all your documents, are also good introductions and proof of intent. The more documents
you can supply in support of the project the better. Contact the cultural attaché of the
countries you are visiting and ask for a letter of support. Letters of support should
be on official letterhead from the head of the university or institution, as well as the
commissioner, professor, and project director. Photographers should have information
showing their professional credentials.
Wh a t t o d o W h E n t hE l o c a l S i t E l i a iS o n F a i lS
Sometimes Mr. Fix-It fails, so have a back-up plan in the form of alternate contacts
or a strategy to deal with logistics on-site. Even with the best of intentions, you will
not always be the highest priority for the liaison and his or her contacts, and there is
always the risk of scam or sheer incompetence. For best results, use a liaison with good
credentials and strong recommendations from friends or colleagues who live or work
in the area.
2.8. Si t E a c cE S S a n d r E S o u r cE S
Gaining access to a site can sometimes be as simple as providing a wish list to the local
site liaison. More likely, the commissioner and/or photographer must do much of the
legwork. Generally, the first step is to determine who is in charge of a building and who
is authorized to grant the appropriate permissions. A good place to start is by calling the
press office, if there is one, since it often handles everything, including scheduling the
shoot. More obscure sites may not be so well-organized, in which case some creative
thinking is called for. In Italy, for example, there is an entire bureaucracy for handling
the rights of the cultural property of the state, and each city its own bureaucracy.
Unfortunately, these organizations are generally not very efficient, so the key is to be
persistent. Authorities may not respond to paper or electronic correspondence so be
ready to phone or visit the office in person, perhaps several times.When determining
who controls a site, a great place to start searching is the World Wide Web. A website
This job had a poignant aftermath,
when, in March 2004, a devastating
fire destroyed about sixty percent of
the monastic complex (Fig. 12). A
massive restoration and rebuilding
project is underway, but it will just
never be the same again. Although
mine are by no means the only
photographs depicting Hilandar as
it was before the fire, they offer —
with the relative objectivity that characterizes most 360° panoramas — a
unique record of this lost heritage.Figure 12. Orthodox monastery of
Hilandar at Mount Athos before and
during the 2004 fire Photo by Brian
Donovan.