Photography Oportunities and Restrictions in Italy
 

Generally, what restrictions are there regarding photography in Italy? Specifically, are you permitted to take pictures of the statue of David in Florence? I will be travelling to Florence, Siena, Pisa, and Rome, and, as a professional photographer, I want as many quality photographs as I can get! Is there any venue that does not allow you even to bring cameras into the building? I have no problem with leaving them in my bag, but I don't want to leave them at the door.

Most museums and churches that I have been to in Italy permit photography, but prohibit using a flash. That said, there are usually plenty of people in these places using cameras with automatic flashes.

Specifically, NO photos are allowed in the Sistine Chapel, or of the statue of David.<BR><BR>Some churches and museums prohibit photography as well...most prohibit flash. I'va always been allowed in with my cameras and never had to leave them at the door.<BR><BR>For the most part, Italy is a fun and wide-open place to photograph. You shouldn't have any problems.<BR><BR>http://www.jimtardio.com/italy.html

Jim, are you sure about the statue of David? When we were there in November 1999, not only was photographing the statue allow, but they didn't stop people using the flash! Interestingly, that was only part of the Accademia, where flash was allowed!<BR>Otherwise, Jim and David are quite right. Most places do allow cameras...and flash is allowed more often than you would expect! However, some places do not allow tripods.

I was just in Florence. I was the only one who wasn't taking pictures of David. It's allowed.

I'd like to know where you saw that it is allowed to take pictures in the Acadamia? There were signs everywhere and museum employees stopping people from taking pictures of the statue of David. I just returned 2 days ago, so I don't think it could get more recent than that. That being said, I was sneaky and able to snap a pic of David. Everywhere I went in Italy did not allow pictures, Sistene Chapel, Capuchin Monks, Venice, Florence.

I didn't take a picture of David because I didn't feel comfortable doing that. I assumed that it just wasn't allowed. But then tons of people were taking pictures, and I guess I just assumed that it was allowed. Reason being, everywhere else I went where pictures weren't allowed and someone tried to take one, they were immediately stopped and yelled at by personnel before they even got a chance. Perhaps, on the day I went anyway, there was no one there to enforce it.

I bet John Ashroft would not take pictures of David (or maybe he would) :)<BR>

I took many pictures of David as did hundreds of others while we were there. I never had any problems taking pictures except in a few churchs where they didnt want you to use a flash. Enjoy your trip and take alot of pictures !!!

I saw the David many years ago and tooks photos of it. I thought the partially completed scultures as you approach David were surprisingly interesting. Take more of those.<BR><BR>have fun,<BR><BR>Myer<BR>www.travelwalks.com (non-commercial)<BR>

<BR>Kim: We saw the statue of David last summer. The signs posted stated "No flash photography". My husband took that to mean that non-flash photograph was OK so he video'd the museum and used the video camera to take digital pictures. He was stopped (yelled at) by the "statue police" and ordered to stop taking video which he did. He felt bad afterwards because he simply took the signs literally. He would have never intentially disobeyed the signs.

I must have gone to different places in Italy than Lisa, because we were rarely forbidden from taking pictures. The only two time I remember in Venice were inside the Doges Palace and in the sactuary of St. Mark's Duomo (though we could take them from the balcony). In Rome, the only restriction I remember was the Sistine Chapel.<BR>You can freely take pictures (sometimes with flash sometimes not) just about everywhere else in the Vatican Museum. And you're free to snap away as you wish within St. Peter's.<BR>As for the Accademia and David, apparently it depends on the mood of the guards on any given day! As I said previously, when we were at the Accademia, ironically, they stopped anyone from taking flash pictures of anything but David.

