Should you be banned from photographing beauty spots?

From PetaPixel comes an intriguing story: the council in the Swiss village of Bergün has banned photography of its buildings and the surrounding landscape, lest viewers on social media suffer from the ‘fear of missing out’. It reserves the right to levy a symbolic fine of five Swiss Francs (£4). It’s a good way to garner some publicity for a very picturesque part of Switzerland – the story would be perfect as an April Fool.

Yet there is a serious point here. In spending so much time looking for the next ‘photo opportunity’, it’s so easy to forget to pause, stand back and take in the scene ourselves, rather peering into a screen or down a viewfinder. I’m certainly guilty of doing this myself. So let’s put down the camera or phone once in a while and enjoy the moment.

I can think of a few other places and occasions where it would also be good to ban photography: Paris, Venice, wedddings, meals out. But only once I’ve taken my shots, of course…