Welcome to Mooresville, Ala

[MichaelHarris]

just don't bring a camera.

Self-Important Alabama Town To Photogs: Scram!

The town of Mooresville, Ala., has done itself no favors by demanding a $500 fee from professional photographers who dare take pictures of its historic buildings.

After a photographer was told to stop taking photos in a public place, he wrote a letter to the local paper, unleashing a flood of bad press.

The Huntsville Times reported last week: "Huntsville photographer Don Broome said Wednesday he was standing in a public street in Mooresville taking pictures of the town's historic buildings when he was served a notice that advised him to 'cease photography and leave immediately.'"

http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/03/self-important.html

Wonder if any tax money goes to maintaining the historic buildings? Someone should see if any Alabama tax money goes to this town.

[bigbrother05]

1. Used to live in a house on the Historical Register in AL

Not in Mooresville. Lots of very nice places, but don't think anyone got in too much of a snit over photographers and were quite proud of their places. Wasn't uncommon to see someone taking pictures in the neighborhood, no problem if they respected private space. It was possible to get some special loans to do restoration, but only the buildings in the old business district would have gotten public support.

Now the neighbors that wanted to see what we'd done with the inside of the house were another story.

[leftofcool]

2. Historical buildings usually belong to the historical societies

of the particular city. They do have the right to request fees from any photographer taking photos as those fees go back into the maintainance of the building. All this depends on the historical societies' rules and regulations, whether the photos are for commercial use etc...

[MaryCeleste]

3. Not when its taken from a public street, even if its commercial

http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf is a good primer

[chixydix]

4. Are they sending invoices to Google Earth?

:shrug:

Oh shit now I've probably given 'em ideas...

[MichaelHarris]

5. if a celeb

doesn't have the right to stop having his or her photo taken in a public place how can a house?

[LibertyLover]

6. Last year a couple of towns in Maryland

went even further. In Silver Spring, the downtown area had been remodeled and rebuilt using public and private money. A visitor was taking photos of the area, standing on the street. He was ordered to cease by a security guard and to report to the management office. There he was told that the entire area, including the street, were private property and no photos were allowed. It turns out that the street in question owned by Montgomery county and leased to the private corporation running the site. But they have to allow public access to the street and to the non-leased, owned-by-county streets at either end. A few weeks later a similar incident occurred in Rockville, Maryland when a candidate for mayor was taking photos of his son in front of the public library, which had been leased to a private corporation which had decided to bar photography. At least this Alabama town is allowing photos, just charging for the right. I've bought photo passes at historic sites in Europe, like York Minster, so the idea doesn't bother me too much, however, $50 is awfully rich. I don't think we paid more than $5 or $6 in Europe.