Indoor rock concert film/devolper ideas?

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Ccoppola82

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I'm shooting an indoor rock concert next weekend and I have some time to test a few developer/film combos ahead of time. Grain isn't too much of a concern if it's reasonable. There are digital photogs getting "clean" shots, so we sold the idea of the press pass on having a different look. My Main concerns are:
*maintaining a minimum 125th shutter speed
* not blowing highlights from dark backgrounds with spotlighted musicians

I have on hand
Delta 3200
Tri x
Hp5

D76 (packets)
Hc110
Ddx
Rodinal
Chemistry to make pretty much anything.
Fx2
D23 two bath


I read a Barry Thornton article about using a standard developer for 2/3 the regular time, and giving a second bath in a sodium metaborate solution. Would it be reasonable to expect this to control highlights?

Anyway, does anyone have any advice or experience for shooting a setting like that? Thanks for your help!!
Chris
 
Ccoppola82 said:
My Main concerns are:
*maintaining a minimum 125th shutter speed
* not blowing highlights from dark backgrounds with spotlighted musicians
Click to expand...

My advice would be to spot meter the highlights when you first get to the venue - take readings on the support act if need be. Based on that reading select the ISO you will need to keep 125th shutter speed at whatever aperture you will use. Then choose your film. Of the choices, Delta3200 @ 1600 is nice.

There are many different ways of shooting concerts, but the subject should be correctly exposed (hence the spot meter). After that, direct lights will blow out, and the shadows will be black. So be it.

If you can't access a spot meter, try to get as close as you can to something in a spotlight and take a reflected reading (so the subject fills the metering area), or try to get under a light and take an incident reading.

This was shot at about f/1.7, Foma400@1600, and about 1/125s. The subject is exposed more or less ok, the shadows are black, and the direct light is blown.

U55701I1487585806.SEQ.2.jpg
 
Chris,

It sounds like you have some pull at the event. If so (read try even if not) ask to get in when the crew is doing a lighting check and do incident meter readings. Write them down on a flash card, make a couple of copies.

Spot meters work well, it's amazing how much light there up there. I just checked LensRental.com, came up dry for meters, give them a call, they might have them. I'm sure other folks rent stuff too, just not sure.

B2 (;->
 
The only developer currently made that I'm aware of that ACTUALLY increases the speed of film is Acufine. All others only increase upper value density (contrast) and have no effect on shadows. Acufine actually increases shadow density at the same time it increases highlight and midtone. It makes for a normal and very printable neg. I've used HP5 with it with great success.
 
I have a Pentax digital spot meter. Usually I read off the shadows to base my exposure and take a highlight reading to adjust development time. I suppose I’ll take a spot off a lit face and expose it for zone 7. The only problem is how fast the damn lights change. I DO have a setting in my 1v that links the spotmeter to the selected AF point. If I do this, I’ll set the exposure compensation to +1 or 2 to put the faces in zone 6 or 7. Didn’t think about that but it sounds like a good metering solution to use.
 
Some places I have had to use 3200 speed film. I'd use Ilford Delta 3200 now (but used TMZ back then). Those places were unfortunate.

If you have a bit more light, Tri-X in Diafine is a good combo for 1250-1600. That's what I settled on for everything else.
 
I would actually ditch film for such an assignment and use a good dslr and a fast lens.

Unless they WANT you shoot film and want grainy, high-contrast, not very sharp shots.

Not bashing, I just don't think film is the right tool for the job here.
 
You never know, I came one day and they didn't turned flood lights at all, only three spot lights for entire stage...

1/125 might be very tricky, will demand large (after f2) apertures and precise spot metering (I would prefer iPhone spot with wysiwyg in the rest metering).

The only solution I have and use for low light with spot lights, which doesn't cost unreasonably high is HP5+ @3200 hcA. With f2.5 lens I have to keep it at 1/8... With f1.5 I go 1/60 maximum...

You could get grainy, vibrant BW on digital as well if you not afraid to push it at high ISO in camera and push for little bit more in PP. If light is really bad and it is not M10, 6D, it is less risky solution.
 
If you can find yourself in an advantageous position (ie: in front of the stage) i find that a wide angle wide open is also very useful for keeping most things in focus.
 
znapper said:
I would actually ditch film for such an assignment and use a good dslr and a fast lens.

Unless they WANT you shoot film and want grainy, high-contrast, not very sharp shots.

Not bashing, I just don't think film is the right tool for the job here.
Click to expand...

This.

Honestly I get it, you want to do it on film, and it'll be satisfying to get that grainy b/w result, but honestly the best way to do the job is digital and post production.

I know that seems negative, but as someone who does this kind of work, it's the right tool for the job.

Times have changed so much since this kind of work was done on film, the standard arrangement is "First 3 songs, no flash" (and they really mean the no flash bit).

You can spend a chunk of those songs changing film etc, or you can maximise your time. I usually change lenses a couple of times within that timeframe. but if I had to load film as well, I'd be finding myself fiddling with the camera more than shooting.
 
What's your vantage point going to be? Are you going to be down at crowd-level shooting up on the musicians? In 'the pit', as it were?

Dunno, I'm not sure you'll necessarily be needing 3200 film -- I'm thinking 800 max would do it. Here again, depends on how close you are to the stage, if you might even be on the stage, and if you're willing to wait for when the lights are brighter on the stage.

Here's one of my favourite rock and roll photographers for inspiration -- he has some concert stuff in the mix there. I'm sure he wasn't shooting at ISO 3200 back in the day: http://barriewentzell.com/
 
Wow thanks for all the replies. I understand why people are saying shoot digital. If it was something I'd be paid for, I most certainly would. In this case, we first got a pass for the pit for my fiancé to shoot digital. When we submitted for the second pass, it was given specifically to shoot film for a different feel than all the digital shooters. I did a test run at a local metal show Saturday and I'm 2/3 done with testing film/developer combos. I'll post some when I'm done so people can see what they did together. I DID order 2 new bottles of DDX and 15 rolls of delta 3200 along with a bunch if HP5. I also have a brick of tri x too. Overall I'm fairly happy with a couple combinations so far and surprised with one I developed today.
 
I've shot some concerts on film over the last years, the last two years I use HP5 at EI 1600 and Microphen, but merly for economical reasons and for high contrast.
My first choice for bad light would be also Delta3200 in DDX (EI1600 or 3200). Expect grain.

Had lately surprisingly good results with HP5 at EI 1600 in SPUR Speed Major ... finer grain and lower contrast then with Microphen ... Thats a combi worth further try.

But in the end it's all luck and depend on the stoned and drunk guy behind the light board...

Good light, good luck...
-h
 
Just hit 'submit' and my browser crashed... grrr. So anyway, here's the shortened version of my post without the rambling... Surprised at the advice to shoot digital - film will be really cool for this! Made for it. It's going to be great. As a base exposure, I remember using around f2 at 125th with Tri-X pushed to 1600. XTOL 1:1 but I forget the dev times... I used to ask if I could shoot a full test roll at sound check and then I'd develop that one first to check on dev times and agitation... I found agitation (or lack of) most important in controlling / taming those high contrast shots... particularly pushed so much. From memory, I'd just invert... anyway. hope you have a blast and I look forward to seeing the results. Great gig to get.
 
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