Taking Photos at The Point

I'm getting hooked up with some pretty nice photo equipment over the winter. One thing I would love to do is get some exceptional photos at CP next season to blow up and decorate my office area with.

Here's the thing. I've heard horror stories about folks going into certain amusement parks *cough" WDW *cough* with lots of equipment (tripod, camera, a few lenses) and looking too professional and being asked to either quit taking photos or leave.

Anyone ever have an experience like this? What is Cedar Point policy on photographing the park and what rights do I have exactly with the photos I take (could I make other enlarged prints for friends)

Any advice on the topic of photo policy and what exactly I can do with those pics is greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone,

Gonchar

I really don't think from experience that CP will stop you from taking photos because you look like Ansel Adams in the Park. I have brought in a tripod and had my Camera in all kinds of crazy positions to get nice shots and never once was questioned. The real resistance from the park would be if you tried to sell the prints or auction them like in Ebay. Reps from the parks look online for that kind of stuff and would probably intervene then. As long as your using this for your personal enjoyment, CP really doesn't care. My offices has Large prints all over it from my years of photography..Get yourself a Digi Cam..Best investment I ever made...Next to Marriage :)

My $.02 worth...


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http://www.msu.edu/~armbrus9/cp.html
mf laps = 100! No More No Less!!

Actually I have had the opposite effect. I have had employees encourage taking photos. I have spent countless hours shooting the park and I have six full albums from the last four seasons. I have one book on the birth of MF, and book of MF from the operating season, an entire book on Magnum, an entire book of regular park pictures and a book from the offseason. As long as you don't try to make a profit off it there really isn't a problem. I have taken photos and have had them enlarged and have given them to employees as gifts.
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daniel j. haverlock
Magnum Count: 1266
MF Count: 117
spiritofthepoint.com

I was roaming the park, tripod (Bogen, Dave!) and video camera in hand on closing day. Nobody cares, but guests tend to make you understand why us TV pros call video cameras idiot magnets. ;)

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 50

Ohh yeah, I normally walk around the park with my camera bag and a tripod or monopod. I will have my frame ready to take a shot and a guest would walk up to me and start asking me questions; "Do you work for Cedar Point?" "What are you taking pictures for?" "Are you a professional?"

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daniel j. haverlock
Magnum Count: 1266
MF Count: 117
spiritofthepoint.com

I also have gone in the park with large format gear with no problems, except for the "Do you work for Cedar Point ?" or "What are you taking pictures for?" questions. For the most part Cedar Point is only concerned about a few things.

1. You are not taking pictures of guest with-out their permission. (of course that's impossible if you are shooting a ride with lots of people, I think that falls under public domain)

2. You are not putting yourself or others in any danger from taking your pictures. (taking your camera on the ride)

3. You are not blocking guest from normal traffic ways.

4. You are not using your work for commercial gain.

Otherwise, I don't think they care. They have too many other things to worry about. Hope that helps.

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:) "Did you know this goes up-side down" :)

Ok, sounds great.

Basically, don't sell them and everything is fine.

Thanks for the info, I'm already picturing great photo spots in my mind...

I would have to take issue with that "not for commercial gain" statement. I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on TV, however, CP is essentially a public-access area, once admission is paid. Hell, they have those "Kodak Picture Spot" signs, don't they? I don't remember any injunction against such photgraphy on the tickets or the pass information. As long as your photos do not contain recognizable images of people for whom you do not have signed releases, you can sell them. I have a couple of magnificent shots of the Space Spiral and the Giant wheel that I intend to sell, if I can. Neither has people in it, but the Cedar Point logo is plainly seen. After all, it's not like Cedar Point makes their money off the images of their rides. To the contrary, as long as the photos do not convey a negative image (sorry, bad pun, but necessary) of the park, or intentionally defame or misrepresent the park, I should think it would count as free advertising and be tolerated, if not welcome. Of course, the knee-jerk reaction of some mid-level functionary, if you were to ask them, might be "no pictures, no selling". But I bet if you found a lawyer and asked them, the answer would be different.

Just as an aside, I have a very cool picture taken in black & white with 600mm telephoto, from the tour bus lot at the park entrance, that makes the Space Spiral and the Demon Drop appear as though they are side-by-side.

Timothy A. Bretz
"Remember to pillage before you burn"
tabretz@compuserve.com

Joe Schwartz of Joyrides (the finest coaster photo online) makes mention of the legal issues in his FAQ. From off the property, sure, you can take whatever photos you want. From inside the park, I don't think that's the case, as I'm sure you would need a property release if you're going to use the work for commercial purposes.

Ever notice that all of the commercial books that have CP photos that the credits are all to Dan Feicht (CP's media guy)? I don't think that's coincidence.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 50

You mean Dan "Ohh yeah I'll do the on-ride commentary for Magnum in the rain" Feicht??

That would be him..

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MF 2000 - 269 laps

Well, I have to agree with Jeff here, that's why I didn't even bother asking about selling them (not that I'm that confident in my work anyway)

You'd almost certainly need a release of some sort to take photos for purposes of selling. I'd even be iffy on photos of the park taken from public property.

I seem to remember an issue with the RNR Hall of Fame though, where they filed a suit against a gentleman selling a photo he took of the building. I do believe they (the RNRHOF) lost the case, but I'm not looking for a lawsuit from CP.

If I could sell photos that'd be great! But some nice big prints for the wall will make me more than happy.

Here is a web site which addresses some of these issues:

http://www.indexstock.com/photographers/PRguides.htm

Looks to me like it's verboten, unless you could
weasel in under the "Famous Locations" heading. But, the "Corporate Logo" entry would pretty much put the nails in the coffin. Guess I won't be selling those pictures after all! I stand corrected! That's OK, they'll look just as nice on my wall as anyone elses.

Timothy A. Bretz
"Remember to get a Property Release before you Sell"
tabretz@compuserve.com

Thanks, Timothy.

I guess that pretty much ties up all the loose ends.

The prints go as far as my office. Yea for me!

Well, here the scope as a working member in the photographic world. Cedar Point is private property and any photo taken inside the park and sold for personal gain or for commercial use is prohibited. If the photo is taken anywhere outside of the park on property they don't own you could sell it.

I've taken several photos at the point and have never been asked not to shoot or leave. This past summer I was shooting some shots of MF and other areas and I did notice that the security guards kinda kept showing up in the areas I was shooting at, but I think they figured out that I was just shooting for myself and left me alone.