People ask me how I get good photographs at concerts all the time. It's one of the most frequently asked questions that I receive from my website feedback.

The answer is very complex for the simple fact of the great photos on the website. I've always loved photography and have been involved in this art form since an early age. I've taken a half-dozen professional photography courses, know the ins and outs of black and white film and printing/development and was a well published photojournalist for sports publications for a decade. So my qualifications are pretty good.

And I've been sneaking in different kinds of cameras to all kinds of concerts for over 20 years. Most of my early attempts were done by "crotching" an Olympus OM-10 and a 50mm lens - in other words, shoving it all down my pants. That was okay years and years ago...no metal detectors, frisking, wands and other security measures. Not to mention it just seemed like back then no one cared when I was shooting with the SLR. Didn't get many good shots, maybe only a couple shots per roll came out well. I didn't have the exposures down for low lighting or very bright lighting at concerts. And I also didn't have very good seats, which is important with a fixed focal length!!!

But then I got this nice Cannon point and shoot camera that fit perfectly where it needed to - and it's a great little camera. I can't even begin to guess how many photos I've taken with that camera, which is responsible for 95 percent of all the images on the websites I have. It's easily concealed, takes straight rolls of 35mm film, is light, compact, black (for low profile visibility to security and bands) and for all intents and purposes, looks pretty harmless. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a zoom lens...but that's okay. I like a bigger, overall perspective of things rather than getting in too tight.

I'm sure everyone wants to know the model - so to head off 1,000 emails about it, it's a Cannon Sure Shot Owl, 35mm AF (auto focus) fixed 4.5. Probably $79.99 everywhere, if it's still available. The other funny thing is, I got it for free. It was part of a Marlboro (cigarettes) promotion where you turn in your miles from the box and get stuff. That was back in 1995 or so! I can't imagine being without this camera.

If you are looking for a concert camera in a point and shoot model, make sure it has a manual setting that allows you to disable the flash. Many point and shoots have an auto flash/sensor that can't be disabled.

I don't get hassled much with the camera because it looks like a point and shoot, and it is, but it's a really good 35mm one. Just one of those magical things, like a magic car, a great baseball glove or surfboard, or whatever. Only comes around once and a while. Most security guards and bands just give me a little look, then look the other way because it doesn't look threatening or professional.

However, the worst encounter I've ever had was recently at the Scranton VT Rush show. This big brute of a blonde security guard, female, saw me sneak out to the right side aisle of the center section and snap some shots of Geddy without anyone in front of him. Well, I didn't see her because she was behind me. She comes up to me and puts her hand on my shoulder and yells into my ear during the middle of a song, "Give me your film and your batteries, NOW!"

I didn't even look back at her...ignorance is bliss, and no one has EVER said that to me before. She re-iterated. "Give me the film in your camera and your batteries NOW!!!!"

"What did you say?" I said, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do, and I sure wasn't handing none of that over to her sorry ass. "I can't do that!" I said back to her. "I have to go back to my seat now! I love this song!!!!"

And with that, or some resemblance of that, I hopped up on top of the first seat of the 8th row center section, and while everyone was standing up, vaulted over the seats to the middle of the section, where she had no chance of catching up to me. My buddy Charles is looking at me like I'm a lunatic...hauling ass over the seats, this look of terror on my face. I hit the auto-rewind button on the roll of film and handed the film over to him for safekeeping. There's just no way anyone is going to take my film and batteries!

I looked about 20 seats to the aisle and saw blondie giving me the stinkeye. There was no way she was getting to me in the middle of the section with everyone standing...only if she went over all the seats like I did...which just wasn't going to happen. But it made me nervous for the rest of the night. She was always looking at me...and looking at me taking more photos!

My top tips for taking photos at a concert:

1. Use the right film and camera and shoot a lot of photos. I average 5 rolls per show. Mix up the speed of the film at 200, 400 and 800 ASA.

2. Be discreet. Take your photo and hide the camera. Don't draw attention to yourself.

3. Use available light only. Don't ever use the flash - with only little exception.

4. Avoid taking photos during blue and red stage lights. Shoot during the bright lights of the stage show.

5. When you are done with a roll, give it to someone else to hold. If you get busted, then you only lose the one roll of film.

6. Improvise and Create: Stand on seats, walk to the back of the arena and snap some shots, walk around and discreetly take shots from different angles, scam on some better seats for a couple of songs up closer...anything to get the perspective you want.

7. Get over the anxiety. Just blow everyone off and snap the shots. It helps to see multiple shows so you know when to be ready for a killer shot. Like the flame sequence I was lucky to capture. I just held the button down for four or five consecutive shots and fired away, and it came out spectacular. I missed it the first show but nailed it on the second night!

8. Don't take a lot of photos of the lasers. They hardly ever come out. I've burned hundreds of frames trying to get the full effect and it never comes out correctly. The green color must be a tough spectrum thingy for the film and the camera, and unless there is a lot of dry ice or fog, they'll never come out the way you see them at the shows, although I did manage to get some of the best laser shots ever this time around.

Instead of getting prints, I get everything scanned on to a CD so it's all web-ready. This way you eliminate scanning time, and have the ability to directly enhance, clean up, crop and re-size the photos the minute you get them back. The VT photos I took were developed in one day and were all posted within 48 hours ready to share with all the fans and adding content and value to the website very quickly.

Practice, practice, practice. Makes perfect.

- jman2112