We were in Italy Sept. 2001 -<BR>I took pictures of the unfinished "Michealangelo Slaves". The Accademia guards stopped me when I got to David. So, I sort of wandered behind a pillar and got a 3/4 view of him while the wife stood lookout. Lighting is pretty good.<BR> We hurried thru the Vatican to arrive at the Sistine very early - people were photographing at leisure, and there was even some guy wandering around with a video camera to his eye. Afterwards, when we got back after a proper visit, the guards were doing their job - no pictures. (But the rest of the museum was wide open) So, I had to stand there with the camaera around my nech and guess the aim. <BR>Ditto for the Last Supper. No pictures, guess the aim. (Ha, ha - the last supper has extensive climate and ligt control, including air-lock double doors to restrict the humidity level in the chapel. Just before the exit airlock door set is the gift shop. They found the air hot and stuffy, so they had opened their back door wide open to the courtyard.)<BR>Otherwise, most churches etc. did not restrict photos; Naples museum, Vatican museum, St. Peters, Vincoli, Pisa Duomo, Milan Duomo, Bargello. I did not try in the Vasari corridor (guided tour) or in the Uffuzi (bad lighting, except the corridors). Most annoying were the people who did not know or care what damage flashes can do to old pictures.<BR><BR>Most places do not allow the big tripods - I had a little tabletop one I left attached to the camera - about 6 inch legs. Good for stabilizing on chairs, railings, sideways on walls, etc.<BR>Lighting is not always good sometimes you just brace the camera against your body and shoot (use the self-timer on 2 sec to avoid camera shake).<BR>- as a sample - <BR>statue in Naples museum - 1/10 to 1/30 f2.8 (Auto on my digital, so I guess ASA 400)<BR>David - 1/20 f2.8; <BR>Nave of the Duomo in Orvieto - 0.7 at f2.8 (w/ tripod - BTW, some screens up as they were restoring the nave wall paintings.)<BR>Statue of St. Matthew the skinless, inside the Milan Duomo - 1/4 at f2.8;<BR>Most Sistine Chapel shots - 1/4 f2.8;<BR>Siena Duomo floor marbles - 1/4 at (you guessed it) 2.8<BR><BR>Some hints - Digital is nice - you can review the shot, see if it needs to be retaken, or if you don't want to offend the guards, just snap away by the dozen and hope some turn out - then look later and delete the blurry ones.<BR>My camera (Fuji 4900z) can switch between eyepiece and screen on the back. The screen is easiest for lining up the shot when setting up the minitripod on a chair. The traditional eyepiece phot method is nice on most normal circumstances. I think I did 95% of my pics on Auto, but it's nice to be able to adjust when you can.<BR>We lugged a laptop all over Italy, took 1300+ photos. Now, I've bought an Archos Multimedia Jukebox, about the size of a walkman cassette player wth a 20Gb hard drive that doubles as photo downloader and MP3 music player. Next trip should be easier.<BR><BR>Some other observations for a pro photographer - you'll stand there a long time waiting for all the tourists to get out of the way... I always wait rather than walk into someone's picture, but there's always one of them...<BR><BR>I didn't see anyone trying to use a full-size tripod, but I vaguely recall there were a lot of signs against them, particularly museums. They'll probably tolerate the snaps, but don't want unauthorized pro travelogue pictures.

The most upsetting experience of either trip to Italy happened last year, in Rome and at the National Museum. Not only was my handbag taken, but also my camera and if they had known that I wore false teeth they would have taken those too. The worst case of discrimination that I have ever experienced in my life. I spent a couple of hours in the museum in any case and was mortified to see many women with handbags (larger than mine), cameras (equally as large), flashing, yes flashing everything that wasn't moving............ That was the only time that I was prevented from using my camera. Of course there were occasions when I chose not to photograph......usually inside churches and also in S Peters.

Thanks, everyone for your great responses! It sounds like it all depends on the guards that happen to be there that day. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

In response to Howard...In September of 1999 photos of David were allowed. When I returned in 2001, photos were prohibited.<BR><BR>And, yes, the enforcement is spotty. There are so many tourists it's a difficult rule to enforce.<BR><BR>Personally, I've always found church and museum photography somewhat boring. The real soul of Italy...as with any destination...is found on the streets, and interacting with the locals.<BR><BR>Not that I don't take the obligatory photo, but it's not my favorite.

Scan for my thread "taking photos allowed or not" from last year.<BR><BR>Nobody ever even suggested that I should check my camera. Always carried it through everything...<BR>We got a carry bag at "The Gap". It's very much like a newspaper carrier's shoulder bag, but there's a cover flap and the pockets all zip up. We used that to carry everything around - too big to mess with, and can be pulled over the front of the body if you don't like the crowds, and the wallet was attached to a key clip inside, and we always carried it so it was betwen the two of use, tow avoid trouble... <BR>Anyway, we had this bag four times as big as a purse loaded with books, maps, travel printouts, tickets, etc - and nobody ever made us check that. In fact, I can't remember them searching it in any museums or anything, either...

Interesting. We saw David in fall of 2001 and were allowed to take pictures.

oooops my error. It was 2000 not 2001.

date of trip sept23-oct4 2002.<BR><BR>no pics allowed....anywhere (David; sistine chapel; etc.)the only place i could take pics were st. peters basilica and the duomo in florence.