The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has amended its photography policy once again. Hobby, amateur and professional photographers, apart from art historians and mass communication professors are rather upset. The rules, recently added to the existing list of mandatory points, are “not-so-thoughtful” as one could “lose out on the transparency trail in the use of photos.”
Some photographers feel ASI’s decision last year to make it mandatory for photographers to be licensed to operate commercially in protected monuments was a welcome move as it ensured that amateurs didnt flock around monuments.
The addition to their guidelines towards professional photography and prior permission for using camera free-of-charge for academic purposes is being seen as impractical.
“ASI has 3,686 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance. There are authors, photographers and academics taking up different kinds of work associated with photography. These rules are a deterrent,” says H. Satish, professional photographer and president, Youth Photographic Society.
Permission, a Herculean task!
Satish who travels to Badami, Pattadakal and Hampi regularly with students feels the ASI’s stipulations for prior permission is a hurdle as professional tours happen all of a sudden, he says. “While most times we hop from one site to the other as they are all a photographer’s delight, obtaining permission from ASI authorities would prove a Herculean task as it can stretch to months!”
Coming down heavily on the Rs. 750 fee for every picture, Satish says he gets a measly Rs. 200 for every photo he supplies to the media. “A nominal fee per camera would have been a more sportive deal. ASI should have consulted professional photographers, art institutions, tourism department and historians for a democratic framing of guidelines.
Hobby photographer K.S. Rajaram though feels, the more stringent ASI is, the better for the upkeep of monuments and the safety of the people. “Even professionals need to take photographs under the supervision of the archaeology officials so one can avoid damage to the monuments. Tripods can actually damage the floor or the host of attachments needed for a professional could pose a risk or harm delicate objects,” says Rajaram who is happy that selfie sticks are banned. “I wish selfies banned too as one can get so mesmerised at Badami and Pattadakal that every selfie taken is a risk to the masterpieces at ASI monuments.”
For art professors and historians who have to study the monuments on a closer scale, ASI’s professional fee of Rs.750 per photo seems “ridiculous as it beats the purpose of accruing knowledge on monuments.” This is not a good gesture, feel some of the art scholars at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath. “There don’t seem to be explanations for the guidelines . How can academics like us wait for months to obtain permission? We have had bad experiences. Nobody in ASI today can explain why a tripod is not allowed. If we can get answers, professionals can get the right tripods that don’t damage the area,” says R.H. Kulkarni, art historian and professor at the academy.
Clarity is what most professionals are demanding from ASI. Most high-end cameras too are affordable at present and how is the archaeology department categorising the commercial and non-commercial use of the photos, asks Subash Chandra Rao, Asst Professor, Mass Communication and Journalism, Jain University. “Photography is my passion and I, at best, show my pictures to my students. But someone else may, at some point, use them for commercial purposes. Will a superficial written assurance help the ASI grant permission?” asks Rao. Instead of an exorbitant ₹ 750, a nominal fee could help portraits, corporate work or commercial photography survive, he says.