<p>Now that school musicals, concerts and graduations are upon us, I would like to make a plea to everyone with a digital camera: please go to the MENU option on your camera and turn off the beep! I am begging you to do this so I don’t get arrested for assault and battery.</p>
<p>It’s easy to do. If you can’t, ask your kids to do it. Or read the manual. I take a lot of photos but the first thing I do with a new camera is turn off the beep. And I never, ever take photos during quiet singing parts as I have a digital SLR and the shutter makes noise, but smaller point-and-shoots don’t make noise–UNLESS THE BEEP IS ON! I’m often asked to take photos with other people’s cameras and the first thing I do is mute the beep. It’s my public service to the world of music.</p>
<p>(Rant after attending All-state festival yesterday, when some sweet–they were sweet, I’m not being sarcastic–grandparents were beeping like mad behind us–partly in taking photos and partly in deleting photos to make room for more photos. My husband–in a very nice way, but I can imagine how someone might be offended–offered after the segment to show them how to mute the beep but they left in a hurry, as their grandchild’s segment was over. If they had beeped during the choral portion, I don’t know what I would have done.)</p>
<p>I have accepted the fact that I cannot stop people from coughing during recorded concerts, and I realize that nothing will stop the people with flashes from thinking that photos taken 100 feet away are going be beautifully and crisply illuminated by their flash and that the flash doesn’t bother anyone. I give up in that regard, too. But I feel as if I can spread the word about muting camera beeps. Thanks. I feel better–for now, anyway. Just ask me in May and June. Okay, don’t worry about outdoor graduations–beeps are fine there.</p>