MERGED --> ALL Concert Photography/Cameras Discussion

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
you know its not the venue, its the promoters/artists that decide the policy, a lot of artists don't mind if they aren't professional lenses, and if the flash is turned off. I would never do a flash in Bono's face, just get fast film, like 800, even 400 is ok, and if it's digital you have to do the settings, which are complicated, otherwise without flash they are blurry. People have always taken photos at U2's shows as far as I remember.
 
On my ticket stub from 10/28/01 NJ, it says "no camera/audio/video."

On my ticket for 5/28/04 Boston, it says "no bags/audio/video" and mentions nothing about cameras.

This tour there is definitely more of the "no camera" mention on the tickets, but I really think this is just a general rule that all venues put on concert tickets now for liability reasons.

Clearly, U2 did not care about small cameras (even digital ones) on the last tour. I don't see them starting to care about it on this tour. It's more of a venue/security issue.

Everybody- just put your cam in your pants when going through security and start taking pics once the lights go out. You'll be fine. It's not like U2 will specifically confiscate cameras or kick you out like Bruce Springteen does.
 
buckman said:
On my ticket stub from 10/28/01 NJ, it says "no camera/audio/video."

On my ticket for 5/28/04 Boston, it says "no bags/audio/video" and mentions nothing about cameras.

This tour there is definitely more of the "no camera" mention on the tickets, but I really think this is just a general rule that all venues put on concert tickets now for liability reasons.

Clearly, U2 did not care about small cameras (even digital ones) on the last tour. I don't see them starting to care about it on this tour. It's more of a venue/security issue.

Everybody- just put your cam in your pants when going through security and start taking pics once the lights go out. You'll be fine. It's not like U2 will specifically confiscate cameras or kick you out like Bruce Springteen does.

Hehe, I dunno, maybe Adam will give pointers, "stand there, you'll get a better photo" considering he's a bit of photographer himself.

;)
 
shari schultz said:
anyone have experience with those binocular/digital camera combos? I'm considering them

I have the same question. Some of the combos are big and bulky. However, there are some that are smaller, but less powerful.
 
Most venues don't care what you're bringing in, so long as it's not an SLR camera.
 
i brought a camera to 3 shows during Elevation, and i was in the heart every time and no one said anything. in fact when i was right smack in front of the Edge all my pix have the damn security guards big head in it, ahhh... i was so mad. i don't think you will have any problems, definitely bring one or else you will be so mad that you didn't. have fun!! :yes:
 
As dgirrrly said: small cameras are fine. I took mine to all the shows I went to and was for the most times in the front rail. It's great!!

BTW: Adam is awesome. He even stopped long enough for me to snap a KICK ASS black and white pic of him:drool: :wink:
 
Bringing a camera?

So, the rules of the concert place says you cannot bring a camera, however i know people bring cameras to the shows. I just can't convince my mother (who is taking me), that it will be alright (wouldn't it?), so.. (mostly to show my mother this thread), would it be fine bringing a camera to take pictures on the upcoming tour?

(if this was already discussed in a different post, you can all beat me until i cry.) :yikes:
 
It will ultimately be up to the mood and desire of the security guard who pats you down at each venue. Regardless of what the policy states, that will be the person in charge of enforcing it. Some do, some don't.

San Diego made a big effort on the last tour to curb cameras. I think even though it is posted on the tickets, but U2 doesn't care as much. They are trying to limit people carrying in high powered commercial quality cameras and selling the images. Digital Cameras were just becoming big last tour so there wasn't a big stink but I heard of several fans asked not to bring their digital cameras into the venue. It is yet to be seen how they will react this time, when everyone and their brother will have a 128 picture capacity digital camera.

I think they may be a bit more strict this tour. Camera technology is getting very advanced.

For sure if you have a SLR camera or anything with a large lens on it you will not be allowed to carry that into the venue without a media pass.

Advice? Wait for the first couple of shows to happen and wait for peoples response. You will be able to guage reasonably well what your experience will be. Don't bother with disposables, the pictures always come out piss poor and it is not worth the money. Do yourself a favor, unless you are a semi experienced photographer and have quality 35mm or small digital camera that has adjustable light settings, don't try and take pictures of the show once the lights go down. You will only get 1 or 2 ok pictures and 32 dark dark cloudy ones. Instead take pictures of the arena, your friends, people you meet in line, stuff like that. There will be a million good images of the shows out there.

