Another good reason for banning flash is the disturbance and
disruption to enjoyment or study that constant flashes of high intensity
light cause to other visitors.

On the other hand.....

with modern high quality SLR (or digital) cameras and current relatively
fine grain high speed film you may be deluding yourselfs in assuming that
(commercial) reproduction quality photographs can only be taken with
supplementary lighting such as flash.  My f.1.4 / 50mm. lens produces
extremely acceptablehand-held  photographs on Fujichrome professional 400
ASA in lighting levels down to about 60 lux, and the film still gives
very acceptable slides on many subjects when force-developed at 2 or 3
photo stops higher (equivalent of around 1200 ASA).

Patrick J. Boylan  (Professor of Arts Policy and Management)

City University, Frobisher Crescent, Barbican, London EC2Y 8HB, UK;
phone: +44-171-477.8750, fax:+44-171-477.8887; e-mail: [log in to unmask]
World Wide Web site: http://www.city.ac.uk/artspol/index.html