You've Been Warned...

...that's how one of my phone conversations ended this morning in regards to the latest cover photo of Climbing Magazine.



Is this Andrew Burr who takes photos in Maple Canyon? Ummm, well, I've taken photos in Maple Canyon in the past. Well, I'm so and so from the Forest Service office here in Ferron, UT and I was inquiring into why you didn't obtain a commercial photography permit for taking photos and profiting from our national forest?

Oh boy, enter 20 minutes of back and forth dialog...
...still photography permits are $50/day by the way.

Anyways, all the guidelines and rules are vague and open to many different interpetations. Here is the meat of it:

Document FSM 2725 part I.B.2 states;
"Commercial still photography may require a permit when: 1.[blah blah]; 2. photos of national forest users will be offered for sale; 3.[blah blah]"

and wikipedia defines 'commerical photography' as any photography for which the photographer is paid for images rather than works of art.

So, from now on when i'm shooting i'll be producing a work of art not an image - fine by me.