Narrative:

On aug/fri/93, I, with 2 passenger, departed south lake tahoe airport for a local flight to take photographs of busy fields on the south end of lake tahoe. I notified the tower prior to takeoff of my intentions and that I would remain below pattern altitude and above 500 ft over the water. After takeoff, I proceeded to descend from pattern altitude over the water to 500 ft and take a series of photographs of 3 marinas at the south end of lake tahoe. Specifically, they're buoy fields for use by the state of ca to show the location of buoys. At all times, I maintained a 500 ft distance from any boat and at no time was I over the shoreline except at pattern altitude. On calling to tower to re-enter the pattern for landing, I was notified there had been a telephone call concerning an airplane flying over the water. I notified them I had stayed 500 ft above any object and that I was never over the land over pattern altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP FOR PHOTO TAKING IS RPTED AS BEING TOO LOW OVER THE WATER.

Narrative: ON AUG/FRI/93, I, WITH 2 PAX, DEPARTED S LAKE TAHOE ARPT FOR A LCL FLT TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF BUSY FIELDS ON THE S END OF LAKE TAHOE. I NOTIFIED THE TWR PRIOR TO TKOF OF MY INTENTIONS AND THAT I WOULD REMAIN BELOW PATTERN ALT AND ABOVE 500 FT OVER THE WATER. AFTER TKOF, I PROCEEDED TO DSND FROM PATTERN ALT OVER THE WATER TO 500 FT AND TAKE A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF 3 MARINAS AT THE S END OF LAKE TAHOE. SPECIFICALLY, THEY'RE BUOY FIELDS FOR USE BY THE STATE OF CA TO SHOW THE LOCATION OF BUOYS. AT ALL TIMES, I MAINTAINED A 500 FT DISTANCE FROM ANY BOAT AND AT NO TIME WAS I OVER THE SHORELINE EXCEPT AT PATTERN ALT. ON CALLING TO TWR TO RE-ENTER THE PATTERN FOR LNDG, I WAS NOTIFIED THERE HAD BEEN A TELEPHONE CALL CONCERNING AN AIRPLANE FLYING OVER THE WATER. I NOTIFIED THEM I HAD STAYED 500 FT ABOVE ANY OBJECT AND THAT I WAS NEVER OVER THE LAND OVER PATTERN ALT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.