Something for concert shooters

[jlw]

Earlier today someone had posted a question on RFF about how to shoot a live-music concert on an open-air stage around twilight.

I had written down some suggestions, but when I tried to post them, I found that the original poster evidently had gotten cold feet and deleted his thread (come on, no need to be shy, we're all friends here!)

Still, since variations of "How do I shoot my friend's band playing at a local club?" are popular here, I was pleased to see a useful article on this subject on the Pop Photo website -- click here for a link.

No, the writer doesn't use an RF camera, but does have a Hexar AF. I especially liked the fact that although he's an experienced concert shooter, he obviously is not a mega-dollar professional with a bag of impossibly expensive gear (it's not often that these how-the-pros-do-it stories include the phrase, "My 50mm 1.8 was broken, so I had to..." but this one does!) Lots of practical, down-to-earth advice here.

I also like the informal scoring system he uses to rate his own pictures, and I think it could apply to lots of photography besides concert shots:

What you should strive for in a live music photo is technical excellence, dramatic lighting, high-interest or key moments, and dynamic composition. While two of these elements often mean a sellable/publishable shot, with three you will have something that really stands out. Nailing all four is tough. But do it and you're onto a truly winning photograph.

Most of the photos with the article, IMO, are merely "publishable" rather than outstanding, but then this is a very difficult area of photography. If nothing else, the fact that the photos are NOT all uniformly fabulous should be inspiring to the would-be concert shooter -- they're probably quite a bit better than you'll get on your first few tries, but not so much better that they'll make you want to give up!

All in all, a good read from ol' Pop Photo...

 

[amateriat]

Thanks for that link. Having done a fair amount of benefit concert shoots, I grok much of what Howard had to say, and many of his images were quite fine. The only odd note was that I could tell the Canon dSLR shots without need for captions, with that trademark "Canon D" look...this happens more often than not for me (including the stuff I've shot with a 1D). Made the color stuff he shot with the Hexar and A2 jump off the page by comparison.


- Barrett

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Grok? Hmmm, another stranger in a strange land.

Wayne

 

[ijohnnyz]

Thanks for the link. Lots of good tips, but I have a hard enough time getting into a concert with a camera other then a digital point and shoot. I'm asian and I always get ask if I'm Japanese. Both stereotypical and offensive. I'm not Japanese, but it feels like if I were then I would get special privledge to carry a camera. The last concert I went to I had to walk a block back to my car to drop it off my Nikon FM. "No professional cameras without presspass" so they said. If I get to sneak my camera into a concert I'll try and stay sober and try out some of Jamie Howard's tips.

 

[Archie]

couldn't you write this thread yesterday? Was shooting a band contest yesterday (for one band) with my XE-1. Hope the photos turn out to be good, as it's always a bit guessing the settings with center-weighted metering. Shot with Trix+3 and will develop today in XTOL.

 

[Topdog1]

Heck. Even I can do that good.

/Ira

 

[amateriat]

Grok? Hmmm, another stranger in a strange land.

Wayne

Yep...have a hard time getting that book out of my head.


- Barrett

 

[Archie]

or you can take a guess and under-expose by a stop or two

well this is simply not true. I did exactly that (without knowing the thread) and all I got is too dark images. this might be right for theatre or bad illuminated concerts, when there's much black and just little light. but not for concerts with enough light (like the alternative concert I was).

 

[jlw]

well this is simply not true. I did exactly that (without knowing the thread) and all I got is too dark images. this might be right for theatre or bad illuminated concerts, when there's much black and just little light. but not for concerts with enough light (like the alternative concert I was).

Yeah, you have to be careful taking blanket advice like that -- it's no substitute for experience!

Still, lots of small-venue concerts DO have lots of dark background around the performers, and if you don't have a narrow-angle meter you'll get overexposure if you just do what the meter says. I usually find -2/3 is about right, but it depends a lot on your meter.

He probably would have been better off saying to bracket between 0 and about -2.

 

[furcafe]

Thanks for the link. A good article on what I agree is a very difficult type of photography.

 

[furcafe]

Whenever possible, you should always check w/the venue & the act before showing up w/your camera, because they are often unpredictable--some clubs will simply defer to performers, whereas others impose their own rules regardless of what the performers care about.

I hear you re: the Japanese stereotype thing, but hey, if you can use it to your advantage, just say "yes, I am Japanese" & see what happens. 😉

Thanks for the link. Lots of good tips, but I have a hard enough time getting into a concert with a camera other then a digital point and shoot. I'm asian and I always get ask if I'm Japanese. Both stereotypical and offensive. I'm not Japanese, but it feels like if I were then I would get special privledge to carry a camera. The last concert I went to I had to walk a block back to my car to drop it off my Nikon FM. "No professional cameras without presspass" so they said. If I get to sneak my camera into a concert I'll try and stay sober and try out some of Jamie Howard's tips.

 

[Scarpia]

Thanks for the link. Lots of good tips, but I have a hard enough time getting into a concert with a camera other then a digital point and shoot. I'm asian and I always get ask if I'm Japanese. Both stereotypical and offensive. I'm not Japanese, but it feels like if I were then I would get special privledge to carry a camera. The last concert I went to I had to walk a block back to my car to drop it off my Nikon FM. "No professional cameras without presspass" so they said. If I get to sneak my camera into a concert I'll try and stay sober and try out some of Jamie Howard's tips.

Hmm; my wife is Japanese and is constantly asked if she is Chinese or Korean.
Now if she only lugged around a big black SLR or DSLR perhaps it would stop. Might get some good pictures too, but who needs the weight around their neck just to stop the ridiculous stereotyping.
Kurt M.:bang:

 

[MichaelB]

Thank you jlw. The link might be useful next time I have the chance to practice a little and can remember the stuff written. I started and killed the thread you are refering to. The concert was canceled due to bad weather so cold feet is pretty close and without any pictures to critique and improve there was no sense keeping the thread alive. 😉