Carnegie Hall---Any Chance I can shoot there?

[Steelydad]

My son is playing at Carnegie Hall on Sunday afternoon in a NY/Westchester County Youth Orchestra. I read on a POTN Forum from 2006 that photography is strictly banned in the hall, no matter WHO is playing there. The poster said that security guards practically stepped on others who rushed the stage after his child's conference and were using cell phones to snap shots. I guess my EOS setup won't work. Will a 2.8 manual/p and s give me any type of shot without flash when the curtain goes up?

[skifurthur]

I've shot at Carnegie Hall but I was credentialed for the event. Photographers were escorted everywhere, even to the bathroom. They run a tight ship. One of the things I thought unique was that they test your camera for db levels...if it is too loud you can't use that camera.

If I were in your shoes I would approach the Orchestra management and see if they can get a credential for you so you can use your EOS setup. f/2.8 should work fine as lighting is very, very good there. I shot at ISO 800 f/2.8 and had plenty of light for good shutter speeds. One thing to keep in mind is that all the photographers were kept at the very rear of the orchestra so you will need at least a 200mm lens to get tight on a subject.

[johnstoy]

Boy, O boy... Don't I wish I had a DSLR camera back in yesteryear... Back in the 1960's my older brother did a classical piano set at Carnegie...

So Ski, you're one lucky fella... When you did Springsteen at Carnegie, your pics were absolutely awesome...

[moreover]

My church choir performed Beethoven's Mass in C Major there on March 14 and we were told in very threatening language that no photography was to be allowed. NONSENSE!
Don't let yourself be intimidated. They have professionals doing excellent photos of the performers but they are expensive, that's why no pictures are allowed. But I haven't seen any of the staff interfere, and there was even flash photography!
BTW, a recording of our concert would have cost $2500 (ie the guy in the sound booth pressing one button) and that would not have allowed making any copies.
Those concerts of lay musicians at Carnegie are a bit of a racket - but one that makes a lot of people very proud and happy.

[narlus]

it sounds like there could be a union rule in effect...i recall that this happened to me when i wanted photograph a concert @ the 92Y, and was told there was a $2500 union buy-out clause. i said no thanks.

[moreover]

Yes, it's a NYC union rule. Our director said the guys pushing the Steinway on stage were making more than he did...

[skifurthur]

The Stagehand union exists at Carnegie Hall. Most of the crew has been there a long, long time. There is no photographers union in NYC except for newspaper employees. Carnegie does not stop non-union photographers from working. The probably do have a contract with photographers to shoot performances and do have a right to restrict other photographers from shooting as per their ticket licence. While you may not have seen anyone on the staff interfere with someone shooting but I know for a fact that they do interfere and will bounce a patron out in a NY minute. I saw it happen with credentialed photographers who didn't follow venue instructions explicitly.

As for the sound recording, the audio engineers union is strong in NYC throw their weight around. Bands that allow fan recording have to pay a fee to let their fans tape because of "the loss of union jobs."

[photodudeny1]

Yes, it's a NYC union rule. Our director said the guys pushing the Steinway on stage were making more than he did...

You people in the other 49 have no idea what the unions are like here. Lucky for the rest of us it's all starting to collapse on them.