Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Property rights. You can ask for permission, pay for a permit and shoot away. But they can prevent you from shooting if they wish if you don't have a permit. Pretty standard at private venues.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Mi630

I really don’t have an issue with private properties having rules. I was just amazed because I had never heard of that kind of policy in hotels and on the grounds.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Mi630

And also that the manager was the only person on the property that knew about the rule.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

You will often find that at baseball parks, maybe other venues as well.

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

They may have seen the "P" on the mode dial and everybody knows that stands for professional.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

BebuLamar

It doesn't make sense. If I have to travel for an assignment I must bring the equipment needed and stay in a hotel.

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

Sounds like an anti-paparazzi policy.
You can bet they gladly allow professional photographers with professional gear when the hotel guests are bride, groom and bridal party. Whether or not the event or the post-ceremony celebration are held at that hotel.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Their property, their rules. The hotel management can't legally confiscate anything, but they certainly can order you to pack up and leave if you refuse to obey the rules. Much the same way if you were renting out a room in your house and had a strict rule of no firearms permitted on the premise.

TomHackett Loc: Kingston, New York

There are unresolved questions over photography in public vs. private spaces. In the United States, a photographer is generally allowed to photograph virtually anything (except, apparently, child pronography and sensitive infrastructure, the photographing of which might constitute a terrorist threat) as long as the photographer is not trespassing on private (including government) property. That's not to say what the photographer can do with the images--there are privacy, copyright, trade mark, etc. concerns when it comes to publication.

An interesting question arises when "private" property takes on "public" characteristics. Do first amendment protections apply in some cases? In 2003, the Supreme Court let stand an appeals court ruling that the LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) could not restrict speech in a "public" square that Salt Lake City had given to the Mormon Church. I have often wondered whether the courts might extend such rights to quasi-public venues such as large shopping malls that are privately owned, but treated almost like public gathering places.

Hotels are generally privately owned. But within the hotel, there are "private" spaces (e.g. guest rooms) and "public" spaces (e.g. the lobby and sometimes ballrooms or meeting rooms). If a hotel welcomes the public in its "public" spaces, for celebrations, meetings, weddings, etc., should it be required to grant first amendment rights to the public using such spaces?

On a related question, if a hotel guest rents a room, shouldn't that guest automatically be licensed to carry and store "professional" equipment in that room and transport it through the hotel?

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I have found that my “little” Fuji, even with a 90mm f2 is often acceptable at concerts and performance venues where my FF Canon with a big lens would not have been allowed.

MDI Mainer

Private property or not, you can always "vote with your feet" and take your business elsewhere. Unless you're at say the Ahwahnee or Old Faithful Inn in which case there really is no equivalent property. I'd be curious what the policy was at the Phoenician. As for a Trump-branded property, it wouldn't matter since I'd be dead before I stayed there!

But in the hotel/resort context the proscription against long lenses is likely directed at paparazzi and protecting guests from intrusion into their legitimate expectation of privacy in their personal space; whereas if someone is acting badly in range of a cell phone, well that person today is just being stupid and has no reasonable expectation of privacy.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

I am not a lawyer but get an actual **printed copy** of that policy". Does it say "professional photography" and/or "possession/display of professional equipment". I would not take the word of that possibly ill-informed security guard. If you were merely carrying your equipment to/from your room but not taking pictures that is one thing. If you were taking pics on the hotel grounds or inside the hotel that is another. Solution - keep the gear inside the bag concealed until you get inside your room or clear of the hotel on public areas. Some stadiums, museums (I was in one in Miami 3 years ago that only allowed cell phone cameras and made me lock it up) and other venues do have policies against "professional equipment" but that is a very nebulous term since some "pros" use "enthusiast grade equipment". I would tell them I am a hobbyist/tourist and this is not "professional grade equipment" - I am not a "professional". Sometimes they assume your professional status is linked to the length of your lens - I get that all the time with my Tamron 150-600 Or, sometimes if you have or used a tripod. But the best solution is not to display camera equipment while outside your hotel room in the common areas, until you get on public grounds. Sometimes out of sight is out of mind. BTW I would never leave equipment in the hotel room unattended.