Any commercial photography (which includes portraits) requires a ~$150 fee, which allows you a 90 minute window. That gives you no exclusive use of any part of the park.

I have a really hard time with this. A public park, paid for by public tax dollars... isn't open to the public. Sad, really.

Williams Tower wants $250 for a 60 minute window to do the same at their Water Wall, with the additional restriction that photos are only for 'personal' use. (ie, no competition, magazine, billboard, etc, etc, use)

More understandable as it's private property... but still a pretty steep fee.

Not unheard of in this day and age. Especially as governments are struggling to find ways to balance their budgets. Invariably, parks and recreation are a low priority item and their budgets get cut. This is just another way to oil the machine.

I seriously doubt cops are park rangers are there to stop people from taking pictures. Sure, if you showed up there every day with a new model, you might get some attention. But, 1-2 times, probably not.

You buy groceries with money you pay tax on, you pay sales tax (in some states) on those groceries, and the store pays taxes on the profits made on those sales.

The more money that changes hands, the more money the govt makes on taxes. They don't just collect tax on our total money supply.

but the fee is steep unless the part is immaculate