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| OHCC LIVING | SEPTEMBER 2022 | 31 While visiting museums it can be fun to snap some photos of art works to have a memory of them later. There are a few things that can help. First, determine if the museum allows photography at all. In the past, museums in different countries have had inconsistent rules. For a time, you could not take photos at all in museums in Italy, so when we visited the Accademia in Florence, we could not snap a photo of Michelangelo's David. Nor could we take any photos in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. I've seen photos of both posted on social media recently, but I don't know if the rules have changed or if people snuck some photos. Check with staff at the museum. The usual reply is you may take all the photos you like for personal use, but do not use flash. Using flash can distract other visitors and eventually the bright light can damage the artwork. The next thing to do is to turn off flash on your camera. If you don't know how to turn off flash on your camera, then please don't take any photos in a museum. Prepare before your trip; come to a Photo Club meeting and ask for help. This even applies to phones. Smartphone flash looks yucky anyway. Another thing to watch out for is a little symbol of a camera with a line through it next to an art object. This happens because the museum has borrowed the artwork, and they do not own the rights. Taking a photo of that piece of art might get you in trouble. (Ask how I know this.) There are two problems you may have while shooting in a museum. The first is that if it's really crowded, it may be difficult to impossible to get a clean shot of the subject, so be patient. If you want to shoot the Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo, go in January. The other problem is the light is often terrible. They lower the light to protect the artwork, and if it has protective glass, you may have to be way off center to get the reflections out of your view. Shoot RAW if you can so you can brighten it up later. The OHCC Photo Club is open to residents. Dues are $8/annum. The photos above were taken at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco — a real gem and not crowded. Photography