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Concert Photography

  
 
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p.1 #1 · Concert Photography


I've run into the language quoted below a few times recently at various music venues. I'm not sure what the rationale is, but I really don't like it. Last night I attended a Sierra Hull concert at a small venue that opened recently in my neighborhood. I'd love to have been able to bring my M10M with a couple of lenses, but due to this policy all I could take was the little D-Lux 8. It's a capable camera, but the monochrom would have been a lot better.


Can I bring my camera?

Unless an artist requests otherwise, regular digital point & shoot cameras and smartphones are generally fine but absolutely no SLR, detachable lens, or professional type cameras or video recording devices are allowed without prior permission from the venue and band. Keep in mind that even if cameras are permitted, NO FLASHES ARE ALLOWED. Oh yeah, if you are good at taking pictures, please send us copies! We like that lots!


Brent







Sierra Hull #1

  LEICA D-Lux 8    DC VARIO-SUMMILUX 1:1.7-2.8/10.9-34 ASPH. lens    14mm    f/2.1    1/250s    800 ISO    -2.0 EV  







Sierra Hull #2

  LEICA D-Lux 8    DC VARIO-SUMMILUX 1:1.7-2.8/10.9-34 ASPH. lens    34mm    f/2.8    1/400s    800 ISO    -2.0 EV  







Sierra Hull #3

  LEICA D-Lux 8    DC VARIO-SUMMILUX 1:1.7-2.8/10.9-34 ASPH. lens    34mm    f/2.8    1/320s    800 ISO    -2.0 EV  




Sep 27, 2025 at 11:19 AM
DJT2020
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p.1 #2 · Concert Photography


Very good work!


Sep 27, 2025 at 12:49 PM
JohnC
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p.1 #3 · Concert Photography


Amazing resolution. In the film days i pushed Tri-X to 800 for concert photography, usually pretty grainy.


Sep 27, 2025 at 01:10 PM
bnfotografie
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p.1 #4 · Concert Photography




DJT2020 wrote:
Very good work!


Thank you!
Brent



Sep 27, 2025 at 01:33 PM
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p.1 #5 · Concert Photography



JohnC wrote:
Amazing resolution. In the film days i pushed Tri-X to 800 for concert photography, usually pretty grainy.


Digital camera sensors and processors are getting better all the time. I used to push concert shoots to 1600 and develop in Diafine. There wasn't any noise reduction in those days. You had to go with what you got in the print.
Brent



Sep 27, 2025 at 01:35 PM
GoodEgg
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p.1 #6 · Concert Photography


Can I bring my camera?

Unless an artist requests otherwise, regular digital point & shoot cameras and smartphones are generally fine but absolutely no SLR, detachable lens, or professional type cameras or video recording devices are allowed without prior permission from the venue and band. Keep in mind that even if cameras are permitted, NO FLASHES ARE ALLOWED. Oh yeah, if you are good at taking pictures, please send us copies! We like that lots!


Brent




Sierra Hull was one of the last two acts at Pickin' In The Pines 2 weeks ago. She has amazing talent, seems so down to earth.
I was able to place my camera mounted on my Platypus, right on the stage. Their policy:

"You may bring cameras, small camcorders, and audio recording devices to Pickin’ in the Pines. No flash photography is permitted. Do not obstruct the view of those around you. This is a taper-friendly festival; however, audio and video recording may be prohibited at the request of the Artist. Please respect our sound technicians, do not locate your taping equipment in front of or directly next to the sound booth."

Edited on Sep 28, 2025 at 11:30 AM · View previous versions


Sep 27, 2025 at 03:36 PM
Bob Jarman
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p.1 #7 · Concert Photography


Great set Brent. Surprised you did not use a Q?

Bob



Sep 27, 2025 at 10:40 PM
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p.1 #8 · Concert Photography





Sierra Hull was on of the last two acts at Pickin' In The Pines 2 weeks ago. She has amazing talent, seems so down to earth.
I was able to place my camera mounted on my Platypus, right on the stage. Their policy:

"You may bring cameras, small camcorders, and audio recording devices to Pickin’ in the Pines. No flash photography is permitted. Do not obstruct the view of those around you. This is a taper-friendly festival; however, audio and video recording may be prohibited at the request of the Artist. Please respect our sound technicians, do not locate your taping equipment in
...Show more

I much prefer that policy to the one I encountered. Apparently it's the venue, not the artists, who came up with it.
Brent



Sep 28, 2025 at 07:57 AM
 


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p.1 #9 · Concert Photography




Bob Jarman wrote:
Great set Brent. Surprised you did not use a Q?

Bob


I'll PM you on this.
Brent



Sep 28, 2025 at 08:02 AM
Al Trujillo
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p.1 #10 · Concert Photography


Yeah....you couldn't take the gear you wanted but on the bright side you spent an evening listening to Sierra!

I've followed her since she was a youngster. Never seen her live but maybe I will someday. Great images.

I wish more venues would do some research on photo gear...I get tired of trying to walk into a place with my A7 and told it can't come in while hundreds of others are snapping pictures with cell phones. IMO, cellphones are much more obtrusive being lifted up blocking people's view, people snapping selfies, etc. I don't think its equipment bias as much as plain ignorance of the facts.



Sep 28, 2025 at 08:18 AM
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p.1 #11 · Concert Photography


I've run across similar language from diff venue's. Even when I took my M and glass back to my truck, and returned with the Q ... they said the lens was too long.

The irony in yours being that they'd like to see your good pics.



