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I can’t consider many conditions extra aggravating for knowledgeable photographer than having your tools confiscated by authorities once you’ve received a shopper shoot coming proper up.
Well, that’s precisely what occurred to British-based photographer and filmmaker, Jacob Zatorsky, who lately noticed roughly £5,000 (roughly $6,500 / AU$9,500) of his tools seized by Belgian customs officers, leaving him in a proper pickle the day earlier than a shopper gig.
In a viral video shared on Instagram, Zatorsky explained that, upon arrival in Brussels on a Eurostar train, an overzealous customs official singled him out before questioning him about his equipment.
According to Zatorsky, the customs officer had clocked his professional gear – which, when you watch the video, wasn’t hard, as the Polish-born filmmaker was essentially hauling a mini full production setup – and was especially interested in knowing whether he had an ATA carnet.
Above: listen to Jacob Zatorsky explain his ordeal at the Belgian border
You see, Zatorsky needed an ATA carnet – “ATA” standing for the combined French and English words “Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission” – to bring his expensive gear into Belgium from the UK.
That’s because an ATA carnet acts like a passport for goods, enabling you to take valuable equipment into participating countries without raising alarm bells with customs officials.
You apply for an ATA carnet through an authorized chamber of commerce in your home country before your trip, registering all the items of equipment you plan on taking with you.
The carnet lasts for a certain amount of time, usually a maximum of 12 months, depending on the country(ies) you plan on spending time in, by which all of the equipment you brought in must be taken out.
If ATA carnets weren’t a thing, then you’d be able to import and export expensive professional equipment to either sell or use for work, both of which would put money in your pocket, but none into the local government’s in the form of tax. And we all know how upset Mr. Taxman gets when done out of his cut.
Unfortunately for Zatorsky, this was the first he was hearing of the necessary document and, as he was carrying much more than the £5,000 of equipment that was ultimately seized, the customs official honed in on him like a heat-seeking missile.
Now, the annoying thing about ATA carnets is that, even if you’re not intending on selling or using the equipment for professional work during your trip, you may still need to acquire one, and they’re not cheap.
The price varies between Chambers of Commerce and also depends on the total value of the equipment you want to cross borders with and the carnet duration you need. However, the London Chamber of Commerce, for instance, costs over £600 (roughly $800 / AU$1,100) to situation one of many least expensive types of ATA carnets.
Ouch! That’s a hefty value to pay for those who’re a severe beginner who’s touring with a few digital camera our bodies and lenses, however with no intention of incomes any cash from them.
And don’t assume that your individual social media and YouTube channels aren’t included both. If these are monetized, even for those who’re solely incomes pocket cash from promoting income, you technically nonetheless want an ATA carnet.
What’s much more irritating is that there aren’t any laborious and quick guidelines for once you want one. For instance, knowledgeable photographer taking £15,000 (roughly $20,000 / AU$28,000) of equipment from the UK to the US to shoot an project after which bringing precisely that equipment again to the UK is a textbook ATA state of affairs.
Whereas, a prosumer taking a single digital camera physique, three lenses, a drone, and a tripod, all inside the similar backpack, is perhaps alright with out an ATA carnet, regardless of that tools probably being valued at, say, £9,000 (roughly $12,000 / AU$17,000).
Essentially, for those who’re briefly taking costly tools out of a carnet-participating nation into one other, the equipment is eligible for ATA remedy, and you propose on ultimately exporting the products again to your nation of origin, then you definitely would possibly want a carnet.
But, whether or not you really get requested to current the doc throughout a border crossing in the end comes down to simply how apparent the quantity of apparatus you’re carrying is and the way eager particular person customs officers are to implement the regulation.
It’s all headache-inducing stuff, however I don’t wish to complain an excessive amount of about ATA carnets. After all, I’ve by no means been requested for one whereas touring with my Sony A7 III, Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD, Sony 24-105mm G Master, nor my FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master – and it’s unlikely you’ll if carrying an identical quantity of apparatus.
Plus, if folks heading to a different nation to work a regular 9-5 job want a visa, then it is sensible that freelance filmmakers and photographers additionally have to pay for some form of permission too.
In equity to Zatorsky, he admitted being at fault for not having the carnet. Although, it’s nonetheless a tough capsule to swallow…
In his video, the videographer didn’t make clear whether or not he was in a position to pay money for alternative tools in time for his shoot, however he did say that he received his equipment again when leaving Belgium with no downside. Phew!
I did attain out to Zatorsky, nevertheless, as I’d wish to know what occurred after his gear was seized and the way he dealt with the state of affairs with the shopper. No response but, however I’m eager to listen to again, as there could possibly be some golden nuggets of recommendation for us all on deal with last-minute business job blips.
In the meantime, for those who use your digital camera gear professionally, or actually have a serious-looking setup as an beginner, I like to recommend familiarizing your self additional with carnets to be on the secure aspect earlier than any future journey.
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