At the couple of concerts I shot during the latest San Joaquin County fair there was a new phenomenon that I hadn’t seen in years past. In previous years, fans were allowed to approach the stage, grab a few pictures and then go back to their seats. The more popular the performers, the more people would come up, but it was usually all very orderly.
With the advent of video capabilities in everything from DSLRs, to point and shoots to cell phones, the photographing of the bands and singers has become more problematic. This year fans came up to the front of the stage to get shots of Lupillo Rivera, held up their devices, but rather than getting their shots and leaving, they stayed there. They held them up to take video.
The area that’s usually kept open for public safety purposes became crowded, so much so that I, or anyone else, had difficulty moving through. It took some time before security was able to clear the area and just as much effort to keep it that way.