Tony Bynum - Montana Photographer - Big Stories through his lens

Tony Bynum - Montana Based Photographer

Outdoor photographer, commercial outdoor advertising, conservation, political campaign, nature photographer.

“Don’t just love something, do something for it.”

Tony Bynum - Montana Photographer

“This Lens Tells Big Stories.” A short video describing one of Tony’s photographic passions. Human stories in big places. This video takes place in Tony’s home state of Montana on the world-famous, blue-ribbon trout stream, the Missouri River.

Tony is photographing local guide and outfitter, Alger Swingly. Alger is a member of the Blackfeet Tribe and operates, Blackfeet Outfitters. Alger is a licensed Montana Outfitter.

This short feature was produced in partnership with SmugMug, a first-class online photography website for sharing, storing, and delivering photographs.

Tony Bynum - Montana Photographer, is telling big stories through his camera lens. Photographing outfitter and guide, Alger Swingly on Montana’s famous Missouri River.

Who needs a Commercial Film Permit in a National Park - Still Depends

Commercial Film Permits in National Parks and other Public Lands. Tom Opre Filmmaker. Tony Bynum Photography

Who needs a commercial film permit in a National Park? Well, for now, no one, concludes one federal judge, and now the National Park Service (NPS). As of February 11, 2021, the NPS website (confirmed by me in a message left on my phone by a representative of the NPS) no one needs a permit.

As of January 22, 2021, the National Park Service is no longer collecting application or location fees, or cost recovery for filming. NPS Website (confirmed by the NPS in a message left on my phone on February 11, 2021).

Remarkably, as of today, the NPS is NOT issuing or even asking for you to fill out a permit application. Wow. I’ll say it again, Wow!

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly Rulling

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia declared that the statute and enacting regulations that require those engaged in “commercial filming” to obtain permits and pay certain fees are unconstitutional. The court also found that the permit rules restrict speech in public forums, including the many National Park locations that are already considered traditional public forums such as the National Mall. The court found that the rules were content-based restrictions on speech, subject to strict scrutiny. Likewise, she found, the regulations and underlying reasons offered by the government—namely obtaining a “fair market” payment on top of any administrative costs—do not meet that scrutiny. “The government may not impose a charge for the enjoyment of a right granted by the federal constitution, including the First Amendment right to free expression.” Judge Kollar-Kotelly wrote.

"Mr. Price’s filmmaking at these parks constitutes a form of expressive speech protected by the First Amendment," she writes in the opinion, adding "the creation of a film must also fall within the ambit of the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of expression. To find otherwise, would artificially disconnect an integral piece of the expressive process of filmmaking."

The Judge said that her ruling applies to National Wildlife Areas and public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Her final statement leaves room for a new permit and fee system possibly based on other criteria.

In issuing this injunction, the Court observes that a more targeted permitting regime for commercial filming, which is more closely connected to the threat posed by large groups and heavy filming equipment, may pass constitutional muster in the future.

You can the entire decision here: Judge rules film bill unconstitutional.

How does this apply to the Department of Agriculture - Forest Service?

This is a hard question to answer directly. I can tell you that after my recent call with a Forest Service supervisor they told me “we’re looking into it, and are not sure how it’s going to affect our permit program.” My guess is that the USFS special use permit program WILL be affected and will be reworked.

What NOW?

Going forward:

• I recommend anyone engaged in commercial filming call their local park service, BLM or National Fish and Wildlife Service office for the latest. I suspect at some point there will be a new permit system for commercial filming in National Parks and other federal public lands.

• I also recommend that if you’re planning a shoot on Department of Interior lands (BLM, NPS, FWS), you do your level best to follow all other rules and regulations. I would avoid filming in popular/busy locations and I would do everything I could to avoid displacing wildlife, other people, damaging any resources, and absolutely DO not trespass!

• Call your senator and representative and tell them you heard about the ruling and you would like to know what they plan to do. Ask them to please look into it, and better,

I can’t tell you what to do if you have content already in the can that you captured without a permit.

Current Film Permit Podcast - Tony Bynum and Brian Call a.k.a, “Gritty.”

Tony Bynum and Brian Call discuss Filming on federal Public lands and the recent federal judge’s ruling that current film permits and fees are unconstitutional and issued an injunction.

Other sources

The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) has been leading the legal charge on changing the federal permit program. I found its article helpful and interesting to read. And the Kurt Repansheck over at the National Parks Traveler sight did a great write up as well.