If you want to use your camera, however...don't use the flash and buy the right film type. Go to your local camera shop and tell what you want to take pictures of and they will give you the best film speed.
 
Last edited:
Hmm I'm not too sure what to do about the camera situation. I have a big zoom camera which obviously can't be hidden easily. I was wanting to take it on the event I am sitting at but don't wanna get any hassle over it. I guess once the tour starts we will find out what experiences people are having.
 
I very highly doubt if the camera has any kind of recognizable zoom lens (other than the typical small telephoto on 35mm and digitals) that they will let you bring it, regardless of the policy.
 
This is how I do it....

If you're female, place your camera in a plastic bag and crotch it.

they can't touch you there.

Or if it is a digital camera and it is flat enough, get a padded bra and place the camera between your bra.
 
isabelle_guns said:
This is how I do it....

If you're female, place your camera in a plastic bag and crotch it.

they can't touch you there.

Or if it is a digital camera and it is flat enough, get a padded bra and place the camera between your bra.

lol.. I brought a disposable camera even though we weren't supposed to have any cameras and my best friend hid it in her clevage (like a true best friend!!) until the guards said any camera w/o zoom is fine, and suddenly everyone had all these non-zoom 35mm cameras. Basically, I didn't know until a few hours before the gates opened that cameras were allowed - it's probably a venue-specific thing.... But if you look at Ticketbastard (yeah, I'm still mad), some venue descriptions will say you can have cameras for sporting events but not for concerts..... so I'd' advise checking out TM.

Anyway, after all that, I only got a few decent shots with my disposable which I have in an album and haven't even looked at for ages...so I won't even bother with one again.
 
it's probably a venue-specific thing..

no, its each artist/promoter that decides cameras. Some like Bette Midler were absolutely adamant no cameras whatsoever at every venue, and others too numerous to mention let us even flash away, but I don't flash at anybody I'm close to, its rude to do that in their faces so Bono or whoever sees those afterimages and can't see. If you put the digital camera settings correctly you don't need flash, and you can also tape over the flash thing, then the camera lens opens enough for low light. Other artists started instigating no flash, and when the fans wouldn't do that but kept flashing in their faces, then they outlawed all cameras.
 
cmb737 said:
I very highly doubt if the camera has any kind of recognizable zoom lens (other than the typical small telephoto on 35mm and digitals) that they will let you bring it, regardless of the policy.

I have a friend who took her professional looking camera with a large zoom lens to a few Elevation shows, and never had any problems. She never hid it or anything. But again she might have been lucky, and some security gards might be more trouble than others about that.

From what I understood last time around, U2 seems to have a specific policy that they couldn't care less about people briging cameras and taking pictures, as opposed to many other acts. For a few shows I've been too, the security gards would tell everyone in the GA line over and over that we couldn't get our cameras in, and then some time closer to the show they would come back and say they had a directive from the top not to bother people with that.

There were TONS of people taking pictures during the Elevation shows, it really was no problem. My guess is that it will be the same this time around, but we will see after a few shows. In any case, don't believe what the venue or local security gards tell you before the U2 staff come in. They're the ones who decide.
 
isabelle_guns said:
This is how I do it....

If you're female, place your camera in a plastic bag and crotch it.

they can't touch you there.

Or if it is a digital camera and it is flat enough, get a padded bra and place the camera between your bra.

Even if you're a guy, you can crotch it. It's not fun, and it's extremely uncomfortable, but it can be done. Just get some medical tape and tape up the legs of your boxers or what not. That's how I got mine in to DMB at the Gorge a few months back, no problem. And they were being pretty nazi about cameras at the gates. It also helps to try and pick a line with a security guard of the opposite sex, as they're less likely to do any sort of pat down besides your side pockets.
 
Does anybody remember the huge camera that Otto brought into dozens and dozens of shows last time around. He clearly didn't have much trouble (or maybe he did), but he got so many beautiful shots. I bought 3 prints from him this past year. He's a talented photographer. Hope he'll be around again this tour.
 
I dont even remember getting patted down. They just looked at what I was carrying (a very small purse) and let my by. Girls will probaby have an easier time getting cameras in :shifty:
 
That's what I was going to do, bring a disposable camera. I just don't know how I could hide it, especially since i'm a tiny girl (100 pounds), and i can't hide anything on me!
 
