War on Photography/Art PLEASE READ

Denali National Park is proposing to reduce/eliminate vehicle passes for professional photographers because the park has had enough photographs taken of it for any needs. Read this article about it and follow the link on the bottom of the page to leave your comment about this position.

This could be the first park to take such a stance which violates our freedom!

That sucks, I never been to the park.

This is an issue to take to your representatives.
The part of the "discussion" after the article that bothered me was that the author insisted on refuting and denying any opinion that did not "jive" with his own. Talk about First Amendment Rights.

This is over the freaking line.

This is one person's blog/opinion and it doesn't appear to have factual information. I hardly found anything about this topic, but did find a story on Alaska station KTUU's website. From what I understand the park has been considering three options since 2008 - continuing the same system that's in place now; a transit system that would apparently include opportunities to explore on foot; or an 'experience-based' program that would have options of short or longer trips as well as on-foot excursions.

Apparently in the mid-'80s they started restricting travel past a certain mile marker at certain times of the year. This is a 90 mile stretch of road that from glancing at some photos on Denali's website, seems to be two lanes with a caribou standing in the middle of it! Once you get on this road I doubt you'd be getting off anywhere until you've gone the entire stretch of road - this sounds like it's a matter of safety and maintaining traffic.

Denali's website gives info. on passes; I didn't see any for 2012 but the application process is over for 2011 - applications were due between certain dates from Dec. thru Feb. So if this blogger wants to take photos in the Alaskan wilderness in Denali park he better get in his application the first of the year - or I guess he can go somewhere in Alaska on his own if he doesn't like the rules of their park system.

Ken Conger spend 30 years as a Virginia Game Warden and took an interest in wildlife conservation. He applied for a summer job as a ranger in Denali. At a presentation to the Camera Club of Richmond, he explained how the number of vehicles and people are limited past a certain point. Since part of his job was to man the remote "counting station", he captured some incredible photos such as a moose calving in the middle of the road.
He had great perspective on the management of the park.
If you want to see the splendor of Denali (and other wildlife), check out his web site;
kenconger.smugmug.com/

ya... seems to me that this is more about vehicle traffic. I didnt look into it but whats to stop anyone from donning a pair of hiking boots and getting their pictures the old fashioned way? even better they seem to allow back country camping. so why not spend a few days... im sure youll get better pictures than following a road anyways...

Check out the . action plan more thoroughly on the numbers. That is the link for the full plan.

Alternative A, page 56. Professional Photo permits are limited to 5 per day and does not change from the current standard.

Alternative B, page 63. Professional Photo and Commercial Filming permits would be combined into a single program and limited to 2 per day. Photographer may be required to ride on a bus with other visitors during busy days.

Alternative C, page 67. Professional Photo and Commercial Film permits would be combined. Between Memorial Day and June 10th and Aug 26th to the end of the season up to 3 permits per day will be allowed. Between June 10 and Aug 25 up to 1 permit per day will be issued to this combined group. Again, during high traffic times photographers would be required to ride a bus instead of having their own vehicle and be dependent upon the tour schedule and not their own.

This data does come directly from their options. We have the opportunity to either comment and give our opinion on what plan they should adopt or we can keep our mouths shut about it and have no right to complain later on.

For me, this isn't about I wanted to shoot there this year and couldn't, I didn't apply. I would apply for a backcountry permit if I was going to shoot there and then I wouldn't have to worry about having a vehicle permit to be on the road. Drop me off at a trailhead and I'll walk to where I want to go, setup camp in designated areas, and enjoy the country as it is meant to be.

It has to do with the fact that the park is taking comments on the proposal before they make a decision to keep it going as is or to change it. Personally, I don't think they should change it. Not everyone is willing to travel in a park the way I prefer, nor is everyone physically able to. Cutting the number of permits available to photographers isn't the best way to promote the park.

That's a point, but it might just be the practical aspects of managing it, which could be changing over time. I live in a more 'citified' area, the nearest state park doesn't seem to have much in the way of restrictions but it's not exactly in the wilderness either.

There are more restrictions in sports too these days - in a fantasy world I'd like to go hang out and take pictures in an NHL arena anyplace I wanted but that's not an option - even the pros have an area sometimes where they can or can't shoot from. Similar restrictions seem to have filtered down to even college level.

Maybe the restrictions at Denali are for a necessary purpose, which unfortunately could cause restrictions on photographers (maybe visitors too).

Baydream, our local university team plays Fairbanks and I know the guy who was doing their radio/internet broadcasts (he's now doing their TV and doesn't travel with the team anymore). He came back one year with some story about a moose outside their motel room... They do say it's beautiful in Alaska.

But there is a difference between a privately owned team and public lands for one. Our local junior hockey team would like more restrictions, but the arena is owned by the city and their posted rules allow photography at the arena. The team can restrict commercial use due to copyright and/or trademark issues, but they can' state pictures are not allowed.

Yes, they need to protect the land, but allowing a bus of 50 people allows more possible traffic to damage the land, requires more oversight to make sure it isn't being abused and it could require more resources for cleanup as well. When you consider they are talking about cutting photographers access by at least half and we are talking around 3% of the permits given to both professional photographers and commercial film makers, it is a large cut for such a small number.

I have read many reports of places trying to state that it is illegal to take pictures someplace because of the patriot act. In the end, it comes down to us, as photographers, to make our opinions known about this or not. We have the right to comment and give our reasons for it. At least, if we make it known to the park, they can see there are so many people who do not want things to change.