Cameras at gigs, particularly The Village

OFDM

I'm going to a gig in the Village soon and I'm wondering if they allow cameras in (not video cameras of course)?

This lead me to wonder what's the situation other venues in regard to cameras?
I saw a gig in SFX a couple years ago and there was no problem cameas for instance.

dregin

I was stopped taking pics at the Pumpkins in the Olympia by security. They didn't take that camera but I'm pretty sure I've heard of others having them confiscated before.

It all depends on whether or not MCD are running the show.

comet

Depends on the security I think, I've never had a problem taking pictures in the Village, you should be ok. They only really worry about proper SLR cameras that can take professional quality pictures.

eoinf

I take photos at most gigs i go to but i find that the flash on my camera can be abnormally bright at times( dont ask me why), which i understand can be annoying to both people in the crowd and the band/artist playing.

I reckon once your not snapping away constantly you should be ok.

who are you goin to see?

moshpit77

Never had any trouble with cameras at gigs. When they search you going in they usually ignore them

if you have a half decent digital camera you won't need flash, photos come out better without it anyway

OFDM

eoinf wrote:

who are you goin to see?

Jimmy Chamberlin Complex.

Only camera I have at the moment is a Fuji S7000, which looks like an SLR so I guess I won't get in with that.

acquiescefc

You will get in the Village with it no problem. Just try not to look like a pro, ie big camera bags. If you have it on a strap, wear it under your armpit as you walk in or shove it down ur trolleys before you get to the door.

Olympia can be **** but Village should be fine. They never really frisk you properly.

SteM

OFDM wrote:

Jimmy Chamberlin Complex.

Only camera I have at the moment is a Fuji S7000, which looks like an SLR so I guess I won't get in with that.

I've taken my Fuji S5000 into the Village plenty of times and theres never been an issue. Stood beside staff and took photos and they haven't given me a second look and they very rarely frisk you on the way in.

OFDM

What's the worst that could happen if they too exception to the camera? Not let you? Take it off you? Kick you out if you got in with it?

Should I avoid using the flash much if I do get in with it?

comet

I think your getting a bit too excited about it all, worst case scenario is they probably take it off you and give it back at the end of the night. I'm guessing its a digital, well you'll need a good one with high ISO range to take decent pictures without a flash, otherwise the shutter has to stay open too long, you shake and your left with blur. Flash away i'd say (no not that kind of flashing!!)

OFDM

comet wrote:

I think your getting a bit too excited about it all, worst case scenario is they probably take it off you and give it back at the end of the night. I'm guessing its a digital, well you'll need a good one with high ISO range to take decent pictures without a flash, otherwise the shutter has to stay open too long, you shake and your left with blur. Flash away i'd say (no not that kind of flashing!!)

:eek:
It does ISO 64, 100, 200, 400 and 800. It's got manual shutter speed and aperature thingies I still haven't fully figured out yet too.
I think I'll leave the lens adapter at home so it doesn't look like it has a long lens on it.

comet

Same as my digital, 400 isn't enough in those lighting conditions i don't think, you could probably get some good shots if you can hold steady, the stage is reasonably bright and the subject isn't running around but it can be hit and miss. I'd use flash for most of them. Of course ideally you wouldn't use flash at all and capture the lighting properly but you'd need a different camera for that.

daram

One thing you could do is email the band and ask them can you take pictures for them. Then you are there as a photographer and you definitely wont get stopped. If you're lucky you might also get free. Photo's taken at gigs with a flash never come out right. One, if you are more than three meters away, most flashes are useless. Everything in the foreground will be bright and the band will be near invisible.

Best bet is to put the camera into iso400 (it should do 800 too, cause i've a fujifilm f420, which is a pocket size one, and it has it), and only take pictures when there is as much light on the stage as possible. And have a steady hand. Your camera will tell you what shutter speed its currently at if you half press the take a picture button. Anything faster than 1/8 is okay as long as long as what ever your taking the picture of isnt moving too quickly. I've attached some pictures i've taken at gigs over the past while. Usually I'd take about 50pictures at a gig, and about 10 would be sharp enough to keep. There's one picture attached where a flash was used, from right beside the stage in vicar street. As you'll see, the picture is ****e.

OFDM

Nice pics there. I especially like The Frames ones. Just realised my S7000 does ISO 800, so I'll give that a shot. Thanks for the advice.

daram

Yeah I thought so. You might have to reduce the quality of the pictures, but if you can keep it above 2MP you're safe. S7000 is a nice camera, so you should be able to get nice shots. All those we're taken with an F420, which is supposed to be a point-and-shoot camera. People who blame their camera for taking bad pictures generally just don't know how to use their camera.

Another trick I find handy is using the multi-shot thing where the camera takes 4 or 5 shots in quick succession. This way you can choose the clearest shot afterwards with the lease blurring. Only problem is that it's very battery intensive and you'd want to have a lot of memory space. When is the gig in the village? I'd be interested to see what the shots come out like.

OFDM

daram wrote:

When is the gig in the village? I'd be interested to see what the shots come out like.

25th August. Hopefully I get a few nice shots anyway.

Shrimp

I'm going to the Dyaln Concert in the Point in November.

What are the rules regaurding that? Can I get a press pass, or some sort of permission? or do I even have to at all?

daram

you'll get a small camera in without a pass. and you wont get a press pass for a gig like that. i have a international photographer press pass that i had made for a fiver in thailand last year. never used it though. big gigs like that will have a lot of press at them, thus you'll have to be on the press list and get a sticky mcd press pass for the night.

so basically, you don't stand a chance in hell.
just bring a pocket camera and sit as close to the front as you can.