Shooting a blues band in the dark.

[lubitel]

I was asked to do some photos for a local blues band. I was really excited about this shoot, because I love blues and because I get to really use my cameras 😀
I had an M2 with 35/1.4 nokton, Bessa-R with Jupiter 50/1.5, and Canon 350D with 50/1.8 just in case. I really didn't know what to expect, never been to a band practice or a studio. I also took a 50 'cron and J-9.

It was a really really tight studio space, very very dark and very very smoky. I was jumping between cables and shooting mostly wide open at 1/30th and was still like 2 stops under 😱 (Film CN 400 BW) But since they kind of wanted the rough, grainy look to them I figured I could still squeeze something out of them digitally.

I was also a bit nervous and hectic (I don't do shoots often), and really don't know if anything useful came out of the 6 rolls that I shot in 2 hours. After the practice they had the great idea of doing a group shot, for which I was completely NOT ready. 😡 I used the canon and M2 for that and did a pretty terrible job.

Brought the films for development today and will get them back in 2 days. Will post some things, if they will be worth posting.
Meanwhile here are two of the few useful shots I got from the dslr. I like the first one for some reason, even though his face is partially covered by guitar.

whew.

 

[lubitel]

A! memphis, I was hoping you'd be here, as someone who does blues photography all the time. I shot a few at 1/15th and even 1/8th but since my heart was racing, I was worried if I could hold still even at 1/30th 🙂

 

[NVARon]

Given this was not a night club venue, why wasn't there some other lighting used. Not too much for overkill, but to provide a bit more lighting. Another alternative would be use bounce flash for some of the shots. Obviously an advantage of the Digital SLR is the ability to use a higher ISO equivalent as necessary. I have a Canon 50/1.4 which I would have used.
Shooting in nightclubs, I bring different cameras and while I avoid using flash if I feel I can get away with it, I will use a flash if necessary.

The thumbnails do look fine btw.

 

[lubitel]

I am not experienced with flash, I don't even have one. Plus, I haven't seen the studio before coming for shoot, so I didn't know it was going to be that dark. What's funny: the photos above were shot at 2.5, because I forgot to change the aperture LOL.

 

[feenej]

Yeah, bounce flash would be a good way to go, especially if they asked you to take photos to begin with. I took some photos of my cousin's band at Caroline's Jazz Club in Milwaukee (which is very dark) a couple years ago by pushing TMax 400 to 3200 ASA with D76. Bessa R, 35mm Color Scopar.

 

[feenej]

Yeah, I'd clear it with the band before I'd use a flash, then only if they were looking for that kind of results.

 

[NVARon]

flash sucks for musicians =--- plus, the musicians tend not to like flashes in close quarters -- studios are bad environment for flash

I note that a number of highly regarded blues photographers such as Joseph Rosen (who regularly has been featured in Living Blues and Blues Revue) use a flash routinely. My reference to the studio, was not a falash if possible but poerhaps a bit brighter lighting (Maybe bring in a lamp).