Permits are a fact of life for many of us and, like it or not, following the rules helps us all keep some kind of semblance of order in this crazy world of ours.
Still, an occasional slipup here and there isn’t the worst thing to happen in the world. But what do you do when breaking the rules becomes a habit?
If you’re the US Department of Land and Natural Resources, you start to issue fines and, in more extreme cases, cease-and-desist letters.
Apparently, two photography companies were conducting photo shoots without permits on some of Hawaii’s most protected land, including sacred sites and reserves.
KITV Island News names Bradyhouse Photographers and Foxes Photography as the targets of DLNR ire. The agency used social media posts to build a case against the two, noting photo shoots of weddings at Honopu which they called “culturally inappropriate.”
“Our review of photographs on the company website, as well as on its social media pages, clearly show images from Kalepa Ridge, Wailua Falls, drone shots in Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Parks, as well as from Hanakapiai Beach and Honopu in the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park. Many of these places are both naturally and culturally sensitive and we would not be issuing permits for commercial drone operations or wedding photos in these sensitive locations,” DLNR Division of State Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell commented to KITV Island News.
As for the exact amount in fines, the report wasn’t clear though it did specify that sometimes even criminal charges can be levied in cases of egregious behavior.
Cottrell emphasized to the KITV Island News that photographers with the proper permitting are abundant in Hawaii and, further, their knowledge of where they are allowed and where they are forbidden to shoot could help avoid a ton of headaches for everyone involved.
Have you ever had a problem with a permitting situation? Let us know your story in the comments below if you like.
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