Homeless in Arizona

If you ask me the law sounds like it violates the First and 14th Amendments.

The First Amendment because it limits your free speech.

The "equal protection" clause of the 14th Amendment and of the Arizona Constitution because it only applies to "commercial" photographers, and not to private photographers.

Source

Photographers required to buy permit for Glendale park

By Allie Seligman The Republic | azcentral.com Sun Dec 16, 2012 10:48 PM

Glendale’s Sahuaro Ranch Park has some of the most photogenic spots in the city, but don’t expect to pose there for your holiday cards or engagement photos without a $100 permit.

The permit requirement went into effect this month after parks officials got fed up with damage to historic buildings, wedding crashers and photographers who haul in intrusive props.

Some local photographers say they welcome the rule because it could help rein in the photographers who are the worst offenders.

On a nice spring weekend, it’s not uncommon to see up to 50 photographers in the historic area around Sahuaro Ranch Park, said Parks and Recreation manager Mike Gregory. [So the $100 fee could bring in $5000 in revenue on a weekend for Glendale] In some photo-worthy spots — like the park’s rose garden, historic fruit-packing shed and old-time blacksmith shop — a dozen may line up for a shot, he said.

“We were getting photographers bringing their clients in and interrupting some of the existing programs and activities that were taking place,” Gregory said.

“We looked at this as an opportunity to actually find out who they are and control the situation a little bit better.”

Permits that allow commercial photography in city spaces aren’t uncommon in the Valley, but Glendale’s policy includes anyone doing more than snapping a quick photo with an iPhone or small camera.

Spontaneous photos of a special moment likely wouldn’t require a photo permit, Gregory said.

Instead, the policy focuses on photographers who take clients to the park specifically to shoot photos. That includes paid clients and people who aren’t charged, Gregory said.

In Phoenix, permits are required only for commercial photography, and the permit rule doesn’t apply to most private photo shoots.

Glendale city officials hope the permit will discourage photographers who bring along bulky equipment or props, which can interfere with other visitors, he said.

Late last year, a photographer dragged a Victorian-style couch onto the lawn outside a historic house in the park.

“That was kind of when we said, ‘Enough’s enough,’” Gregory said.

In another case, a photographer had a young subject write on a 110-year-old brick building to get a better shot, he said. Another photographer wrote “Merry Christmas.”

“That’s great for the photograph, but … it was becoming extremely frustrating to see this historical area essentially vandalized,” Gregory said.

City workers had to carefully remove the chalk from the brick and grout, a process that takes hours.

Other photographers have interrupted weddings in the rose garden, a popular spot for ceremonies and receptions.

“That led to frustration, not only for us but also for the people who paid the money to have an exclusive reservation for a specific amenity in the park,” Gregory said.

Before the new rule was adopted, recreation staff members ran the permit idea by several photographers who frequent the park. They didn’t get any negative feedback, Gregory said. [That's hard to believe. Nobody objected to a $100 tax to shoot photos in a park that you used to be able to shoot for free???]

Glendale-based photographer Audra Little said the permit fee will help protect the park. [What she probably means is it will keep her competitors out of the park]

“This will weed out the people who don’t respect the space they’re working in,” she said. “Some photographers ruin it for others.”

Little, 41, said she has shot pictures at Sahuaro Ranch Park quite a few times but has avoided it recently because it gets too crowded.

“It’s crazy,” she said. “You might be taking a picture and another photographer might walk right into your shot,” she said.

The city has sold about a dozen permits since last Monday. Each permit lasts a year.

Parks employees placed signs in the park earlier this month notifying photographers about the new rule.

The park is staffed by city employees and park rangers seven days a week, and they will ask park photographers to show their permits.

“We’re preserving the historical integrity of the facility,” Gregory said. “It’s a good thing. ... It’s protecting our assets.”