On 24/4/07, Malcolm Stewart, discombobulated, unleashed: >You had a good day at the races - did you have to get written permission to >take photos? >Years ago when I visited Towcester Racecourse, there was an absolute ban on >non-official photography printed in the programme. > >(Or has the advent of the camera phone with 5MP made the old rules a bit >redundant!)
Thanks Malcolm. That's an interesting one! I was there because the company I work for had organised a private party in the Premiere Enclosure, which is a fancy name for a hospitality area next to one of the rings where the horses could be viewed before a race. The post-race ring was further away and the real toffs gathered there ;-) People everywhere were taking pics - mostly point-n-shoots, although a few of DSLRs: mostly entry-level from Canikon. I wet over to the track a couple of times and stood a hundred feet past the finishing post. There were a dozen or so accredited (one assumes) snappers, mostly Canon gear judging by the creamy-coloured long glass. A few Nikons as well. On my way over I bumped into a freelance I know. He's a pap and was on the lookout for celebs. He lives nearby and often pops down to sniff out any famous faces. I often see him out during my day job (TV news) and we chatted for a bit. I'll ask him next time I see him if he was actually accredited that day. Anyway, I snapped away, and was never challenged. That said, you are absolutely right, as I just looked at the official programme and it does say that photography 'on the course' is not permitted unless via accreditation through the press office', although photography for personal private use is permitted in the enclosures. It also says that any photography may not be used for commercial purposes. Hence I wouldn't want to put the horsey snaps up for sale - not that I would. These pics are literally R and R for me. It's the hobby. I do enough looking through the lens as the day job and I have no wish to turn the passion into a sausage factory. I guess I looked like one of the pros wandering about with the standard kit. I suppose if I had been stood by the course with a 400D and a small black zoom carrying a Tamrac, someone might have noticed me? We may never know ;-) -- Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=====| http://www.cottysnaps.com _____________________________ * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