1. National Press Photographers Association, Alicia Calzada film permit in National Parks article.

2. National Parks Traveler Kurt Repansheck Film Permits in National Parks article.

3. Hollywood Reporter Ashley Cullins Film Permits in National Parks.

Restless Native Podcast - Brad Luttrell talks with Tony Bynum about Photography, the Business of Photography, and POMA

In this podcast, Tony Bynum, Outdoor Photographer, and President of the Professional Outdoor Media Association reveals, for the first time, one of the biggest mistakes of his photographic career and what he learned from it when he talks with Brad Luttrell of GoWild.

Brad has a great podcast. He does his homework and gets to know a guest before the discussion making for some very good content. 

Brad and Tony met some months ago over the phone. They planned to do a podcast and it finally happened at this years 2018 POMA conference in Lincoln, Nebraska. Brad was also a guest panelist at the POMA conference. The panel titled, "Content that Matters: Creating Purpose-focused Partnerships and Content," was a massive hit and set the stage for the theme of this year's conference. POMA is grateful for his participation. 

Brand publishes his podcast under the title "Restless Native." He's also the Co-Founder of the GoWild app (available for both android and apple products) the best online social platform for sharing story's about hunting, fishing, and the outdoors. 

Tony and Brad talk about the 2018 POMA conference, and Tony's approach to the business of photography, including stories about travel, commercial photography, and conservation.

Find Brand on Instagram @bradluttrell and the GoWild app @gowildapp

And Tony on Instagram @huntphotos

You dont want to miss this one. 

 Click on the link below to access the Podcast. 

Tony Bynum in the photographed in the Canadian Rocky Mountains by © Rod Sinclair - Sinclair Imagery

Tony Bynum talks with Randy Newberg - Podcast - photography, public lands, conservation

Photography, the business of photography, conservation, hunting and public lands and telling your story

I'm excited to share with you this podcast with me, Tony Bynum and Randy Newberg. In this podcast, I share my story about my photography business. We discuss conservation and public lands issues facing us today.

One important element of my photography business is story telling. I discuss the finer points of telling your story and why it's important to the future of our public lands in American.

Randy, provides his views, his own personal story about his life and what's important for all outdoorsmen and women who use or care about our public lands. Randy Newberg Unfiltered - Hunt Talk Radio. 

In this episode of Randy Newberg's Hunt Talk Radio (EP 038), brought to you by Leupold, Randy and renowned wildlife photographer, Tony Bynum, talk about many issues including public land threats, the importance of every hunter telling "their story," Randy's "public land story," how hunting's image is being crafted by

Podcast - Tony Bynum - thoughts on Conservation, Photography, and the Business of Photography

In this podcast, Tony Bynum, Outdoor Photographer, talks with Bruce Hutchens of Whitetail Rendesvous.  Tony describes his approach to the Business of Photography, Hunting, and Conservation.  Click on the link below to access the Podcast. 

Tony Bynum in the photographed in the Canadian Rocky Mountains by © Rod Sinclair - Sinclair Imagery

Photography Quotes - 10 photography quotes that you should read

Photography quotes help to remind us of the most important aspects of photography. I'm always trying to distill photography down to as simple a terms as I can. Having rules and remembering small anecdotes and quotes helps me stay focused. There is one quote that stands out to me, more than any other. I"ll share it with anyone that's inclined to ask me about photography. Here's is my favorite photography quote.

"The more you photograph, the more you realize what can be photographed and what can't be photographed. You just have to keep doing it." - Eliot Porter

Here's a list of 10 photography quotes, with author's, that I like. This list includes some quotes about capturing photos, while others are focused at the business of photography.

10. "There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are." - Ernst Haas

9. "It's more important to click with people than to click the shutter." - Alfred Eisenstaedt

8. "If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera." - Lewis Hine

7.  "Light glorifies everything. It transforms and ennobles the most commonplace and ordinary subjects. The object is nothing, light is everything." - Leonard Missone

6.  "Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera." - Yousuf Karsh

5. "Sometimes you can tell a large story with a tiny subject." - Eliot Porter

4. "One should really use the camera as though tomorrow you'd be stricken blind. To live a visual life is an enormous undertaking, practically unattainable. I have only touched it, just touched it." - Dorothea Lange

3. "A photograph is usually looked at but seldom looked into." - Ansel Adams

2. "Photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place . . . I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them." -Elliot Erwitt

1. "The more you photograph, the more you realize what can be photographed and what can't be photographed. You just have to keep doing it." - Eliot Porter

If you have a quote you like, post it, with the authors name, and tell us why it resonates with you.

Tony Bynum