Taking pics at the ballet

[HopelessMummy]

Anyone seen this?

 

https://t.co/7dsGGMXiSO

 

Sharon Stone took pics of Swan Lake and tweeted it. Matt Bourne's response was perfect which was to thank her for going but said she was naughty for taking pics.

 

I do have an issue with people taking photos during a performance but wonder whether the publicity of the ballet to a wider audience outweighs the negatives? 

 

Thoughts anyone? 

[LinMM]

I thought photography was forbidden at live performances ... at least during the performance? If she had a flash camera definitely a no no but these days cameras seem to be good in lower light. However how discreetly you can do this is debatable of course ...if it causes any disruption to those around you then has to be a no no again. I think people taking pictures of curtain calls seems to be acceptable though. 

[Quintus]

I've seen celebrities tweeting performance photos before - they seem to be held to a different set of rules to the rest of us.  Aside the IP considerations most small cameras these days, like phones, have a screen that lights up, which is very disruptive.

 

I often take curtain call pics on my iphone, which are fuzzy but give a recognisable souvenir. I regularly do see remarkably sharp and close up curtain call pics on Instagram though which makes me wonder whether people take proper cameras in - and get way with it.

[Dawnstar]

26 minutes ago, Quintus said:

I often take curtain call pics on my iphone, which are fuzzy but give a recognisable souvenir. I regularly do see remarkably sharp and close up curtain call pics on Instagram though which makes me wonder whether people take proper cameras in - and get way with it.

 

I use a proper camera for taking curtain call photos at the ROH, as my phone doesn't have nearly enough zoom to be able to get recognisable photos at a distance. It's a compact camera though so I just shove it in my handbag & it doesn't take up much room. I have occasionally seen people use much bigger DSLR cameras so presumably they're allowed, as the users haven't been stopped.

[Quintus]

2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I have occasionally seen people use much bigger DSLR cameras so presumably they're allowed, as the users haven't been stopped.

 

now you're really tempting me!  I wonder if I can disguise my 300mm lens as a tube of Pringles...

[zxDaveM]

as long as you don't extract the Michael and try selling your pics, curtain call time is when blind eyes are turned, as stopping people is just bad PR. And except those near the front, the quality isn't really going to be sellable anyway, even with a decent camera (you'd need a pro camera, high spec lens and a tripod). Flash is pointless, you just illuminate the people in front of you, and annoy everyone.

What IS  a no-no is taking photos during the performance itself, due to all manner of factors, including being annoying to anyone and everyone near you

[Don Q Fan]

As readers will know I take curtain call pictures - I never take any during the performance as it is not fair to those around me and as the dancers are moving anyway would only be a blur.  I like a curtain call pic as a souvenir as I see so many ballets and the dancers like to have them as well.  

[Rob S]

I’ve seen very little mid-performance snapping except during an Osipova Sleeping Beauty when two women to my right in the Stalls Circle decided they wanted a crappy blurred phone snap...the one furthest from me did so on three occasions, for the last of which she used flash complete with the focus assist lamp or maybe it was anti red-eye, I really should’ve asked her!🙄

Edited December 29, 2019 by Rob S

[capybara]

There are one or two visitors from abroad who film certain dancers' performances at the ROH quite extensively. The evidence is there to see online.

(Showing my ignorance here, but) how do shots taken by audience members come to be posted by dancers? Are they sent them via Messenger or Instagram in the first instance?

[Jan McNulty]

17 minutes ago, capybara said:

There are one or two visitors from abroad who film certain dancers' performances at the ROH quite extensively. The evidence is there to see online.

(Showing my ignorance here, but) how do shots taken by audience members come to be posted by dancers? Are they sent them via Messenger or Instagram in the first instance?

 

If they've been tagged by the person taking the photograph or video then they will be able to repost them.

 

You see quite a lot of this on the Instagram stories.

[Rob S]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

(Showing my ignorance here, but) how do shots taken by audience members come to be posted by dancers? Are they sent them via Messenger or Instagram in the first instance?

 

Some dancers have messaged me asking for a copy of the pic of them they’ve seen when they do a search of either themselves or the production eg #rohbeauty....which is a bit awkward as Instagram messenger doesn’t support decent sized photos and shrinks what you send to worse than if they’d just done a screen cap of the pic on their phone...so I’ve had to ask for an email address to send it.

Others just do a screen cap and tag the photographer (most remember to) 

 

Instagram Stories are very simple to do because when you tag them they get notified and can then add it to their Story feed at the touch of a button. 

[bridiem]

29 minutes ago, Rob S said:

Some dancers have messaged me asking for a copy of the pic of them they’ve seen when they do a search of either themselves or the production eg #rohbeauty....which is a bit awkward as Instagram messenger doesn’t support decent sized photos and shrinks what you send to worse than if they’d just done a screen cap of the pic on their phone...so I’ve had to ask for an email address to send it.

