Tripods outside the U.S. Capitol

[Mark Raudonis]

Bob, I’m sure you know that there are designated spots on the capitol grounds where anyone can set up a tripod and NOT be questioned. These spots have been negotiated with the media and offer “classic” dome background angles. Having lived in DC in another life, the “no tripod” rule applies to just about EVERY public space in DC. The mall. The monuments. The museums. I’d also add that here in Los Angeles, you’re going to get the same response: Tripod? Where’s your permit?

[Tony West]

Hi Bob, having shot on federal land for years, I can share with you, how the tripod rule and its history came about, as it was explained to me. Years ago I wanted to shoot inside The Old Courthouse (famous for the Dred Scott case) in St. Louis. I knew about the permit rule as I have shot on the Arch grounds that sit near by, for years. My plan was to just walk in there and get a quick shot of the incredible dome and then get out before anyone even noticed : ). To my surprise, as soon as the tripod’s feet hit the floor, “Poof”!!! A woman appeared seemingly out of no where and said, “ You need to speak with Ms. so and so before you record in here”. OK, I said, let’s talk with her. She led me to her office and Ms so and so was very nice and presented me with a letter from Congress. It essentially said that, a member of Congress (I don’t know who) had noticed that production companies had been doing full productions on federal land for free. The member said, “if they were filming on private land they would have to pay, so they should have to pay the government also.” Not as much, but I think they arrived around 300 bucks. They then would have to of course determine who was a Pro and who was a tourist, and they kind of seem to use the tripod as the marker. They haven’t really kept up with the changing technology over the years, as this was passed long before people were shooting video with phones and DSLRs on stabilizers for professional jobs. So there you have it. I thought you guys might find that history interesting, I know I did that day.

[Bob Cole]

Thanks for these replies, Mark and Tony. Very helpful. I did not know about the designated areas around the U.S. Capitol.

Re the tripod being the essential dividing line between tolerated and non-tolerated: I believe you. But at D.C.’s Tidal Basin, when the cherry trees were blossoming, I found that even without a tripod, just using a professional-looking camera was not permitted. (This was a while ago, and the camera was a Bolex 16mm!) More recently, on assignment for a national cable outfit, I tried to get some hand-held video on the sidewalk behind a large Federal national-security building, and was almost immediately confronted by a helmeted guard who approached me with his hand on his holster. (Which reminded me that, although I have always been extremely meek, mild, and well-behaved, when I was in the airport in the 1970s, I was frequently singled out for extra security inspections. Usually there were two of us, one “extra-large,” who looked like either a Black Panther or a Hell’s Angel, and then skinny little me. But I digress.)

I thought you might be interested in a discussion I had with a time-lapse creator who has worked in quite a few cities, including D.C. Time-lapse, of course, requires two things that are problematic: tripods and TIME. You can’t just run-and-gun (unfortunate word) with a time-lapse. So I asked him how he did it. He said, essentially, that he doesn’t get permits – he just does it as quickly as possible, with several assistants, and that he does get run off. In his case, it isn’t even just one camera and tripods – it’s several, to get various fields of view, angles, and motion controlled moves.

[Tony West]

I actually mostly do it that way also (quickly) unless it’s a big enough job that the client works out the permit. The time-lapse is super gutsy. I notice a lot fewer Park Rangers these days. I don’t know if that’s budget cuts or what but it’s been easier to get shots in the past few years around here. The last time I shot I seen saw a homeless person in the park which was something that they never allowed back in the day. I figure if you aren’t after that person I’m likely going to get my shot, but I’m still afraid to start a TL : )

[Michael Gissing]

Only time I was told no tripods allowed was a shoot in an art galley where they were worried about damage and marks on the floor. Someone must have forgotten to sheath the spikes on a previous shoot. It made it harder to get a sharp image of an art work.