Navajo commercial permit

I'm just curious if anyone on this forum has obtained one to sell their images from the Navajo nation through their websites/galleries? I am planning on heading up to lower antelope canyon on Saturday and wondering if it would be a good idea to obtain one if I end up selling my images from there. Are they pretty strict and do they check this stuff? What is their way of assuring "Professionals" that they need this? I've been in the upper part and they didn't ask for a permit, but I was also doing the basic tour, with family (although I had my gear). Also, how does lower antelope run these days? Do you really need a guide and do they watch you or do they let you go on your own for the most part? Most of what I heard was before they changed their policy last May, but still am unclear of how they manage visitors. Any suggestions or tips are greatly appreciated.

Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but are you saying that the Navajo require a permit to sell images from their corner of the world? Or just asking if they require a permit to be on the land at all? Just a curious Cherokee asking.

Peter, from what I can gather, the Navajo Nation is pretty strict about permits. Everywhere I went in Monument Valley and Canyon X that is guided, the guides very plainly tell you that you cannot sell your photos if you do not have a permit (which requires an official accompanying you). I remember reading a post from somebody that was just showing their photos on pbase (not selling them) & that person was sent a letter by Navajo Tribal Parks warning that they were not on the list of persons issued a commercial permit. Here is the link to the page http://navajonationparks.org/htm/film.htm Here is the application http://navajonationparks.org/pdf/Fillable%20Film%20Permit9211.pdf Guides are required for both Upper & Lower Antelope. Good luck & have a great trip!

I don't know of any photographer who has ever requested or received a permit to sell images from Antelope Canyon (or Monument Valley, for that matter).
None, zero, zip. Ask any professional who sells prints of images captured there and you'll hear the same.

"Guides are required for both Upper & Lower Antelope."

You most certainly do not need a guide to photograph Lower Antelope canyon, but I'm sure you know that already.

Peter, I visited Lower Antelope two weeks ago. If you have a DSLR and tripod in hand they will give you a Photo Pass. This allows you to tour the canyon on your own for two hours. Tours will becoming through while you are in there but on the day I was there the tours were small (6-8 people) and seemed to move through pretty quick.

As for the permit to sell images, at both Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley they stressed that you needed a permi to sell the images. I do not know how much they enforce it, but they do say that one is required.

Thanks for the responses, although it puts me in the same situation I have been trying to figure out ha. I just want to play it safe so better safe then sorry. John, I've never heard any other photogs saying they had to have one, but I haven't been to antelope in over a year so I don't know how much it has changed policy wise. It's not likely I would sell them (at least for quite some time), but there is always that possibility. I suppose we just show up at the parking lot and pay our fees and they take you to the entrance? Also, what would be a good time to be in the canyon? Pretty sure the light beams will be non existent then.

I was just at Lower Antelope a few days ago. You do not need a guide to photograph in the canyon. They offer a professional photographers pass here you can go down on your own. In order to qualify for that pass you must have a "large" SLR camera and a tripod. They will actually rent you a cheap tripod if you do not have one. In the past they let an "assistant" without an SLR or tripod to accompany the photographer, but no longer do that. So if you are going with someone without the proper gear they are required to join a regular tour group with guide. I even saw an independent photo guide (wearing his company logo photo vest) in there with two clients.

At Lower Antelope you park, pay the fee at the shack, and walk about 150 feet to the entry to the canyon, which is just a small, narrow crack on the surface. This time of year it is relatively dark and I would recommend going around 11:00-1:00 to get the best light penetration into the canyon. There is a formation that has a natural hole in it that is quite popular to shoot. When I was there at around 11:15 the sun had already passed the hole and I missed the chance to shoot light beams there. As I was coming out of the canyon at 12:30 there were a couple spots where light was coming all the way down to the floor and you could shoot light beams. When going down watch for the light spots on the walls and come back when they are in better spots for sun beams.

It's a poor time of year for light beams with the low sun angle, but the reflected colors in the interior are just fine. Just to be sure, ask the folks at the booth if any light beams are appearing at this time of year, and they'll let you know where and at what time, if any. They have pretty intimate knowledge of the place, after all.
You won't 'see' the deep blues and purples that one often see in slot canyon images, but the sensor (and film) pick them up among the shades of grey that are visible to the eye and are often just below the warm colors.
Surprisingly, your most used lens will be a 24-105 or some such.

I've been to Monument Valley a couple times and even went on a guided tour, and never payed extra so I could sell images. I have a feeling the Navajo rule applies much the same as the National Park rule regarding commercial use -- like if you are setting up for a photo shoot or filming a commercial. So the fine artists that are landscape photographers don't really fit into the commercial bracket -- although if I was putting images into a book that was going to be selling world wide I would probably inquire about it a little more. But to have it on your website and sell prints -- I wouldn't worry about it.

The way our group interpreted the permit rules: If you choose to display your images in public (social media, site for sale, meeting, gallery etc.) , you need the permit. I'm sure very few get the permits, as it was a bit hard to get them when we traveled through. But we got them to be on the safe side. It get expensive to get it later if you change your mind.

Paul, I have heard of people with MV images on their website who have been contacted by the tribe regarding lack of permits for sales. Apparently they are attempting to enforce their rules.

So how does this work at Canyon de Chelly or Navajo National Monuments which are ostensibly Navajo land?? As a US citizen I have every right to go to my National Parks and take photographs even with intent to sell them as prints. Just curious.

http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/canyondechelly_permits.htm
What you have to remember is this on a reservation and well it is different.
But here is the NPS permit info also.
http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/permits.cfm?urlarea=permits

Pretty much as every said. I did the permit thing on a trip to Upper. There is a trailer at the local chapter. a few miles away. Pay your $50 (no checks or credit cards - but cashier and cash works). If you dont have business liability (around $1 mil), then you get to sign a waiver.

The Lower Antelope does have the unguided photo pass, but as far as I understand, you still need the Navajo Parks permit for photos for sale. And I believe the permit rules apply to everything in Navajo land -. they list the locations you plan to visit. If its private property, you also need a note from the landowner.

As for Upper, the nice thing about having a permit is that they let you go a bit more unguided. But its still a short trip. Some groups also provide access to Rattlesnake, Owl, and other slots in the Upper region.