Photo shoots now allowed on Isle of Palms

You can now take pictures and make a buck on the Isle of Palms, but you have one hour to do it.

There is now a window of one hour where a commercial photographer may take pictures down on the beach. This is still photography only and for a fee. Basically this allows for that exception to the section that prohibits any commercial activity on the beach.

City administrator Linda Tucker says the city of Isle of Palms, one of Charleston’s premiere beaches, has had a ban in place prohibiting all commercial activity on the beach. Town Council approved a proposal Tuesday night that partially lifts just the commercial photography portion of the ordinance. Tucker explains the city’s ban:

What there has existed in place for a long time on the Isle of Palms beach is a prohibition for there to be any commercial activity on the beach. And, of course, the motivation behind that is to maintain a beach that is in a natural state for people to come and enjoy.

So, why the change in the ordinance?

We have been approached on many occasions, the city has, by commercial photographers wishing to be able to take photos of families, and bride and grooms on the beach. Of course, we always have explained to them it wasn’t so much directed at photography as it was directed at commercial activity.

Tucker says they have never written a ticket for violations of the ordinance. She says most visitors to the beach call ahead, and if someone was caught in the past taking commercial photos, a town official would approach the photographer and ask them to stop.