Selling Your Sable Island Imagery

For a number of people who visit Sable Island, photography is a big aspect of their bucket list trip — recording memories of the experience to share with friends and family back home.

Most visitors create photos for their personal use and do not sell their imagery or artwork of Sable Island afterwards.

However, if you are a business or a commercial artist who plans on selling your work that depicts Sable Island National Park Reserve, you need to apply for a business license to sell your work.

As of April 2024, a mandatory itinerant photography business license is to be secured by all photographers intending to engage in content creation for commercial purposes on Sable Island National Park Reserve. Commercial purposes encompass various activities such as web content development, merchandise creation, advertising initiatives, and photography services, among others.

The Itinerant Photographer Business License applies to the following activities:

• Wedding photography and videography
• Wildlife, nature, and landscape photography
• If the photographer plans to capture photos/videos for their own publishing purposes (e.g., book, poster, calendar, prints)

If you are selling calendars or photo prints to your friends or family, then you need not apply for the license. But if you are selling items in a commercial environment than it would be worth your while to apply in or order to avoid and legal and copyright hassles.

The license, for the time being, only applies to photography, film and videography. Drawings, illustrations or renderings of Sable Island produced for commercial purposes do not need a Business License at this time.

 

 

It usually takes 15 business days to review and process fully completed business licence applications. Please contact Audrey Levesque, Visitor Experience Coordinator for Sable Island National Park Reserve if you have questions or wish to fill out an application permit. Her email address is audrey.levesque@pc.gc.ca, and her phone number is 902-497-4906.

The cost for an Itinerant Photographer Business License is 213$ (tax included), and would ideally be paid prior to the trip. You could also apply after your trip is complete if you feel that the imagery you’ve created is worth selling.

The license is fully refundable, should Picture Perfect Tours cancel the trip because of weather, or you need to cancel your visit prior to arrival on Sable Island.

The Itinerant Photographer Business License doesn’t allow for; the use of drones; to impede park use and enjoyment by other visitors; damage cultural or natural resources; or disturb wildlife; etc.