my camera advice

[dougb]

DONT! use disposable or negative film use a digital their more forgiving with the lighting conditions i say this because my pics turned out like crap and the digitals are coming out better.

[Lee]

Well, I don't own a digital camera, but I would be leary that it might be confiscated by security. That's why at the Philly show, I used a disposable camera instead of my 35 mm camera. My pics turned out crappy b/c I was too far away.

Lee

[jeffs]

To be successful with concert photography you need to really know what you are doing in terms of waiting for the proper lighting, use the correct film (fujipress 1600 or 800) but most of all you need high quality lenses that have a very large minimum aperature. You need to understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperature, and lighting in relationship to the subject being blurry. Most consumer lenses, especially on the average point and shoot cameras are not going to score you high quality pics from the FM concerts - they just do not allow enough light through at shutter speeds that are sufficient at freezing the motion and your own hand movement.

Jeff

[AliP]

The only downside I would say about a digital is because they have no "speed" setting, then when you have fast movement, they will always be blurry. As was the picture I took of Stevie kicking Lindsey off the stage. lol. Another problem, is the flash, I think you probably have to be pretty close if you don't use a flash, as with any camera. I don't think security would confiscate a digital. I know that usually they don't confiscate the regular ones, just expose the film. But I don't know how they would do that with a digital, make you erase them I guess?

[David R]

I hate the fact we cannot walk in there with our cameras... I do not see what is so wrong with taking pics at a concert... especially a mac concert when the prices are so high...

I tried taking pics at an Incubus concert..(my 2nd favorite band) and the security cussed me out... threatened to throw me out... grabbed my arm and was about to escort me out... of course during this time the concert was going on.. .and I pretended like I couldn't hear him... he just cursed at me more f**k this, f**k that... calling me retarded or something like that.. i just ingnored and finally said I wouldn't take any more pics.. then they left me alone.. I got about 15 pics... they didn't make me expose my film thankfully...

but still I see nothing wrong with being able to take pics at a concert... it is so we can have something to remember the night by besides a t-shirt and a poster...

if I ever become a "rockstar" *crosses fingers*... I will demand that people be able to take pics at my concert... even if i will be blind by the end of the night...

[dougb]

is it the mac saying no pics?

[AliP]

I don't know. I know they don't like flash. But everytime they see someone with a camera they smile big and put on a big show. So I don't think they really care except for the flash.

[dougb]

someone at the concert says lindsey rolled his eyes and looked discusted at someone who was taking pics of him up front during goodbye baby

[AliP]

All I know is at Auburn he was smiling and hamming it up for the many cameras, so was Mick.

[EnchantedSLN]

At Staples Center, before the concert started security came around and gave a whole spiel about how, "at the band's request", the first 3 rows could not take photos or you would be ejected from the arena. They later softened it to say that if you were caught taking pictures you would just be escorted upstairs to check your camera in. It didn't stop me from taking a ton of photos (no flash) anyway . Lindsey noticed I had a camera and knew full well he was being photographed... it didn't seem to bother him, though. He smiled and showboated all night.

2 nights later in Anaheim (a venue that often allows cameras into shows) someone came around posting signs that said "Fleetwood Mac: no cameras, no flowers, no recording equipment". I made some comment like "wow, not even flowers?" and she said "yeah, we usually let cameras in but the band specified not to." (She also explained that the flower restriction was because sometimes there can be bugs or spiders on the flowers... I'd forgotten about that!) That night I was in front on Stevie's side, right in front of her mic. I still took pictures, & I'm sure she noticed, but didn't seem disturbed or annoyed by it (and yes, I'm the kind of person where if she would have so much as given me the slightest frown, I would have stopped!)

I suspect if FM is saying no pictures, it's probably Stevie... for the same reason she insists on always being filmed at an angle from above in her videos, and because she doesn't like flashes going off right in her face. It's easier to just say no cameras than to say no flash photography. Someone who had a press pass to the Stormy Weather benefit told me they were given special instructions to shoot only from the soundboard station when photographing Stevie. Kind of weird.

Anyway, I agree with the recommendation of digital cameras, with the main downside being, as Ali said, if there's a lot of movement, your pics may blur. Overall I was really pleased with my digital's results, though: http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/enchanted_sln. Someone else's tips about being well versed in shutter speeds, lenses, etc is probably best of all, but most professional camera equipment is really bulky & seems like it would be pretty difficult to get in!

[highpriestess53]

Tiffany ...these are great pics!!!!!

thanks for sharing..

[sodascouts]

They really busted my butt at Moline when I tried to take photos - I thought it was overzealous security, but when one of them attacked me, he did say "THEY SAID NO PHOTOS!!!!" as he grabbed my arm and practically shook me.

And I was told by a fellow fan that her friend had taken some photos and that Stevie had seen her and GLARED at her.

I guess Stevie is self-conscious but geez. I am still going to try to take photos regardless.