Concert in Los Angeles bans professional cameras

Sirius Glass · Aug 18, 2017

Los Angeles has banned all professional cameras at the Pershing Square concert. Originally meant to ban only video cameras, it now extends to analog and digital cameras that are not cell phones. The ACLU has joined the fight calling the move unconstitutional.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-pershing-photography-20170818-story.html
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-aclu-pershing-square-photos-20170812-story.html
https://petapixel.com/2017/08/07/los-angeles-bans-photos-concerts-public-park/
http://laist.com/2017/08/18/aclu_pershing_photo_ban.php

Saganich · Aug 18, 2017

Whats the diff between a pro and non-pro camera? I certainly see lots of paid work done with iPhone's these days.

Sirius Glass · Aug 18, 2017

Any camera that is not a phone is being turned away.

jjphoto · Aug 18, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
Any camera that is not a phone is being turned away.

Photography in concert venues has always been banned here in Australia. It's only since phones with cameras have become ubiquitous that the ban on photography was loosed, to some degree, but only because it couldn't be enforced anyway.

Wallendo · Aug 18, 2017

This is a fairly routine practice at most concerts.

This case is a little different as it involves a public concert.

chriscrawfordphoto · Aug 18, 2017

The difference here is the concerts are free concerts, paid for with taxpayers' money, being held in a public park. This is not a concert being put on by private business where there is an admission charge to get in a private venue.

MartinCrabtree · Aug 18, 2017

After seeing ticket prices for concerts lately autographed photos should be handed out at the gate. Seems like my concert going days are over. I have a ticket stub from 1974 where I paid $4 USD to see Pink Floyd.

Ko.Fe. · Sep 3, 2017

The only info google was able to find on this event is what it is free. Last time I went to free music it was not worth of listening, but to photograph people around. I think, organizers in LA are well aware of it.

MartinCrabtree · Sep 3, 2017

We had Ted Nugent play the anniversary celebration where I work a few weeks ago. I had my D90 and was told no professional photos by a fellow employee! I'm obviously not a professional but Uncle Ted was such an anal portal it was unreal. In spite I took over a hundred photos too.

pentaxuser · Sep 3, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
Any camera that is not a phone is being turned away.

If it is a free concert and camera phones are allowed, are the organisers able to give any kind of sensible explanation for their reasons? Thanks

pentaxuser

Ian Grant · Sep 3, 2017

This is quite normal at many concerts, I've seen it from both sides because I worked for a record company (and still do occasionally).

Ian

guangong · Sep 3, 2017

I can understand banning the click and clack of cameras at a music concert but I don't see what difference a camera would make at a rock concert.

AgX · Sep 3, 2017

Ian Grant said:
This is quite normal at many concerts,...

But to my understanding in this case it is a free accessible concert on public ground. (I would not know how to ban photographing and even publication [with some restrictions] if it happened over here.)

Theo Sulphate · Sep 3, 2017

pentaxuser said:
If it is a free concert and camera phones are allowed, are the organisers able to give any kind of sensible explanation for their reasons?
...

It's just like pro golf or baseball. Apparently they're afraid that someone with a $50 Nikon D50 from 2005 will make a photo that outclasses the shots from their hired publicity photographers and they'll lose money. It doesn't occur to them that someone would even have a film camera.

pentaxuser · Sep 3, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
It's just like pro golf or baseball. Apparently they're afraid that someone with a $50 Nikon D50 from 2005 will make a photo that outclasses the shots from their hired publicity photographers and they'll lose money. It doesn't occur to them that someone would even have a film camera.

However it appears that they are not afraid of anyone with a camera phone being able to outclass them? With that many people using camera phones and depending on how close anyone can get I'd have thought we are into the territory of the million monkeys on a million typewriters eventually typing "Hamlet"

pentaxuser

Cholentpot · Sep 3, 2017

So any Cameracamera is being turned away? Pocket point and shoots? Or just SLR style cameras?

Soeren · Sep 3, 2017

guangong said:
I can understand banning the click and clack of cameras at a music concert but I don't see what difference a camera would make at a rock concert.

These?

guangong · Sep 4, 2017

Soeren! What a great witty reply!

Soeren · Sep 4, 2017

Well yes thanks but that came by because I dont know what is meant by the "click and clack cameras" in your post. You know you can allways come around ignorance by being the fool of the class

Ian Grant · Sep 5, 2017

guangong said:
I can understand banning the click and clack of cameras at a music concert but I don't see what difference a camera would make at a rock concert.

There can be a multitude of reasons, often performers want to look their best and may only permit accredited photographers shooting in the first two or three songs/numbers, that's not happened to me but I know it goes on.

I've shot many concerts where the no professional camera rule has been very strictly applied, and they mean any camera capable of high quality results even an old SLR film or digital.

Ian

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 5, 2017

Concerts for Ariana Grande have banned cameras and a lot of other stuff at all venues here in Australia, consistent with a worldwide movement in view of recent events.

MartinCrabtree · Sep 6, 2017

That's the thing abut terrorism. It cannot be stopped,even curtailing it is a futile effort. I believe having more cameras/photographers about would make it easier to capture any wrongdoers. It is unfortunate that the law abiding lose out in this era.

Punker · Sep 6, 2017

I believe in the Pershing Square case because it is a free public concert series, by limiting the concertgoers rights to bring cameras, it infringes on their right to free speech/expression.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 6, 2017

I have a radical idea: allow cameras at such events and see what happens.

jamesaz · Sep 9, 2017

It may just be they think it will enhance the concert for non-photographers.

Concert in Los Angeles bans professional cameras

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency