Today, I really wanted to take some pictures with my camera. I wanted to find new objects to experiment on. And I know one coffee shop and bakery that really has an amazing scene and property. This particular place reminds me a lot of medieval bakeries or downtown shops in England or France. I have not seen many places like that, especially one that sells amazing bread and bagels. So, there I went with a grab bike. Anyhow, I won’t really name the place. I’ve been there twice and even bought them from grab food. That means, I really truly love their coffee and bread. Even after this incident happened, I still love their bread.

Long story short, I entered the place and requested to dine in. I made myself comfortable and the staff handed me the menu. I ordered a bacon muffin with a cappuccino. Then, while waiting I took out my camera and tested out the lighting. It was a while before my order arrived. When it arrived, the waiter told me, “ there’s a minimum spend if you want to use your camera to take pictures. It’s 300.000IDR” . I was puzzled.

“ Oh okay” I said feeling uncomfortable and turned off my camera. That was really the first time I entered a cafe that had such a policy. I never really have any problem in any place when I take out my camera and not my phone. First, I think they should make it up front that if you use a semi-professional / professional camera, you have to spend a minimum of 300.000 IDR which is around 20$. Second, that’s just bizarre. There was no sign nor policy stating no camera policy. People take pictures these days and even smartphones sometimes produce better results than a semi professional camera. In Indonesia that's a really bizarre practice. Almost everyone I know who lives here takes pictures of their food and shares it on instagram or wherever. But maybe, the place was camera shy? But I even saw some pictures of their place on google reviews from other visitors. So? I really don’t know why I should spend a minimum of 300.000IDR just to be able to use my camera.

I had some common sense. Even sometimes when I dine at a very expensive restaurant, I don’t take the pictures. I would rather enjoy it, myself. But across places in Indonesia, I never stumble on the issue that I can’t take pictures with my camera especially if it’s just a cafe. Remember when I didn’t even post a trip because I am respecting the copyrights policy? I would do the same thing if the place clearly states that. I could have argued but often, it’s not worth my energy nor time. I didn’t even finish the coffee but I finished the muffin because it was too good not to finish it.

Right after I reached the co-working space, I asked my concierge if that’s normal around Bali. He hesitated saying that there are some specific places where they are very straightforward. Even at the co-working space, you have to be a member first before taking pictures. I was allowed to because I am already a member. He advised me that maybe next time, I can ask for permission before pulling out my camera. That’s the lesson I learned today that I have to keep in mind. But really, it sucks when I can’t do that with my camera.

Do coffee shops and cafes in your area have similar policies?