No photography at places

Went to St Davids Cathedral recently.
Entry is free.
Photography (without tripod) costs £2 for a permit, though I would doubt many of the iphone weilding tourists had one.

Photography with a tripod required contacting the dean for a permit and arranging a time / date which was advised at a quiet time. This cost £10 and I arranged it for 9am the next day.

Now from someone who hates paying for anything touristy I thought this was a fair price to pay and it gives you a certain amount of exclusivity. Who wants a large bunch of photographers with unweildy tripods obstructing the place when hundreds of tourists are around?


i happi;y paid for the photography pass at St Davids, and stuck a donation in the box :)
 
I thought churches were buildings for the people?

Gloucester Cathedral has a similar "rule" on entry, So I go round to the back entrance that not many people know about and then shoot to my hearts content.

I don't see the difference between me shooting a few select scenes but having to pay, and tourists shooting the entire time they are there and usually with flash and not having to pay a bean.

I thought it was a voluntary donation?
 
Possibly is now, but last time I went a few years ago a rather mean little old lady ordered I pay the money or I couldn't come in..

Maybe she was just have a dictator moment.
 
Possibly is now, but last time I went a few years ago a rather mean little old lady ordered I pay the money or I couldn't come in..

Maybe she was just have a dictator moment.

You shouldn't talk about your Granny like that....:lol:
 
Where on earth did you get that idea??? :lol:

The church is charitable and spends millions of pounds and thousands of hours helping those who need it, unsurprisingly people who want to photograph a church are not considered to be those in need.
 
St Giles in Edinburgh charges £2 for a photography permit (which is fine) but in all the time I was in there I think I only saw one or two other people go up to the info desk and pay for one and dozens of people who were snapping away (almost always with a flash) who quite obviously had not paid for one (you get a sticker to stick on your clothing). There are very prominent signs everywhere saying "Photography permit £2" but maybe people think that only applies to people with tripods and/or 'serious' cameras?
 
When I arranged the 'tripod permit' at St David's I called the Dean who suggested 9 O'clock the next morning as it would be quiet at that time and as the gift shop (Yes they have a gift shop inside the cathedral) would be closed could I put the £10 fee under the shop door.
So this operated on trust, however when I turned up and eventually walked in to the choir I passed one of those yellow 'caution wet floor' signs as one of the vergers was mopping the floor. He quite gruffly gave me a verbal for being in there and having passed the sign. I felt like giving him a mouthful and telling him the sign said caution and not 'no entry' but by this time he had launched into his 'You need a permit for that' speech.
Once I had justified my legality of being there he left me alone.

Well worth it though, stunning inside.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevetuckerphotography/9677061357/
 
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