Letters from abroad: Photos: The forbidden fruit

BOLOGNA, Italy – I know you have been tempted to do it. Security guards are pacing back and forth, signs are posted everywhere. But you paid 6.50 Euro to get in and your fingers are just itching to get your money’s worth. Can you resist?\nEvery year, thousands of tourists flood into the world’s famous art galleries; only a lucky few leave with a forbidden photo of the works inside. They get a rush from ignoring the “no photo” signs, cheating the system and not paying a whopping 50 cents for a postcard in the museum gift shop. They show off their photographic loot as if they made off with the piece itself. And my question to you outlandish lawbreakers is, why?\nPeople bragging about their illicit pictures of Michelangelo’s David and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel usually justify their actions by quipping, “Well, I didn’t use a flash” (which is widely recognized as damaging to delicate paint layers and the patina on sculptures). Or my favorite, “Other people were doing it, too.”\nTourists don’t stop to think of other reasons why photography inside galleries might be “vietato” or “verboten” before they click the shutter. Sure, the major reason is most likely that the museum would like to make a profit from the sale of their merchandise. But, where does that revenue go?\nYour 50 cent purchase of a photo – much better than one you could take with your silly consumer-level camera hidden under your jacket – goes to buy new pieces and restore old ones. Tourists for years to come will be able to enjoy the museum and all of its artistic treasures. It seems like a pretty good cause to me.\nSo, the next time you find yourself staring directly into the eyes of Ms. Mona Lisa, or some equally stunning piece, do Da Vinci a favor. Turn your camera off and walk over to the gift shop. You’ll have a fantastic, cheap souvenir, and will have done your part to preserve our cultural heritage.