You May Be Charged for Taking Photos in This Picturesque Italian Town
The idyllic hilltop town of Positano has long been known to draw photographers of all kinds to holiday and capture its colourful, unblemished countryside. Due to its flawless position on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy, it has become the ideal destination for not only tourists but commercial businesses and brands looking to utilise this commune’s intense, unique beauty to incorporate into their advertising or merchandising.
Up until the last few days, commercial photographers were free to employ the natural beauty of this area in their work but things are about to change. Due to a new law passed by the Positano administration, commercial photographers will now have to pay a considerable fee of €1,000 and €2,000 for videographers looking to pursue any commercial work in the area, starting mid-November. Not only will commercial photographers and videographers need to pay this fee but they will also have to request application thirty days beforehand, and will be charged an additional 50% surcharge if this paperwork is completed after that date. The administration has also ruled that the use of drones have been altogether banned – whether or not they are being used for photography or recording purposes.
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This may be an inconvenience to businesses looking to incorporate the exceptional beauty of this blissful town into their works, but tourists are not included within this ruling. The administration claims they are not passing this new legislation to make money but rather to discourage the obstructive impediments of cameras, crew, and photography or video sets. In this small town they become bothersome and intrusive to pedestrians and the state is looking to reduce it. The law will also allow the town to have more control over who is working in and using Positano as a background for their products.
There are exceptions, including those working on documentaries, television series, or for newspapers. Wedding photographers are also exempt from the fee, given that they submit a request for a free permit ten days before the event date. It is currently unknown whether approved commercial photographers will be provided some form of badge or paperwork or how exactly the authorities will be able to tell the difference between a working photographer and a tourist innocently snapping a few vacation photos. It will also be interesting to see how far this new law will extend, if it will affect travel writers and bloggers as well as those contributing to their social networks and media feeds.
Although this current stipulation may affect a group of photographers travelling to the acclaimed city of Positano for branding or advertising purposes, it is still widely popular for all kinds of photographers and tourists. Positano is renowned for its remarkable landscapes and culture and that won’t be changing any time soon – even if the rules for capturing it, are.
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