Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/06/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Jim: I am the President of our local philharmonic here in Florida. While I sympathize with your wishes to take photos, and certainly admire your technique for taking surreptitious pictures, I think that if the rules say "No photos during a performance", then perhaps one ought to listen and do as the authorities wish.. We can all envision scenarios wherein performers might be distracted by ones photos...flash, or not. Just my own opinion, and certainly not meant as a violent criticism of you or others. I do realize that you are a Board member, and allowed to take photos at given times at your own symphony. However, if one goes to a concert event, or a museum, or a party, etc., where one goes voluntarily ( paying or not ), and where one knows the rules before one goes...well, why not play by the rules. How is your orchestra doing? Classical music is almost as hard a sell as non digital photography! Elliot - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Shulman" <garcia@chesco.com> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2002 8:39 PM Subject: RE: [Leica] This week's PAW from Jim Shulman > Jeffery, > > It helps to have a senior orchestra board position, and to use concert shots > (blown up to 20x30--and shot with the "soft" Elmarit 135 on Fuji 800 wide > open) for orchestra publicity. They have no problems when I haul in my > Leicas. > > If you're not an orchestra board member, do what a friend of mine used to > do: hide the camera, shoot anyway, and keep a sacrificial roll of film if > they ask to confiscate your exposures. Hand over the blank roll (an usher > only needs to show s(he) confiscated A roll of film), put your camera away, > and develop the pictures later. > > There are two reasons why orchestras are skittish about photography during > concerts: 1) the COMMERCIAL use of photos taken at a concert (typically in > violation of union and soloist contracts) and, even more important 2) the > LIKELIHOOD that some nitwit will use a FLASH point 'n shoot during the > concert and distract the performers. Typically it's the person in the > second balcony who thinks they'll get a useable picture of the soprano on > stage with a $35 camera, rather than a thoughtful amateur or pro. The > Reading Symphony tried to delineate between flash and non-flash pictures, > but the audience could not. > > During regular season concerts I shoot with the Elmarit and a Summicron 90 > from my left side box, which is exactly 34 feet to the podium, and 31 feet > to the soloist spot (or pianist bench). I get excellent results at f2.8 and > 1/250 with Fuji 800 speed color film. What I CAN'T get, though, is BOTH > conductor AND soloist in focus with the Elmarit wide open. One gets > sacrificed for the other. > > My M3 with this combination give me a telephoto shot without the mirror > noise of a reflex, so I can shoot away even during the quietest passages > without distrubing my neighbors or interfering with the conductor's > reference sound recording. > > Jim > > PS. In the case of this week's PAW I was sitting in the CENTER of the FIRST > row. > PPS. To see the orchestra's web use of some of the concert photos, try > www.readingsymphony.org/concertmaster.htm > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Jeffery > Smith > Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2002 8:24 PM > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: Re: [Leica] This week's PAW from Jim Shulman > > > Jim, > > They allow photographing of concerts up there? Our orchestra doesn't allow > cameras or tape recorders. I tried to get permission to shoot a dress > rehearsal (no flash, quiet camera, I promise). They wouldn't even > acknowledge the request. When I asked the choir director (who teaches at > the same college where I work), he said that the request would have to go > before a vote of the orchestra. No thanks. I didn't want the shot that > badly. > > Jeffery Smith > > At 10:14 PM 6/14/2002 -0400, you wrote: > >Off to the Reading symphony hall for the introduction of the new > >Concertmaster, Chrisopher Lee. For those not up on things orchestral, the > >concertmaster is the first of the first violins. He/she is the one who > >comes out just before the conductor and strikes the A for orchestra tuning. > >He/she also plays all the violin solos in orchestral repertoire. It's sort > >of the liason position between the conductor and the general orchestral > >players. > > > >It was a big deal for Reading, since Chris is their first new concertmaster > >in 26 years. He played several selections with piano, and answered > questions > >from the audience. > > > >Lighting was almost non-existent, but I was able to squeeze a few shots > with > >Ilford XP2 and my trusty Elamrit 135/2.8 wide open at 1/60: > >http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=812385&size=lg > > > >Jim Shulman > >Bryn Mawr, PA > > > >-- > >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html