoughts in a melting pot and let you know what happens.

 

Allan

 

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I agree that such statements usually refer to commercial shoots with tripods and lights that can get in the way and create hazards.

 

Sometimes I have tried to discuss with the staff that I shoot stock photography. In almost all cases, they don't know anything about stock photography and their eyes glaze over.

 

In my view, the line "No problem with publicising, you can use them for your own purposes" in the reply to Geogphotos indicates that their eyes glazed over too.

 

In general, I think that when the rules are unclear, it's better to apologize and take photos down than to never have put them up.

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I'm visiting a wildlife park tomorrow for a family meet up, but am always on the lookout for interesting pics. I checked their FAQ and terms and conditions as I would normally do, nothing relating to photography. Other visits I consider often definetely state no commercial photography, If of no other interest to me then I give it a miss.

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Look I am not trying to be a goodie-two-shoes and I can't claim to be squeaky clean but.....

 

Alamy does  put the onus on contributors to only upload what they have permission for. 

 

I guess we are all playing bit of a game here including Alamy.

Edited by geogphotos
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What clearest is when they say you are prohibited from making any money from images of their property. And that's probably what some of them mean when they say no commercial photography. Or some might be parroting language from their liability insurer concerning possible hazards from tripods etc. And some want to monetize commercial photography with fees. 

Edited by Bill Kuta
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2 hours ago, sb photos said:

I'm visiting a wildlife park tomorrow for a family meet up, but am always on the lookout for interesting pics. I checked their FAQ and terms and conditions as I would normally do, nothing relating to photography. Other visits I consider often definetely state no commercial photography, If of no other interest to me then I give it a miss.

 

Technically, though, there is a difference between commercial and editorial photography. However, I suppose a lot of places don't differentiate between the two. I wish that museums, wildlife parks, etc. would be more specific about what they do and don't allow when it comes to photography. My guess is that most of them don't know what to say. That said, in the past I have signed agreements with a couple of museums saying that my images would be used for editorial purposes only.

Edited by John Mitchell
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