On Elevation, the band did not mind cameras, just the flashes. There was always a no recorders/video camera announcement though. But I think it was the venue more than them.
 
Edgey said:
Does anybody remember the huge camera that Otto brought into dozens and dozens of shows last time around. He clearly didn't have much trouble (or maybe he did), but he got so many beautiful shots. I bought 3 prints from him this past year. He's a talented photographer. Hope he'll be around again this tour.

That's the thing I have a problem with (and probably U2 also)....no offense to Otto and his work but I think it's wrong to sell pictures from a camera that you had to "sneak" in. Any pictures you take with an "illegal" camera should be for your own enjoyment and to share with others for FREE. If you want to make money, get a press pass.

BTW, I feel the same way about bootleggers.

Sorry to preach. :reject:
 
whitehead said:


That's the thing I have a problem with (and probably U2 also)....no offense to Otto and his work but I think it's wrong to sell pictures from a camera that you had to "sneak" in. Any pictures you take with an "illegal" camera should be for your own enjoyment and to share with others for FREE. If you want to make money, get a press pass.

BTW, I feel the same way about bootleggers.

Sorry to preach. :reject:

Otto doesn't sneak his camera in. In fact I know the band knows what he does, and it helped him get into as many shows as he saw on the last tour. I think he got walked into the GA section for more than one show last time, and since his pictures have been in Rolling Stone, and the Rock Hall, I doubt the band has an issue with him selling his work.
 
I've never tried to take pics at a U2 show (as my first and only was in Phoenix in 01)...however... I've gotten cameras into plenty of the Pearl Jam shows I've been to. Most venues did not allow cameras, although the band's policy was that disposables w/no flash were acceptable. Here's a little fruit from my experience.

Disposables suck. Plain and simple. Unless you are up against the front rail next to the stage (or egg), forget about getting a decent picture. Disposables w/flash suck just as much so don't waste your time. In fact, if you are on the floor, don't plan on getting any decent pictures that do not include various body parts of the fans standing in front of you.

There are several good ways to sneak a digital into a show. You can crotch it, obviously... if you are a girl/have a girlfriend... if you bury it at the bottom of your purse and cover it with lots of crap, usually you can just open your purse up at the turnstiles for the security person and they'll quickly look and pass you on. When there are 16000 people behind you they generally will just rush you through. If your digital is small enough, you can crack open a disposable camera... exhume it's internal parts... put your digital inside of the case and take it out once the show starts. Again, if it looks disposable, they are generally gonna wave your through. If they are anal-retentive, you may have to crotch it. Just watch the people in front of you to get a feel if your particular security guard is a nazi bastard or not.

Once the concert starts, security usually won't give a damn if you sit there all night and take pictures. Venue security that is. I've been called out by band security though for using a digital w/flash during a show.... thankfully they were nice about it and just motioned for me to knock it off.

Venues generally do not confiscate cameras. They will tell you to go put it in your car. So if you don't have a ride at the venue and they catch you with a digital...yer screwed.
 
I'm wondering...since I'm sitting on the balcony waaay high up is there a point in me taking my digital? Will it even be bright enough with flash?
 
I photograph dozens of concerts for clients each year but have never covered u2.

I normally only have permission to photograph an average of the first 2-5 songs of each show with no Flash what-so-ever..
ClearChannel, who I believe is promoting u2, is normally not very picky with cameras for fans or media.
The same cannot be said for Concerts West.
In fact, during a Britney Spears concert some time ago I began to photograph again after I returned to my seat.
That didn't go over too well with Concerts West personel and they told me that if I even attempted to pick up one of my cameras they would own the camera. (blah blah blah)

I too, cannot stand individuals who sneak cameras in and try to sell them. Very wrong in my opinion.
I can't personally sell 90% of what I photograph because of contract stipulations you have to sign before the concerts.

Fans with cameras for personal use are good. Fans trying to make a fast buck, are not fans..
 
Mucca said:
I'm wondering...since I'm sitting on the balcony waaay high up is there a point in me taking my digital? Will it even be bright enough with flash?

Number one rule, unless you are within 5-7 feet of an artist, don't ever bother using a flash. It does NO good, and simply lights up the heads RIGHT in front of you. That digital pic that I took was only one decent one out of about 20 I took from that distance. (Unless you count the ones I took before the show from the same spot)
 
Back
Top Bottom