SF MOMA Changes Photography Policy, Non-Flash Photography Now Allowed
Mirthe Luria
I just received a fantastic email confirmation from Thea Stein, Marketing and Communications Assistant at the San Francisco Museum for Modern Art (SF MOMA) confirming that effective July 14, 2008 public photography will be allowed at the SF MOMA.
This is a tremendous and positive step forward by the SF MOMA and represents a huge victory for photographers. The SF MOMA was one of the few SF fine arts institutions that disallowed photography in their galleries. Presently you can take photos at the de Young, the Legion of Honor, the Asian Art Museum and the Oakland Museum of California. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts currently prohibits photography in their galleries. Hopefully this will change soon as well.
SF MOMA Changes Photography Policy, Non-Flash Photography Now Allowed
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Whether or not photography is allowed, and what kind of equipment is allowed, varies not only by museum or installation, but by collection or exhibit. Where it is allowed or disallowed, the museum is unlikely to draw a distinction between a point-and-shoot and a DSLR; after all, a DSLR from 10 or 12 years ago is probably not the equal of a modern smartphone camera. It is the act of taking a photo, and not the equipment you use to take it, that has legal or physical implications. Of the seven museum policies I have quoted below, only one even mentions camera size.
Still photography is permitted for private, noncommercial use only in the Museum's galleries devoted to the permanent collection. Photographs cannot be published, sold, reproduced, transferred, distributed, or otherwise commercially exploited in any manner whatsoever. Photography is not permitted in special exhibitions or areas designated as "No Photography"; works of art on loan from private collections or other institutions may not be photographed. The use of flash is prohibited at all times and in all galleries. Movie and video cameras are prohibited. Tripods are allowed Monday through Friday, and only with a permit issued by the Information Desk in the Great Hall.
Anywhere you can be, non-flash photography is fine. There may be exceptions but I never saw them. You can take a non flash photo anywhere. There are restrictions on rather the photo is for publication, sale, or personal use, but for a normal person, taking a non-flash photo is fine.
Changing our policy three years ago to allow for non-commercial visitor photography was one of the best things we've done at Brooklyn. We do continue to have some restrictions in temporary installations depending on the lender agreements or artist wishes, but on the whole photography is allowed here and it is central to a visitor-freindly philosophy.
It wasn't easy - we've had to actively think about it and work language into lender and artist agreements. Sometimes there are no objections to these clauses and we can allow it or other times we have to restrict, but *trying* to allow it is one of the many processes we now go through any time we are bringing work into the building or working with artists. The theory is there's no harm in asking the question...if lenders/artists say no we respect that and communicate the restriction to visitors in those instances. On the whole, we find visitors have been fairly respectful of the policies even when we can allow it in one part of the building, but perhaps not another.
It's funny, of all the "technology" that I see going wrong in galleries these days, I most often see visitors really engaging with work more with their cameras than anything else. It's one of the only things I see working.
For our modest university museum, the policy is based on photo rights issues, usually from artists' estates that are highly restrictive. Once we paid for the usage of an image for 3 years for a work in our own collection that we didn't have repro rights to -- this is not uncommon with major 20th century artists. As soon as the 3 years were up, sure enough we were contacted & told we could not use the image for any PR or similar use. This doesn't happen all the time, but often enough to be a hinderance to an open photography policy, at least with modern & contemporary art.
Cleveland has always allowed photography with restrictions.
1. Visitors can't use a tripod (security, no umbrellas either)
2. No photographs of modern or contemporary art--the museum can't even publish photos of its own collection (we have to pay a fee to the intellectual property holder, VAGA and ARS)
3. No photos in exhibitions. The objects come from multiple lending institutions with all sorts of strings attached. Again, just to publish an image from another museum, the museum itself must get clearances from the owner, often with no crop/no type limitations.
In Cleveland, the rules change from gallery-to-gallery. This can be frustrating to the visitor so perhaps for many institutions the easiest thing is to have a no photo policy.
And finally. How to take a photo without a tripod. Use the self timer so the camera doesn't jiggle, keep the flash off to avoid reflections, brace it against the wall (or on a bench) if there is one close enough. if not, hold camera against your head and exhale slowly as the camera is about to fire. Post it on flickr and tag the name of the museum and join their flickr group.
Nina: thanks for the wonderful post, as ever. I hope more institutions take your advice and make photo policies as open as possible.. and I'd have thought that in 99.99% of the time that would mean free to photo.
I wanted to say in regards to conservation. As a conservator I think it high time conservators started rethinking their approach to issues like this. There are alternative solutions to the false dichotomy that you have unfortunately had to present as normal conservation behaviour, these alternatives might allow both flash/non-flash photography and protect the objects; in at least the vast majority of cases.
I personally would love to see more photo in museums, more use of photos online, and particularly museums encourage creative re-use and remixing of photos taken within their institutions. Encouraging the use of creative commons, and the use of particular tags and then even building remix projects around them, for example. Hey, why not even then exhibiting those remixes?!
jgoreham: thanks for the hilarious story. Reminded me of the "Plane spotters" a group of english enthusiasts who were arrested in Greece for plane spotting... a peculiar, but seemingly popular, English past time.
All the best, Dan.
The capture of still photography and short videos with smartphones or small handheld cameras for personal use is generally allowed in the open spaces and permanent collection galleries, (exceptions are noted near the title of each work). Large cameras, tripods, selfie sticks, flash photography, and long-form videos are not allowed.
Personal cameras and candid photography are allowed throughout the museum unless indicated on a specific piece of art or at the entrance to an exhibition. Please turn flashes off while in the galleries and leave any additional photography equipment at home, including tripods, monopods, selfie sticks and the like.
Still, non-flash cameras with a lens smaller than four (4) inches will be permitted. Cameras with telephoto, interchangeable lenses and other professional photography equipment will not be permitted inside Dickies Arena at any time. Video or audio recording devices, GoPro cameras, monopods, tripods, and selfie sticks are prohibited. Video recording on any device and/or flash photography is prohibited.
Bridal or wedding party photography is permitted only if the party is renting space at the Museum as a special events venue. All other bridal or wedding photography/filming are governed by the commercial photo shoot policy, outlined below.
Can I bring my camcorder and camera and is photography allowed?
Photography without flash is allowed in certain galleries and is marked on the gallery map. The front desk associate or security can also help clarify which galleries allow photography.
Photography without flash for personal use is permitted unless otherwise noted on specific objects. Commercial photography and videography must be pre-arranged through moca...@unf.edu. Selfie sticks, tripods, lights, or other large camera equipment are not permitted in the galleries. Wardrobe changes and photography that interferes with the experience of other museum guests is not permitted.
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