Others just do a screen cap and tag the photographer (most remember to) 

 

Instagram Stories are very simple to do because when you tag them they get notified and can then add it to their Story feed at the touch of a button. 

 

I know you don't take photos during a performance, Rob S, but surely dancers know that that's not allowed and so shouldn't post such photos on their accounts?

[Rob S]

22 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I know you don't take photos during a performance, Rob S, but surely dancers know that that's not allowed and so shouldn't post such photos on their accounts?

 

I follow a large number of dancers and the only mid performance photos I’ve ever seen them post are official ones taken by Bill Cooper, Dancersdiary etc with the exception of one principal who posted a really crap video clip of themselves in Raymonda clearly taken from the side of the balcony or maybe a DG box 

Edited December 29, 2019 by Rob S

[HopelessMummy]

I really think it's quite bad form to take pics during the ballet whether you are the famous Sharon Stone or not. I did wonder the fact that she publicised it and endorsed the ballet as being a must see might have ameliorated this but on balance I think you can still rave about a ballet without posting offending pics

[Dawnstar]

17 hours ago, Rob S said:

 

I follow a large number of dancers and the only mid performance photos I’ve ever seen them post are official ones taken by Bill Cooper, Dancersdiary etc with the exception of one principal who posted a really crap video clip of themselves in Raymonda clearly taken from the side of the balcony or maybe a DG box 

 

I've seen a few RB dancers post mid-performance photos/videos of themselves evidently taken from the audience when they're guesting at theatres abroad. Presumably those theatres allow it though.

[Jan McNulty]

2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I've seen a few RB dancers post mid-performance photos/videos of themselves evidently taken from the audience when they're guesting at theatres abroad. Presumably those theatres allow it though.

 

I don't think any theatres allow it but if someone is in the middle of a row in the middle of an auditorium it could be even more disruptive for staff to try and get to them.

[Rob S]

On 29/12/2019 at 18:19, bridiem said:

 

I know you don't take photos during a performance, Rob S, but surely dancers know that that's not allowed and so shouldn't post such photos on their accounts?

 

Having said I've only ever seen dancers do this on one occasion there's another example on Instagram this morning, taken from 'upstairs' to the left again, a snap of the end of Coppelia when the couple are on the bell and being showered with confetti

[Rob S]

During the first interval ushers are walking up the aisles telling people not to take pics during the performance  🙂

[JohnS]

11 hours ago, Rob S said:

 

Having said I've only ever seen dancers do this on one occasion there's another example on Instagram this morning, taken from 'upstairs' to the left again, a snap of the end of Coppelia when the couple are on the bell and being showered with confetti

 

But was this taken by someone in the audience at a public performance or is at a dress rehearsal or from the wings?  It’s a fabulous photo.

[capybara]

53 minutes ago, JohnS said:

 

But was this taken by someone in the audience at a public performance or is at a dress rehearsal or from the wings?  It’s a fabulous photo.

 

 This coded conversation doesn't mean anything to me as I don't know to which picture you are referring. It hasn't popped up on my Insta feed and I follow quite a lot of the dancers.

[JohnS]

Apologies - it’s on Marcelino Sambe’s Instagram, a set of three photos including the confetti one which Rob mentions.  I’m not much good with Instagram (or any IT) but I think the first link might take you to the first photo and the second link hopefully gives you the confetti photo. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6vW84_hvjS/?igshid=1srlrlkyo8s7b

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6vW84_hvjS/?igshid=fbvb8h1jjmdp

 

[Jan McNulty]

They look too good to me to have been taken surreptitiously by a member of the audience.  I would guess they are from a rehearsal or from the wings.

[Rob S]

20 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Apologies - it’s on Marcelino Sambe’s Instagram, a set of three photos including the confetti one which Rob mentions.  I’m not much good with Instagram (or any IT) but I think the first link might take you to the first photo and the second link hopefully gives you the confetti photo. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6vW84_hvjS/?igshid=1srlrlkyo8s7b

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6vW84_hvjS/?igshid=fbvb8h1jjmdp

 

 

No it wasn't that one....it was a mobile phone captured one from the audience on his Instagram Stories, which has since expired

[bangorballetboy]

Try here

[Rob S]

Exhibit A m'lud!!

[capybara]

9 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

Try here

But the curtain is clearly come down as the confetti falls.

I’m pretty sure that, curtain calls and after show ‘snaps’ apart, dancers are not allowed to publish  rehearsal or performance photos other than those by approved photographers for which they make a payment.

[Rob S]

16 minutes ago, capybara said:

But the curtain is clearly come down as the confetti falls.

I’m pretty sure that, curtain calls and after show ‘snaps’ apart, dancers are not allowed to publish  rehearsal or performance photos other than those by approved photographers for which they make a payment.

 

The curtain comes down after the confetti does, but it's still during the performance....and if you look again at the link Bennet Gartside has observed the same, even if he's being semi serious with the tut tuts