"Out of the car trunk" photography?

[ChrisTX]

Never heard that one before. Just saw this from the Botanic Gardens...
Fort Worth Botanical Gardens | A Sanctuary for the Senses

Portrait Photography Policy

For the past 25 years there has been a fee for portrait photography at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. This fee has been paid by professional photographers who have brought their customers here for bridal, engagement, special occasion and family photographs. Fees collected in this manner are used to defray some of the expenses of keeping the Garden beautiful and so could be looked at as a usage fee. With the advent of affordable digital camera equipment, many people have started to do "out of the car trunk" photography. They don't consider themselves "professionals" because they have other jobs and they don't have a studio, but they are using the Garden in the same manner as a professional photographer would. They are coming to the Garden on a regular basis to take the same type of photos that the professionals take. To be fair to the professional photographers who are trying to make a living doing portrait photography, the Garden is charging this type of photographer a usage fee as well.

The Garden does NOT charge people who are here visiting the Garden with their family or friends and taking casual photographs. There also is no charge for landscape photography.

[Photogdude]

good for them(the garden, not the cheepo's shooting from their trunk)

[MHampton]

Don't have a problem with that at all.

[drgibson]

If I was shooting there and getting paid to do it then I would have no problem paying them for the use of this beautiful place.

[brewercm]

So if the gardens are charging "this type" of photographer a usage fee as well, what is the point of the article on the page. I guess just for iinformation purposes.

[texkam]

I have no problem charging a fee (passed on to the client) if you are using their grounds to make money.

no charge for landscape photography

Of course to be fair, anyone shooting for profit should be included in this policy. Yes, typically portrait shooters create more of a disturbance with equipment and an entourage. But think about it, a landscape photographer that chooses to set up off-camera fill, etc. creates more of a disturbance than someone shooting 1 person using existing light.

[Howard Barlow]

I once saw a guy in a shopping center parking lot selling meat from the trunk of his car. Really. Same price for everyone, camera or not.

[ChrisTX]

I thought it was interesting that they pointed it out. I know a few people who are "professionals" and go there to do this all the time. Considering how they charge mere pennies for their work, and always run 'specials', this will run them off.

[duronboy]

Honestly, Trinity park is 90% as nice, and there's usually 1000% more room to work with without blocking paths like at Botanical.

[bryanlindsey]

I am offended by the term "out of the car trunk."

I much prefer "studio impaired."

[lfmerrell]

Out of the trunk photography brings to mind the great WeeGee (Felig) during his New York City days.

>>Photographic technique: Weegee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Most of his notable photographs were taken with very basic press photographer equipment and methods of the era, a 4x5 Speed Graphic camera preset at f/16, @ 1/200 of a second with flashbulbs and a set focus distance of ten feet.[4] He was a self-taught photographer with no formal photographic training[citation needed]. Weegee developed his photographs in a homemade darkroom in the back of his car. This provided an instantaneous result to his work that emphasized the nature of the tabloid industry and literally gave the images a “hot off the press” sensation.
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[Nikonfan]

I don't mind them charging a fee. I do find some of the policies a bit funny. I did some shots at the Japanese Gardens a month ago with someone I was dating at the time. We just went to have fun but of course I brought the camera. I called ahead the day before to ask about rules and lens restrictions etc.. The guy was super nice and told me I could bring a huge lens if I wanted and could use a monopod (just not a tripod). The girl I was with brought a second shirt to wear and we were stopped and told that was a no no because a wardrobe change would make it a "professional shoot."

Here are a few from that day. I didn't bring a flash because I thought it wasn't allowed. Turns out it would have been fine.