Has this ever happen to you.....

So last month I went to the Kenny Chesney concert and I took my dslr. I had 2nd row seat, and paid good money for them...and when Kenny came on, his security people came over and told me I had to put my camera away. Well, I snapped a few more (I had a few drinks in me ) they then told me I had to take my camera to the holding area, but first had to delete all of my pictures of Kenny! I missed about 20 min of the concert because of this!! I should tell you, no where was it stated that I could not take pictures! Only no video, and I argued this....but because my camera is professional looking, they would not allow me to take pictures. Needless to say, I was pissed! Has this ever happen to you?

Yes they're entitled to do that You have no automatic right to take pictures on and should assume that you'll need to ask permission if you're on private property, even if there are no signs. Public property you can shoot who you want, where you want but on privately owned land there is no such right.

At concerts this is common practice, artists like to keep some kind of control over how they're portrayed.

It can be restrictive for pros too. Recently at a Reef gig I covered the pit was cleared by security after the first 4 numbers. Bummer and I hadn't been told but they're entitled and that's the way it goes.

I had to check my camera at a NCAA final four in Tampa. The criteria for them was no cameras with removable lens. Point and shoots were O.K. I have also been questioned once going into the SEC Tournament. Their criteria was no lens longer than a cigarette pack. I had my 80-400 VR on. The guy asked me if I was with the press as I was approaching. I said yes I was over my shoulder and kept going. It was very busy so he had to choose between chasing me or checking everyone else. The ladies taking up tickets got a good laugh out of that one. I believe they thought he was a jerk that loved having authority.

I went to see Carrie Underwood last year at the Nassau Colisium and was not able to bring my DSLR in. They did say I can bring my Kodak Easyshare DX6490. They said the Point & Shoot was ok, but the camera with interchangeable lens' were not and I did have my 70-300 lens with me in the bag. Had to bring the DSLR back to the car. This Summer, I went to the Kenny Chesney Concert at the Meadowlands. I had received an e-mail from the Meadowlands saying cameras with a lens up to 3" were allowed. I was tempted to bring my DSLR, but thought better of it and didn't want to have to walk back to my car, so only brought my Kodak with me. While I got decent pictures while t was still light out, I was limited to taking my pictures off the big screens, being the only lighting I had was the stage lighting and I couldn't adjust the Kodak enough to get good live shots . Got a few nice shots of Kenny but I would love to have had my DSLR with the long lens and the control I have with it. (I did see about 2 other people who had their SLR cameras with them, and having seen that, I was cursing myself for not bringing mine. Don't think they were part of the concert crew or anything.) My seats for KC were in the 1st level above the stage level seats.

I posted a question, (with some pics from the Kenny Chesney concert) in one of these forums asking if there were anyway of getting credentials or passes to bring my DSLR with me to a concert, and got one response saying I should just call the venue and ask. Would still ove to know what I could do to get to bring my DSLR in... I mean hell, the newer Point & Shoots are producing excellent images that could compete in some ways with the DSLR camera and those are allowed. So the artists are losing their control they may want...

As I said in the other thread, the best thing you can do is call and ask. Sound and act professional, if you have a folio of previous work that shows you're serious, point them at it. Tell them you'll let them, or the bands, use the shots for free if that helps. Go for smaller gigs too, even local musicians. Some of them are better than you'd think. Some of them are even damn fine and I'll bet any money they're more accessible and you'll get better shots - it's not important who you photograph, it's important how well you photograph them. You'll find a lot of them on Myspace and Facebook. Contact them, get to know them. let them get to know you.

You may strike out, you may not, but if you do strike out, don't give up, keep pushing, eventually you'll get a hit.

I used to do this for a living but I've not been near a gig with a camera for probably 30 years. Last year, just for the hell of it, I called up the organisers of Lemonfest, an annual S. Devon festival, and asked if I could have a pit pass. I offered them free use of shots under a Creative Commons license. I spent the day there, chatted with the bands afterwards, offered shots up to them too. I got 6 press pass offers on the back of those.

This is my gallery of musician shots.

www.kim-aldis.co.uk/galleries/musicians-bands/

I blagged passes or hung around with bands and local musicians. The last in the series are of a band I occasionally play with at a local pub Jam night who asked me to photograph them after they saw some of the other work.