Picture taking
 

My sister and I are going to Italy this August and we're planning to go to two cities, Florence and Rome. I was just wondering which places forbid/allow people to take pictures inside(a museum for example)?

My photos from October 2002 includes lots from inside the Vatican (no flash allowed), but none from inside the Ufizzi. My recollection is that pics were okay in the Vatican, without a flash, but that no pics were allowed in the Ufizzi.

Photography is forbiden in the Uffuzi as well as the academaia.
the vactican allows photos in most of the musuem but not the sistine chapel

Five years ago, photography (without flash) was allowed in most of the Uffizi. Have the rules changed?

MaryFran-
Were you able to get good pictures without flash? I always don't understand this "rule" -in places such as museums/churches that tend to be dark, it's almost impossible to get good shots without sufficient lightning.

I think that flash isn't allowed because it can damage the paintings. That is why it is allowed in churches with mosaics, but not with paintings.

Flash can damage paintings but there is also the " we want you to buy the post card factor"

no photos allowed of David.

YOu can take pictures inside St. Paul, lots of other churches are no nos- but you can take photos inside Cosmos & Damion which is in the forum and has a beautiful mosaic in the apse, you can put money in to light it up and because the floor has been raised you are closer than normal to the apse - I got great photos of that mosaic.

There's museum of statues at Piaza Navona, can't remember the name, but they allow photos without flash.

Joelle

Back up your own shots with bought postcards or booklets of places. They will be better than anything you can take yourself. And the two together (your own & professional photos) make a good combo to show friends.

What I remember from my visit to the Sistine Chapel in Feb besides the awesome setting was every few minutes you would hear a loud booming voice "NO CAMERAS!".

The detail in the photos I took in the Vatican Museum may not have been as sharp as I might have liked, but the images serve their purpose, which is to remind me what the "real thing" was like and what I felt in seeing them originals. The Vatican Museum experience is unparalleled in combining the setting with the art. It's just unbelievable!

I never know whether links to my photo albums on Shutterfly or Dotphoto will work, but here's one to try:
http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?...Sw&notag=1

"Seeing them originals"? Trust me that "them" was a typo and not my dogpatch background creeping up on me again.

Hi P,

At the entrance of most sites you will find signs (with pictures) letting you know if cameras are permitted.

I have used 400 or higher speed film with no flash quite successfully (when pictures are allowed) and now that I've switched to digital, I prefer using no flash in most cases. Indoor lighting appears more natural, and you haven't created any shadows that wouldn't have been there naturally. A good photo editing program can tweak up a too dark image later on (obviously you can only go so far -- I really only do "tweaking"). I'm more successful tweaking digital pics than those that were taken on film and later scanned.

Using 800-speed film indoors can provide excellent results. I've had great success in many facilities including the Louvre, d'Orsay, Vatican and Uffizi Museums.

I travel with a couple of throw-away Kodaks for "people shots". Postcards are best for me of Historical sights. If I lose either I am only out a couple of bucks unlike my Digital.

No photos allowed of David? That must be new--in 1999 it wasn't a problem.

I noticed a big difference in photography restrictions at sights in Italy between trips in 1999 and 2003.
Many churches and museum used to allow photography, but no flash. I think the problem is that few people either care to or know how to turn of the flash on their cameras, so now many of the sites allow no photography (though no one seemed to care at the Ufizzi if you took the shot of the Ponte Vecchio out the window).
I always found the use of flash in duomos/cathedrals especially annoying because in most cases it is worse than useless. All the flash does for something 50 feet away is make the picture darker since the camera adjusts the exposure to include the light from the flash.
The best thing is to either have a small tripod or else just set the camera down someplace or brace it against something. You can get nice shots of the ceilings by laying the camera down on it's back on a convenient surface and using the timer function so you aren't touching it at all.

Are videocameras allowed?

Thanks.

Hi crystal,

Rules for videocams are the same as for cameras. Each place will have a sign.

Taking photos of the David is not permitted. Everyone does it.