LIHU‘E — A commercial wedding photography company previously called out for its practice of allegedly taking photos without necessary permits has removed photos from its website taken within closed areas without proper permitting at the behest of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
This comes after DLNR issued a scathing press release announcing that it had sent cease-and-desist letters to several photography outlets which were operating in restricted areas or without commercial permits. DLNR named two of those outlets: Kaua‘i-based Bradyhouse Photography and Washington-based Foxes Photography.
Bradyhouse Photography founder Meg Bradyhouse said that her company removed photos from its website that were taken improperly in the past. She previously apologized for being “part of the problem,” and made commitments to do better in the future.
Bradyhouse also affirmed that her company has been in compliance with state regulations since learning of the transgression in January by DLNR officers.
“We never had any intention of not cooperating with you,” Bradyhouse told the DLNR during a virtual meeting with the agency. “Our standing with you is how we feed our family. We want to make sure that we are on the same page.”
Foxes Photography had not responded to the DLNR, according to a Tuesday afternoon release, but previously bemoaned the complexity of the permitting process on Kaua‘i while committing to doing better. DLNR acknowledged that the process for obtaining permits and following regulations is often unclear and difficult.
“We’re the least-staffed state-park system in the nation, though we are No. 20 in terms of visitation, and this has impacts on our ability to enforce our rules, protect natural and cultural sites and to protect park visitors,” said Alan Carpenter, assistant administrator with DLNR’s Division of State Parks. “With the return of visitors and new fee structures in place, in the coming year’s DSP hopes to dedicate more staff resources to addressing unpermitted commercial activities.”
Carpenter also expressed that DLNR’s objective on the matter of illegal commercial photography was to enforce regulations, not to single out any particular organizations.
“Our intent is not to shut down any commercial venture, but to make sure the playing field is level,” said Carpenter. “Many commercial photographers on Kaua‘i and around the state get required permits and follow the rules. It’s not fair to them, fair to couples searching for wedding photographers, or fair to people visiting our state parks to have a double-standard.”
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Kaleb Lay, general assignment reporter, can be reached at 647-0329 or klay@thegardenisland.com.
