MetroParks spokeswoman Trish Butler said the change was forced by declining property tax revenues from plummeting property values and dwindling state funding for parks.
“It’s meant to help us diversify our income stream,” she said. “Our responsibility is to maintain the quality of the parks for the community whose taxes pay for that.”
MetroParks started requiring photography permits in 2008, though hasn’t charged for them until now. The agency issued 180 permits last year. Annual permits secured before the charge goes into effect in early March will still be good for one year.
The new fee comes with some revised policies that, among other things, prohibit balloons, kites and drones, and remind models and crew members not to step in flower beds or move park property.
Professional family photographer Megan Rund said she hopes the paid permits are enforced, and prays that it cuts down on photographers clogging scenic vistas, leaving furniture and other props strewn about, damaging the parks and generally not acting like professionals.
“A lot of the photographers I know, we’ve seen the parks get overrun, we’ve seen the entire population not be able to enjoy them the way they should be,” she said. “A lot of us are hopeful that this is something that will catch on and, if they can enforce it, will help them protect the parks.”
She added that $100 for the year is still cheaper than renting a studio for a couple of hours.
Photography policies are standard fare at public parks, though it’s not clear how strictly they’re enforced.
The Centerville-Washington Park District, for example, prohibits any commercial activity on park property, including professional photography. Permission can be sought for a $50 annual fee, though no one has applied for one in at least a year, according to park officials.
Five Rivers MetroParks surveyed 11 local and national park districts and found that their fees range from nothing to $750 per day.
Great Parks of Hamilton County doesn’t charge for professional wedding or family photos — though it requires a permit — but does charge up to $250 per day for larger production company projects. Park officials there say they have issued fewer than 15 permits for private photo shoots in the past year.
Great Parks marketing director Kimberly Whitton said they just want to make sure photo shoots don’t interrupt scheduled events such as weddings.
“It’s just good to know if groups of people are out in the parks shooting,” she said.
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