I mentioned that I’m planning to go to the John Prine concert on Governor’s Island, and that it is stated in the rules that no professional equipment will be allowed.
What are considered professional cameras and professional digital cameras?
Any camera with a removable lens will be considered a professional camera and will not be allowed inside the venues during performances.
It’s all sort of funny to me. There are lots of digital cameras without interchangeable lenses that cost more than the 500D I have. And this thing about being a professional – I guess I sort of understand it. They don’t want anyone to be able to make money off of John Prine’s likeness except themselves.
I always seem to be on the wrong side of the fence. When parades come through the city, I’m not allowed to get too close because I’m not a professional, i.e. I don’t have the proper certification.
When famous people give a concert, I can’t get in because my camera labels me as a pro.
I have to admit, it’s all annoying to me, not to mention that I’m the sort of person that bristles when you say I can’t do something that I think I should be able to do. It runs in the family, and comes directly from my mom. One of my earliest memories, was how my mom would sneak me into a drive-in movie. We had a station-wagon. Remember how the seat would fold down until it touched that bump in the floor.
So before going into the drive-in, my mom would get me hunch up on one side of the bump, and my sister would get into a ball on the other side, and my mother would then bring the back seat down until it locked into place over our heads, and put a blanket on it, and my smallest sister would lie on it. So they paid for the two adults.
It was scary and squishy in their, not to mention dark, and we knew we were doing something wrong – but once we got past the ticket guy my mother would talk to us through the backseat, telling us that it wouldn’t be long now and that they were just looking for a good spot.
And we’d feel the car stop. The blanket pulled back. And yippie – the backseat was folded up and we got to breathe again.
My father thought this was wrong – unethical behavior – but my mother usually got her way. I didn’t really know what to think except that it was a sort of game and my mom just loved to pull one over on “the man.” Or whatever name she placed on the guardians.
I grew up the same way. Little crimes. Nothing that hurt anyone, but stuff that would save me some money. Typical examples: you aren’t allowed to bring outside food into the movie theater. When my family went to the movie theater together – mom, dad, and the three kids, we smuggled in enough food for a full supper.
And no, we were never caught.
Why would I even want to take a picture of a John Prine who has been through throat surgery, has gotten good and old – and do I have some plan to sell posters? No. I couldn’t compete against the professionals who have done posters of him.
I think, it’s simply the challenge. I do love John Prine – and I wish that I had thought to take a camera to an earlier concert – though I’ve never seen him in concert other than on t.v. – but it’s this thing where they put the challenge to me, that get’s me. That’s part of it.
But it’s also insane. It’s like reading that article yesterday with Scorsese saying that he loved iMovie and that his editor Thelma (who couldn’t be nearly as dumb about this stuff) would love using it.
Strange. I didn’t have any trouble bringing my DSLR into the Bob Dylan concert at Madison Square Garden, and yes they checked the bag and let me through. I’ll have to give this thing some thought. I don’t want to have them hold the camera, because it is going to disturb my enjoyment of the concert. Of course I’ll have my iPhone with me, and can record bits of it if I want to.
I’m really tempted to get a thermos or something that I can put my lenses into and open once I’m inside. Plus won’t it be dark by the time Prine plays?
Or maybe I’ll just bring in a cheapo p/s if still have one floating around and call it a day. Funny – just opened my desk drawer to find I still have a Kodak Brownie. Pretty funny to shoot it with that though of course with that lens… I’d have to be on stage to get a portrait type shot, plus I wonder if they make that size film anymore… or what it was. 110mm? I have no idea. Then again – what I could do if I had the G11… hmmm… swivel screen, raw files, 10mp and 28mm – 140mm lens… uhm… and that’s not a professional camera…? or the SX20… (with IS… only no RAW mode)… and I’m sure someone can suggest something cheaper and better… I just took a quick look in B&H under Canon point/shoot.
Should be a great concert, we’ve seen him probably 10 times between 1973 and 2009. I just wish he would do fewer songs from his first album and more from his many fine albums since then (He’ll do a few, but the ratio is wrong).
As far as cameras go, small camera and small lens may get it in, carry a longer lens under your sweater in a bag.
Good idea ’bout the long lens. I know, he’s probably sick of having to do the old songs – but I’ll bet he knows that a big part of the audience wants to hear “there’s a hole in daddy’s arm’ etc.
I think I really want to hear Dear Abby.. or some of the funnier ones.
Dave,
This is a tricky issue. As I wrote on my own blog back in January, some people armed with “professional” photography equipment at gigs can be really annoying.
Not that I’m suggesting for a moment that you would be that way inclined.
At Cat Power’s last gig here in Adelaide, at a reasonably small venue, there was an idiot right at the front of the stage armed with a Canon DSLR and kit lens. (There’s no punter barrier at this venue. You can literally sit on the stage).
Everytime Cat headed toward that side of the stage this idiot would blast her with the full power of his onboard flash complete with red eye reduction pre flash. I’m mean seriously, everytime. All night. I’m surprised that Cat, or at least one of the band didn’t say something.
Looking back on it now, and re-reading my original post, I think that’s what threw Cat off that night. She increasingly headed to the opposite side of the stage and eventually ended up almost hiding behind the guitarist.
I know you’d be much too professional to do something like that, but there lies the quandary. Gigs need to ban idiots not equipment. Not sure how you implement that though…
http://phillhunt.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/cat-power-at-the-gov/
Phill, well one thing I can tell you – I would never use a flash; and I am generally invisible.
I don’t even use flash when I could. I have a shoot coming up for publicity for an off-broadway play. There’s nothing that I’d rather do than use the stage lighting.
I’ve done a few plays and concerts in the past for hire; and I’m often asked if I was shooting since I was so unobtrusive; and the producers were thrilled to find that I had beautiful prints for them.
But there will be just as many, or maybe more idiots with point and shoots and flash. I think management should have told the guy to stop annoying the entertainers.
The thing was, he never moved, never changed angles, never differentiated any part of his set up. He must of ended up with hundreds of photos exactly the same: Cat looking like a beautiful deer trapped in the headlights.
Yes, I agree that managment should have said something.