• A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!
  • The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 31 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 31st anniversary: Happy 31st Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $24,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $24 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    Tens of thousands of subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!
  • The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!

FYI-had to get permission from Koolina to get pictures done at lagoon

T

travelmom11

Guest
Joined
Jun 19, 2011
Messages
151
Reaction score
1
Location
CA
I hired a photographer to get some family photos done at the lagoon (we have a new addition to our family). It is only a 30 min session. I had to make a few phone calls and get special permission because it is not allowed and security will make you stop. I had no idea. I know all beaches on Hawaii are public beaches (got married on Maui) but the Koolina lagoons are not. I had to tell them where, when and photographer info. Just a heads up if anyone else wants to get them done.
 
Perhaps the resort has their own in house photographer that they don't want losing business to an outside photographer? Just by making you jump through hoops in hopes you will go in house?
 
they said its because the lagoons are not considered public beaches. I think you are right though (to keep it in house) as the final lady I had to ask was a wedding service company. She has a deal with the developer ( I was told).
 
I've always been told there are no private beaches in Hawaii. They do have public parking for the lagoons. Small lot though
 
ciscogizmo1 said:
I've always been told there are no private beaches in Hawaii. They do have public parking for the lagoons. Small lot though
Click to expand...

Perhaps the lagoons are private but in order to get approval for the resort and lagoons they had to guarantee public access. Doesn't mean they are public, meaning you may not be free to do whatever you want to do there.
 
dioxide45 said:
Perhaps the lagoons are private but in order to get approval for the resort and lagoons they had to guarantee public access. Doesn't mean they are public, meaning you may not be free to do whatever you want to do there.
Click to expand...

Ding Ding Ding we have the correct answer! You get an A for this.
 
All beaches in Hawaii are considered public and that *includes* the Ko'olina lagoons. The Ko'olina Beach Club has no control over who photographs at the beach. I just verified that with the resort on the phone. The front desk said no one from their security department would stop you from having pictures made on the lagoon beach.

The also suggested that if you are still in the property, you should stop by the front desk and ask for a manager and then explain what happened to he manager.
 
SnowDogDad said:
All beaches in Hawaii are considered public and that *includes* the Ko'olina lagoons. The Ko'olina Beach Club has no control over who photographs at the beach. I just verified that with the resort on the phone. The front desk said no one from their security department would stop you from having pictures made on the lagoon beach.



The also suggested that if you are still in the property, you should stop by the front desk and ask for a manager and then explain what happened to he manager.
Click to expand...


Yes, this is my understanding. There is even a public access point to the beach. For the OP, I smell a rat. I bet a friend of employee is a photographer.
 
dioxide45 said:
Perhaps the lagoons are private but in order to get approval for the resort and lagoons they had to guarantee public access. Doesn't mean they are public, meaning you may not be free to do whatever you want to do there.
Click to expand...


I disagree, otherwise why call them public. Is there some sort of photography law? We did professional pictures in Maui on the beach with no problem. In fact we didn't pick a location until the day of. We waited based on weather, lighting, etc..
 
You were smart to check in advance. Just because a place is "public" doesn't necessarily mean your photographer is entitled to use it as his/her outdoor studio. I'm active in the management of a local public garden -- beautiful location to take photographs. We had to institute a policy requiring professional photographers (i.e., people who charge to take photos) to schedule any photo shoots in advance. There were too many instances when photographers (and the people who wanted their photo taken) showed up and disrupted other users of the gardens or other activities at the gardens. If you want to earn a buck using public space, it's not too much to ask that you schedule a time in advance.
 
ciscogizmo1 said:
I disagree, otherwise why call them public. Is there some sort of photography law? We did professional pictures in Maui on the beach with no problem. In fact we didn't pick a location until the day of. We waited based on weather, lighting, etc..
Click to expand...

there is a law, a permit is required for any commercial activity.

https://dlnr.ehawaii.gov/permits/welcome.html

Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) §13-221-35 requires persons conducting commercial activities on State unencumbered land to obtain a permit from the Department.

People do things without permits all the time, doesn't make it legal. It would have been your photographers responsibility to get the permit.
 
Last edited:
SnowDogDad said:
All beaches in Hawaii are considered public and that *includes* the Ko'olina lagoons. The Ko'olina Beach Club has no control over who photographs at the beach. I just verified that with the resort on the phone. The front desk said no one from their security department would stop you from having pictures made on the lagoon beach.

The also suggested that if you are still in the property, you should stop by the front desk and ask for a manager and then explain what happened to he manager.
Click to expand...

Marriott does not patrol the lagoons. Marriott, aulani and jw hotel security is for their private property only. All common areas of koolina would be the koolina security patrol. You see them on their golf carts and ridgeline vehicle.
 
SnowDogDad said:
All beaches in Hawaii are considered public and that *includes* the Ko'olina lagoons. The Ko'olina Beach Club has no control over who photographs at the beach. I just verified that with the resort on the phone. The front desk said no one from their security department would stop you from having pictures made on the lagoon beach.

The also suggested that if you are still in the property, you should stop by the front desk and ask for a manager and then explain what happened to he manager.
Click to expand...

Maybe the front desk is wrong because my photog was the one that said HE could not do pictures at Koolina beaches and said I would need special permission. So I called the Marriott vacation advisor myself and she said I needed to call to another lady (named Mary Morris at Marriott) who said they normally charge a fee ($100) to allow pictures but she would waive it because I was an owner but I needed to call Lisa at Weddings by Lisa to get on schedule (in case there was a wedding at that time. ??) and she said she would notify security. Mary said Lisa had a special contract with Koolina resort. Whatever that means. I had to make several phone calls and jump through a few hoops to just get permission. All THREE of the above people said the same thing "no professional pictures on property without permission"
 
travelmom11 said:
All THREE of the above people said the same thing "no professional pictures on property without permission"
Click to expand...

The beach on the lagoon is not their property, though.
 
If you go past the ihilani, there is a true public beach that makes for gorgeous photos. You can take pictures there without permission. We did our engagement photos there. Any local photographer should know this. And any local photographer you hire knows the hoops you have to go through to take photos at ko olina.
 
There's a difference:

- a person can take photographs as much as they want.
- But, a professional photographer, who does it for money, is regulated.

As others have said, the pro photographer should have known there are regulations concerning businesses doing work (like photography).

TS
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top