Yesterday, my wife, my son and I all formed part of an audience of close to 7000 people packed into Rod Laver to see The Wiggles perform live. Those of you who are parents of young toddlers, would probably know that this tour is The Wiggles last concert as a group together before the new performers step in.

As I normally do, I came equipped with my camera in hope to snap a few nice shots. But this was a plan floored right before it got up and running. Approximately 10 minutes into the show, seated close to the front of the stage, we were approached by 2 event security guards and asked to put my camera away as it is “too big”. To my shock I replied, “What? Are you serious?“ Security responded with… the Event copyright clause stipulates that there are “no big cameras allowed at the event.”

Now, here I am sitting next to a lady with a Nikon d5000 and next to her another man with some DSLR and every other person on the audience of 7000 with their point and shoot, mobile phones, DSLR’s and video cameras and I’m the one who’s been targeted… I said to the security… What makes me different to all the other people in the audience with a camera? Why is me taking a picture with my camera doing anything different to the lady sitting next to me?

The answer…. The event organisers have spotted you using the camera via video surveillance and have asked that you put it away because it is considered Pro…

I was shocked, I sat my camera in my lap, listened to all the comments from others around me (in my support) and decided that I was not going settle for the poor excuses I have been given, ‘it’s too big and considered Pro’ and started to shoot again. Ended up shooting 300 or so shots and taking 3 videos… Hoping to make a nice photo/video slideshow (for my kids, not for commercial use)

My point here is, if you’re approached by security at an event because they feel threatened by your gear!, as it stands, I did read the agreement before the event and it was not stipulated that particular makes and models of cameras are forbidden… Rather, there is a restriction on the size of the lens, which in this case is no more than 200mm… If I was to be approached again, I would have acted dumb, asked to sight the Copyright agreement, pretended I could not read and asked him to read out aloud the section on photographic equipment… That would have been so fulfilling!

My set up… Canon 7D, 24-70 f2.8L and an EX430II external Flash… Doesn’t say much for the event organisers knowledge of photographic equipment in order to regulate its use… Everyone knows the 200mm and greater Canon lenses are White!! (in the ‘Pro’ range)