Fall Colors in D/FW Area?

[brad]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

harassed? please explain.

Fourth of July, I had a family shoot later that morning. I arrived early by an hour or so, because I was going to go get my permit for the family shoot later that morning... and the office wasn't open yet (because it was the 4th, they weren't going to open until my family shoot was scheduled to begin - and they had told me on the phone a few days before that I had to get the pass the day of the shoot.. I could not get it in advance).

So anyway, nothing else to do, so I pull out the camera and start shooting flowers.. found a green anole that was letting me get close and was stalking him.. and a security guy comes out of nowhere and demands to know what I am doing. (Note.. no tripod, off camera flash which I was hand holding while holding the camera in the other, and fanny pack - that was it for equipment at this time.) I explain to him that I am waiting for the office to open so I can get my permit for a family shoot - but in the meantime, I was shooting some stuff just for fun. He told me I couldn't do that and proceeded to stand in front of me.. every time I moved, he did, too... until I finally just went and sat down and waited. The fact that he did not speak very good English made it impossible to argue with him.

So really.. no, I have no desire to shoot out there any longer for fun. They don't have anything I haven't already shot or don't have somewhere else. F' 'em.

[GrfxGuru]

Originally Posted by brad

Fourth of July, I had a family shoot later that morning. I arrived early by an hour or so, because I was going to go get my permit for the family shoot later that morning... and the office wasn't open yet (because it was the 4th, they weren't going to open until my family shoot was scheduled to begin - and they had told me on the phone a few days before that I had to get the pass the day of the shoot.. I could not get it in advance).

So anyway, nothing else to do, so I pull out the camera and start shooting flowers.. found a green anole that was letting me get close and was stalking him.. and a security guy comes out of nowhere and demands to know what I am doing. (Note.. no tripod, off camera flash which I was hand holding while holding the camera in the other, and fanny pack - that was it for equipment at this time.) I explain to him that I am waiting for the office to open so I can get my permit for a family shoot - but in the meantime, I was shooting some stuff just for fun. He told me I couldn't do that and proceeded to stand in front of me.. every time I moved, he did, too... until I finally just went and sat down and waited. The fact that he did not speak very good English made it impossible to argue with him.

So really.. no, I have no desire to shoot out there any longer for fun. They don't have anything I haven't already shot or don't have somewhere else. F' 'em.

Ouch!!

It has been my experience that security guards never know the legal side of things, often have power trips, and very rarely know the actual rules for the place they work at. Best way to deal with em is to go with them to talk to their boss and review the situation, often they never like to get the boss involved even when they think they are right.

[ahightower]

Those are beautiful, thanks for sharing. I might head down there myself. Got my family portraits done last weekend, maybe I'll just do some walkin' around and enjoying the scenery next weekend.

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by brad

Fourth of July, I had a family shoot later that morning. I arrived early by an hour or so, because I was going to go get my permit for the family shoot later that morning... and the office wasn't open yet (because it was the 4th, they weren't going to open until my family shoot was scheduled to begin - and they had told me on the phone a few days before that I had to get the pass the day of the shoot.. I could not get it in advance).

So anyway, nothing else to do, so I pull out the camera and start shooting flowers.. found a green anole that was letting me get close and was stalking him.. and a security guy comes out of nowhere and demands to know what I am doing. (Note.. no tripod, off camera flash which I was hand holding while holding the camera in the other, and fanny pack - that was it for equipment at this time.) I explain to him that I am waiting for the office to open so I can get my permit for a family shoot - but in the meantime, I was shooting some stuff just for fun. He told me I couldn't do that and proceeded to stand in front of me.. every time I moved, he did, too... until I finally just went and sat down and waited. The fact that he did not speak very good English made it impossible to argue with him.

So really.. no, I have no desire to shoot out there any longer for fun. They don't have anything I haven't already shot or don't have somewhere else. F' 'em.

I've made an attempt to bring this issue to the Botanic Garden people. I'll let you know how it goes....

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

I've made an attempt to bring this issue to the Botanic Garden people. I'll let you know how it goes....

Here is the reply I received from the Botanic Garden..


Hello Tom,

Thanks for letting us know about the photographer's experience on the 4th of
July. We continually work on helping the security officers to understand their
role in working with photographers, which is to see that professional photographers
respect the rules of the Garden. We request that the officers do so at the insistence
of the professional photographers themselves, who don't like to see their colleagues
"getting away with anything".

We try to make clear to security officers that when a photographer is taking pictures
of the landscape, plant material, wildlife, etc. the photographers are not to be
approached unless they are damaging something. We have more success with this when
the security company is not experiencing a great deal of turnover.

We also DO allow photography passes to be purchased in advance, even over the phone
with a credit card. I will follow up with staff to make sure that everyone is passing
out correct information.

Thanks,

Leslie Pool
Garden Center Coordinator
Fort Worth Botanic Garden
(817) 871-7678

[GrfxGuru]

Great, thanks for keeping everyone in the loop Tom.

[ka5txl]

Originally Posted by toverman

The trees do change color here, but it doesn't last very long. The oak tree in my front yard goes from green, to not-as-green, to red, to not-as-red to brown and then nothing. It happens in 20 minutes, but it sure is pretty!

My red oaks wait until everyone else in the neighborhood's trees have dropped, once the last neighbor has raked them up mine drop and go everywhere.

[brad]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

Here is the reply I received from the Botanic Garden..

As I told you in email.. its always someone else's fault.. security company.. the people on the phone when I called about getting a permit (who I even had to inform that there WAS a permit)..

Whatever.. I am less than impressed with her response. Looks like more excuses ... I especially like the "we're doing this for the photographers" tone there in the middle.

BS

I used to love the Gardens.. and was a member of the FW Botanic Society even.. but they've made it clear with their policies and their lack of education of their employees about those policies that photographers are not welcome out there. We are a bad element.. up to no good. Even when out there for fun, we are watched and followed to make sure we're "doing it right." No, thanks. Until the policies are enforced more fairly, I'm done with the Gardens.

[brad]

Oh, and before anyone asks.. I have sent the same comments to Garden official that responded to Tom.

[Big Dog]

Originally Posted by brad

Cedar Hill State Park .. south of I20 on 1382 has some color.. and so does most of the area around 408 and I20

On Tuesday, I was at the Cedar Ridge Preserve (formerly Dallas Nature Center) which is just east of the state park. There was some color in the various oaks, but this has been a very dry year and conditions are not good.