Museum photo policies

[Alan Edward Klein]

Doesn't capture the essence or doesn't diminish it? And why do you think so? IMO, a photo of a painting can never reproduce seeing it in person. However, any art or photo cannot be fully appreciated in bad viewing conditions--poor lighting, glare or crowds surrounding it, plus the ability to step back or get reasonably close.

Speaking of bad viewing conditions, here's my photo of the Mona Lisa taken from the end of the line at the Louvre. My wife and I gave up, left the line before getting any closer, and got something to eat.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Speaking of bad viewing conditions, here's my photo of the Mona Lisa taken from the end of the line at the Louvre. My wife and I gave up, left the line before getting any closer, and got something to eat.

One needs to be there at opening time for the least crowded viewing.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

One needs to be there at opening time for the least crowded viewing.

It isn't worth it skipping breakfast. Mona wasn't that great.

 

[Sirius Glass]

One needs to be there at opening time for the least crowded viewing.

It isn't worth it skipping breakfast. Mona wasn't that great.

Since one has just adjusted to a new time zone, just get up earlier. There is too much to see to miss things.

 

[koraks]

No misunderstanding. I requested them to repeat the whole statement

Sure? In Dutch, "film camera" means the same as "movie camera" in English. There's an 80% chance the person you talked to misunderstood if you mentioned something like "it's a film camera" or "it's film", or if they said something like "film cameras are expressly forbidden".

 

[faberryman]

So who brought up that it was a film camera instead of a digital camera? Did the security guy ask if it was a film camera? Did someone say there is nothing like holding a gelatin silver print in your hands?

 

[Helge]

Speaking of bad viewing conditions, here's my photo of the Mona Lisa taken from the end of the line at the Louvre. My wife and I gave up, left the line before getting any closer, and got something to eat.

The pseudo edgy thing would have been to move to the side and front and photograph the crowd.
They are much more interesting than the painting.
Oldest trick in the book employed by among other Kubrick, when he was a press photographer.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sure? In Dutch, "film camera" means the same as "movie camera" in English. There's an 80% chance the person you talked to misunderstood if you mentioned something like "it's a film camera" or "it's film", or if they said something like "film cameras are expressly forbidden".

So who brought up that it was a film camera instead of a digital camera? Did the security guy ask if it was a film camera? Did someone say there is nothing like holding a gelatin silver print in your hands?

After stating all cameras were permitted, the guard then said, "No film cameras."

 

[koraks]

After stating all cameras were permitted, the guard then said, "No film cameras."

All cameras were permitted...or forbidden?
Anyway, as I mentioned, it's quite likely that by 'film cameras', the guard referred to equipment for recording moving images. While many people in The Netherlands have a very reasonable command of the English language, specifically mistakes like these are extremely common.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Since one has just adjusted to a new time zone, just get up earlier. There is too much to see to miss things.

Not missing things were more important when I was younger. There's always something else to see can drive you nuts. Photography can get that way too thinking you're missing shots. There is no end.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

The pseudo edgy thing would have been to move to the side and front and photograph the crowd.
They are much more interesting than the painting.
Oldest trick in the book employed by among other Kubrick, when he was a press photographer.

How's this one? That's a selfie of me and my wife with the viewers behind us.
Notice everyone with their cellphones up in the air to get the shot?

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

After stating all cameras were permitted, the guard then said, "No film cameras."

Maybe he did mean movie and video cameras. Only still cameras allowed.

 

[koraks]

How's this one? That's a selfie of me and my wife with the viewers behind us.
Notice everyone with their cellphones up in the air to get the shot?

Yeah. Like you guys.

 

[snusmumriken]

Speaking of bad viewing conditions, here's my photo of the Mona Lisa taken from the end of the line at the Louvre. My wife and I gave up, left the line before getting any closer, and got something to eat.

I never did get to see this Van Gogh:

 

[Helge]

Not missing things were more important when I was younger. There's always something else to see can drive you nuts. Photography can get that way too thinking you're missing shots. There is no end.

I love Winogrands dictum of "There are no photographs while I'm reloading".

 

[koraks]

I never did get to see this Van Gogh:

Don't worry, it's on Instagram if you look for it. Got you covered!

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Yeah. Like you guys.

Yes, that's the line you see and we were at the end. We gave up refusing to wait and figured a shot of Mona would be good enough. She didn't mind.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I love Winogrands dictum of "There are no photographs while I'm reloading".

Or my line: "There are no photographs worth shooting if I don't have my camera."

 

[Pieter12]

Twofer at the Louvre.

 

[tomkatf]

Taken at the National Gallery in London Early June of this year. My daughter used her iPhone to take a photo of another iPhone user and me enjoying an incredible, not often seen Van Gogh...

 

[Sirius Glass]

Speaking of bad viewing conditions, here's my photo of the Mona Lisa taken from the end of the line at the Louvre. My wife and I gave up, left the line before getting any closer, and got something to eat.

Today there was a big crowd there with the deepest part lined up in front. The crowd was less on each side. I went to the left and in front was a couple doing selfies is twelve different poses including all the hand arrangements and then with their head together. As soon as they were finished I stepped in and was at the front to a great head on view. I waited about 5 minutes only.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Today there was a big crowd there with the deepest part lined up in front. The crowd was less on each side. I went to the left and in front was a couple doing selfies is twelve different poses including all the hand arrangements and then with their head together. As soon as they were finished I stepped in and was at the front to a great head on view. I waited about 5 minutes only.

My wife and I are very impatient. We didn't wait on the long line to go up the Eiffel Tower either.

 

[Sirius Glass]

My wife and I are very impatient. We didn't wait on the long line to go up the Eiffel Tower either.

Then reserve a time in advance or get up early in the day. If one goes early in the day, they can go back to the hotel to rest when they are tired. After which they can choose to stay in, eat nearby or go out again once out for more sightseeing when rested. So plan in advance or get up early so that one does not miss things on once in a lifetime or very infrequently seen locations. If not, one merely can walk into a bathroom and look in the mirror to see the source of the problem.

 

[snusmumriken]

A number of years ago while visiting the British Museum you were required to check cameras as they were prohibited at least medium format. That was fine since I was there to see the collections. However, on the way out after the return of my camera I couldn't resist and made this image. I probably wouldn't have made except for the expression of the one guard facing me. It was with a Bronica S2A and Tri-x. Even with the noisy shutter they didn't turn or say anything to me.

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Excellent!

I just visited your website and realised I had been there before and bookmarked it. I particularly love the shot of the stationmaster at Lockerbie. When was that taken?

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Museums have every right to tell you what you can and can't do. You are priveleged to even be able to see the art in them. If it wasn't for them where would you see a Van Gogh? Got friends that have them hanging in their living room? Didn't think so. I'm amazed that I an even walk up to a Van Gogh or any of the many great artists in history and really look at it. Sometimes I think they have to be out of their minds to put some things on display.

Very rarely I've made photographs in museums when it was allowed. I don't make photographs when it isn't. It isn't up to my ego to determine what I can and can't do in someone else's place. By the logic of "I should be able to", I can walk around your house with muddy shoes because I think I can. What's the problem?