Most recently, I was at a horse track with my 500/5.6. Someone complained that I was taking pictures of a horse that had fallen during the race (horse recovered ) . Of course, they have no idea what I was / wasn't taking pictures of. They just saw I was looking through my lens ... basically, just a long monocular at that point ... and assumed I was being nefarious and disrespectful (they specifically stated such). I simply replied, "I am respectful". It's not like I was going to sell pics of a downed horse. Actually, I realized that this could be the last pic the owner could possibly have of their beloved horse (the opposite of nefarious).

Then someone from the track came up to me and said I wasn't allowed to have long lenses at the track, (while shooting "riders up"). Ummm, security checked my bag and we (pleasantly) talked about my gear ... it's not like I "smuggled in" a 500mm lens.

I really wanted to challenge them about their, so called (i.e. just made up) policy. Instead, I switched to my M with 135.

I acknowledge that it is a private venue (albeit, open to the public), but it's like they are judging and convicting us of crimes we haven't committed, on the basis that we could (i.e. do something commercial without authorization). Yet, an iPhone is now capable of ... well, you get the gist.

It's like we're always guilty ... before doing anything wrong ... yet, others are allowed to express their 1st Amendment rights, but somehow we are not afforded the same opportunity.




Sep 28, 2025 at 10:20 PM
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p.1 #12 · Concert Photography


Just wonderful photography brother! Music venues can get pretty restrictive camera wise. I remember when you could NOT take any pictures. Then smartphones came along.
Your b&w work is wonderful! And a "stand up bass"!
Dan



Sep 29, 2025 at 10:57 AM
bmike-vt
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p.1 #13 · Concert Photography


No cameras!
But also, if you take nice pictures we would like them so share them with us!

Makes no sense… but… not many things do these days.



Oct 01, 2025 at 02:30 AM
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p.1 #14 · Concert Photography


Fantastic shots Brent, you did a great job controlling the highlights.

In NYC this days is almost impossible to bring a camera to a venue, the other day while food shopping at my local supermarket I was approached by a manager that noticed my camera and asked me to "do not take pictures inside the building".



Marcelo



Oct 05, 2025 at 06:17 PM
Monika C
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p.1 #15 · Concert Photography


Really good job handling the exposures, Brent.
I went to a Keith Jarrett concert once where photography was not allowed. He said, "It's not the flashes, it's the clicks"



Oct 05, 2025 at 09:31 PM
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p.1 #16 · Concert Photography


Al Trujillo wrote:
Yeah....you couldn't take the gear you wanted but on the bright side you spent an evening listening to Sierra!

I've followed her since she was a youngster. Never seen her live but maybe I will someday. Great images.

I wish more venues would do some research on photo gear...I get tired of trying to walk into a place with my A7 and told it can't come in while hundreds of others are snapping pictures with cell phones. IMO, cellphones are much more obtrusive being lifted up blocking people's view, people snapping selfies, etc. I don't think its equipment bias as
...Show more

If you get a chance to see her live, you will definitely not regret it. She's a great!!
Brent

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RustyBug wrote:
I've run across similar language from diff venue's. Even when I took my M and glass back to my truck, and returned with the Q ... they said the lens was too long.

The irony in yours being that they'd like to see your good pics.

Most recently, I was at a horse track with my 500/5.6. Someone complained that I was taking pictures of a horse that had fallen during the race (horse recovered ) . Of course, they have no idea what I was / wasn't taking pictures of. They just saw I was looking through
...Show more

You state the case perfectly. These policies don't seem to be thought out at all. People use their cell phones to shoot, then inundate social media sites with their photos. Obviously, the policy is not about controlling image release. I really don't get it. Your experience highlights how ridiculous this stuff is.
Brent

---------------------------------------------

Danpbphoto wrote:
Just wonderful photography brother! Music venues can get pretty restrictive camera wise. I remember when you could NOT take any pictures. Then smartphones came along.
Your b&w work is wonderful! And a "stand up bass"!
Dan


Thanks much, Dan. The entire group was fantastic. The guy on the stand up bass was a master. He did a solo piece that blew everybody away.
Brent

---------------------------------------------

bmike-vt wrote:
No cameras!
But also, if you take nice pictures we would like them so share them with us!

Makes no sense… but… not many things do these days.


Yeah, that's the part that really underscores the absurdity.
Brent

---------------------------------------------

Lightsearcher wrote:
Fantastic shots Brent, you did a great job controlling the highlights.

In NYC this days is almost impossible to bring a camera to a venue, the other day while food shopping at my local supermarket I was approached by a manager that noticed my camera and asked me to "do not take pictures inside the building".



Marcelo


Thanks Marcelo. I had a very similar experience when carrying my little Leica in a grocery store. I've never been able to figure out why people are afraid of a camera, but cell phones are fine.
Brent

---------------------------------------------

Monika C wrote:
Really good job handling the exposures, Brent.
I went to a Keith Jarrett concert once where photography was not allowed. He said, "It's not the flashes, it's the clicks"


Thanks, Monika. I set my meter to spot and the exposure value to -3 stops and they came out just right. I definitely get why a performer wouldn't want to be hearing clicks from the crowd. Fortunately, most digitals today have very quiet shutters. Back in my early days of shooting, I was covering my first major golf tournament (Nikon F2as) and didn't know the rules. I was just a few feet from the green and just when Fuzzy Zoeller was starting to swing his putter I clicked off a shot. He blew a gasket and stormed over to me and said if I did anything like that again I'd never cover another golf tournament. Lesson learned.
Brent




Oct 08, 2025 at 09:22 AM







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