I always ask at our Quilt Stores, and they are usually ok with it.

I totally agree.

Remember that many thieves use cameras and next time if you want to use one, ask first.

Her response was rude, but so was photographing the merchandise and especially the end of the bolt! That's a no-no. Likewise is photographing a sample quilt so that you can reproduce it at home without buying the pattern. This is an independent shop and every sales dollar counts to them. If it was a JoAnn's or Hancock Fabrics, no one would care.

I'm surprised you stuck around and spent $50 after the way she spoke to you.

This is the tech age and competitiveness in business takes on whole new dimensions. I believe in shopping locally but I would be turned aside by rudeness of the owner or clerk. I might be willing to pay a higher price from time to time but I need to watch the budget also. The stores are the ones involved in the competitive race-not me. They need to figure out how to best get me to tun loose of my limited number of dollars.

Pictures aside, it really aggravates the tar out of me, to see the end bolt info covered! I like to see the brand I'm buying, as some wash better and wrinkle less than others. If the brand/manufacturer is covered and I can't get a peak of it by peeling back the sticker, I'm MUCH less likely to pay full price for it. If it's in the clearance section, I may take a chance and buy it.

I bet JoAnn's or Hancock's management would beg to differ. If every sales dollar counts, they should remember that with their approach to customers.

That's really out of line on the part of the store. Quite rude. You could certainly go into any retail operation and write down the product # mfg retail price etc etc for anything else you wanted to buy.
Also, many fabric stores will cut you little bits or swatches of fabrics if you ask.
Sometimes I think a store might put fabric on a cardboard spine belonging to a different fabric for whatever reason so you should pull out enough to see the markings on the selvedge.
Stand up for yourself!

And while I'm on the soapbox, SO WHAT if an on-line shop sells a fabric cheaper? Price shopping is a perfectly sensible thing to do. Ask any consumer advocate.

Totally agreed. The scrap bin is one thing, but the bolt for full-price had better have the fabric identification.

I can't say for sure about any other stores, but I worked for a grocery store chain for years and you can not take pictures in grocery stores. That is the common rule in all chains in my area. I'm sure lots of other chains have the same rules, although it is harder to stop now with the camera phones than in the old days when you had to pull out a camera. It is because of competition and now the competition is even more fierce with on line shopping. I don't even have a cell phone so I can't say if you should, a lot of things have changed in the last few years.