# Are you allowed to take photos in the Tate Modern?



## Desbo (Feb 2, 2007)

My parents are visiting for the weekend, so I'm taking them to the Tate Modern - can I take pics, or will I get told off?


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## Tank Girl (Feb 2, 2007)

you'll get told off.

stuff in the turbine hall is ok, but the normal exhibitions are a no no.


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## Kanda (Feb 2, 2007)

Told off, there's a section on their site detailing photography rules.


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## girasol (Feb 2, 2007)

I've been told off loads of times...

doesn't stop me from trying


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## Firky (Feb 2, 2007)

Like Iemanja says, you can do it on the sly. Just don't expect not to be caught if you have a chunky slr or a flash.


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## Stanley Edwards (Feb 2, 2007)

They're pretty tolerant of people just shooting 'ambient' shots in my experience. I used to practice sketching there when I was living in Borough. Loads of people took photographs. It's only when you start taking postcard shots of works of art they get arsey.


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## Yuwipi Woman (Feb 2, 2007)

Even if you are allowed, please don't use a flash.  It degrades the colours and over a period of time hurts the art.


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## Firky (Feb 2, 2007)

Yuwipi Woman said:
			
		

> Even if you are allowed, please don't use a flash.  It degrades the colours and over a period of time hurts the art.



Bit of an old wives tale that.


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## Yuwipi Woman (Feb 2, 2007)

I worked in a museum and they took light damage very seriously.  One or two flashes now and then won't hurt, but light damage is cumulative--both visible light and UVA and UVB.  If you let people take flash pictures all day, every day, it will cause problems.  The American Association of Museums has standard practices in place to limit all light exposure.

http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/2The_Environment/04ProtectionFromLight.php

http://www.clevelandart.org/exhibcef/consexhib/html/howhour.html


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## foamy (Feb 2, 2007)

Yuwipi Woman said:
			
		

> Even if you are allowed, please don't use a flash.  It degrades the colours and over a period of time hurts the art.



especially if the work is in a glass case, morons!!!


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## Firky (Feb 2, 2007)

Well bugger me with a badger, I always thought it was a myth  

I knew about UV light....


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## Hocus Eye. (Feb 2, 2007)

Flash degrades the quality of the experience of other people looking at the art.  The Tate sells poster, postcards and slides of its pictures.  They don't want to cut into their own sales.  There is also the issue of the copyright of the original artist.


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## Yuwipi Woman (Feb 2, 2007)

A lot of museums have catalogued their stuff on their websites.  Newer artists will have their own websites with pictures, as well.  If you want a picture all you have to do is right-click and save. 

Here is the one for the Tate:

http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/BrowseGroup?cgroupid=999999956

It claims to have 65,000 pieces catalogued.


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## Nixon (Feb 3, 2007)

My gf's been told off loads,but I always manage to get pics.Try your luck innit..but your not really meant to


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## ViolentPanda (Feb 3, 2007)

firky said:
			
		

> Bit of an old wives tale that.



Doesn't it depend what you're actually taking a picture of?

I know that a 13th century church near my little brother's gaff in Kent had to stop flash photography after they found that their 700+ yr-old wall paintings had started to "bleach out" in the five or so years they'd actually allowed flash photography in the 1990s.


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## Stanley Edwards (Feb 3, 2007)

ViolentPanda said:
			
		

> Doesn't it depend what you're actually taking a picture of?
> 
> I know that a 13th century church near my little brother's gaff in Kent had to stop flash photography after they found that their 700+ yr-old wall paintings had started to "bleach out" in the five or so years they'd actually allowed flash photography in the 1990s.




Could be that their constant exposure to sudden increases in light had caused damage to their receivers. Any rational reason why you hadn't considered that?


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## tupster (Feb 5, 2007)

They do get pissy with me at Tate mod if they even see me go near my camera. I've never taken flash shots and I enjoy secretly flaunting the rules. Other great world art galleries don't seem in the least bit bothered. Toronto museum of art and the modern art gallery in Montreal seemed to pretty much encourage photography. I just like the buildings and want to photograph the architecture as much as the artworks but taking a picture almost anywhere in public is a big problem nowdays. It's easier to photograph the atomic weapons establishment than it is to photograph the National portrait gallery.


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