Matthew Daneman

Staff writer

The Lilac Festival is backpedaling on a policy to block professional-grade cameras from the festival site.

The festival this year had put language on its website that included digital SLR cameras among the more typical prohibited goods, such as dogs, skateboards, bikes, and outside food and beverages. That language was taken down Saturday afternoon as the festival briefly went back and forth on its policy. Eventually, officials backed off the ban and would not prohibit anyone from bringing such cameras into the festival site.

Festival spokeswoman Randi Minetor said the ban was intended for use of higher-end cameras when taking pictures of the live concerts.

"We are concerned about people interested in taking photos of the bands and selling them," Minetor said, adding that some of the bands performing free shows at the festival have language in their contracts prohibiting unauthorized commercial photography of them.

However, Minetor said, with the proliferation of relatively decent cameras in mobile phones, "It's impossible really to enforce that."

Festival security will stop photography during the concerts if it appears to be for commercial purposes, she said.

Signs at the main entrances to the festival mention other prohibited items, such as pets and skateboards, but not cameras.

Concert venues frequently have limits on photographing or recording the performances. This year's festival concert lineup includes performances by Rusted Root on Thursday, the Original Wailers on Saturday, and Eddie Money on Sunday.

MDANEMAN@DemocratandChronicle.com

Twitter.com/mdaneman