Another few gig shots c&c thread.... 6 photos

MataЯ

Hi guys, these are from a recent gig from the Clonmel Junction festival, local band Maslow collaborated with a band all the way from Malawi called Body, Mind & Soul. Twas a major session indeed.

I have about 30 but I think these are the best.

Any C&C much appreciated as gig shots are very tough and I still think I need lots more practice.

bovril

Welcome to boards.

#1 would be the best of the ones you posted. You can see the energy and there is less going on.

#2 focus seems to be on the mic and not on any of the performers. It's very noisey too.

#3 There is no light on the guy who is the subject of the photo and the guy behind who is in the light is a bit too distracting


#5 could have been improved by moving to your left a bit and possibly moving closer and also catching the light on the singers face.

What kind of kit are you using?

Shooting gigs is very difficult. You're trying to capture action in very bad light. If you're using a DSLR it helps to use a wide aperture for light and also to blur backgrounds. Try to make one or two performers the main subject of your photo and you have to be watching for other people in the background etc. Another thing you need to watch out for is light. Ideally you need to catch the light falling on the main subject's face. This can be difficult, it helps to shoot a few shots on continuous mode for this if your camera will allow it.

I am by no means an expert. I've only shot three gigs. Get to know all the settings on your camera and experiment and practice practice practice.

MataЯ

Wow thanks thats some major C&C!!

Roish,

#2 focus seems to be on the mic and not on any of the performers. It's very noisey too.

These african cats were jumping around like mad it was pretty hard to keep them in focus or avoid causing trails when they moved. But I liked the motion of his hands in the photo. It is a bit noisy, how's this one? It seems a bit better.

#3 There is no light on the guy who is the subject of the photo and the guy behind who is in the light is a bit too distracting

Agreed... but I like his hat.

#5 could have been improved by moving to your left a bit and possibly moving closer and also catching the light on the singers face.

Like this one?



What do you mean by watch out for people in the background? Is that bad news?


I used a 40d, 50mm 1.8 and shot #6 was with a sigma10-20.

melekalikimaka

bovril wrote: »

Welcome to boards.

#1 would be the best of the ones you posted. You can see the energy and there is less going on.

#2 focus seems to be on the mic and not on any of the performers. It's very noisey too.

#3 There is no light on the guy who is the subject of the photo and the guy behind who is in the light is a bit too distracting


#5 could have been improved by moving to your left a bit and possibly moving closer and also catching the light on the singers face.

What kind of kit are you using?

Shooting gigs is very difficult. You're trying to capture action in very bad light. If you're using a DSLR it helps to use a wide aperture for light and also to blur backgrounds. Try to make one or two performers the main subject of your photo and you have to be watching for other people in the background etc. Another thing you need to watch out for is light. Ideally you need to catch the light falling on the main subject's face. This can be difficult, it helps to shoot a few shots on continuous mode for this if your camera will allow it.

I am by no means an expert. I've only shot three gigs. Get to know all the settings on your camera and experiment and practice practice practice.

pretty much agree

decimal

Great shots!

What shutter speed were you using in the shots? Some areas are over exposed (fretboards and pants), how about using a faster shutter speed and recovering some light during PP? The specular reflection coming off the guys hat in #3 is distracting because of the slower shutter speed.

One thing I've always found when I try and photograph gigs is that there's usually only one thing interesting at gigs - the artist, backgrounds can become too distracting and the viewer will be looking at everything other than the performer. Sometimes having an underexposed shot can add to the mystique of the shot and the subject. Here's a few I thought came out well by using this principle...

MataЯ

I think the shutter speeds were around 1/30 or 1/40...

If i shoot at faster shutter speeds and try and recover light in PP, wont it come out extra noisey?

The idea of underexposing shots is a good one, but the organizer of the festival may be printing some of these shots so I think the brighter they are the better. I'd kind of like to see some faces in the the band you know?

For example, my brother is in the band, and he'd prefer to show his mates his actual face rather than a ghostly silhouette... but I'll keep that
technique in mind. It may be useful for my next gig, which will have uber-sexy podium dancers wearing half nothing:pac:. It would give an erotic look I think. But of course I will be shooting them in proper exposure also, can't miss the important bits.:D

challengemaster

One thing i've learned from Fajitas if anything, flash freezes everything. A good thing to do for very nice, atmospheric shots, is have a shutter speed where you'll get movement/blur (like 1/5 - 1/40 range) and use a flash. If you're to think of it like film... the flash burns the image onto the film. The shutter however, is still open which means you get movement/blur into the picture, giving a great effect.

I'm probably explaining this quite badly.

MataЯ

Don't worry I understand. Not really a fan of those photos though. They just look messy. Unless somebody can post a good example? Maybe change my opinion on this?

decimal

MataЯ wrote: »

I think the shutter speeds were around 1/30 or 1/40...

If i shoot at faster shutter speeds and try and recover light in PP, wont it come out extra noisey?

I think there's a big tradeoff in concert photography between noise and blur. Noise is a bit cliché, but blur has never really been tolerated. If you're shooting at a low ISO (below 800), over exposing in PP shouldn't have much an effect considering your shots seem to be taken at a low ISO.

For my own personal tastes, shot 3, if there was a little noise giving no blur on the hat, I think I'd much prefer it.

MataЯ wrote: »

The idea of underexposing shots is a good one, but the organizer of the festival may be printing some of these shots so I think the brighter they are the better. I'd kind of like to see some faces in the the band you know?

For example, my brother is in the band, and he'd prefer to show his mates his actual face rather than a ghostly silhouette... but I'll keep that
technique in mind. It may be useful for my next gig, which will have uber-sexy podium dancers wearing half nothing:pac:. It would give an erotic look I think. But of course I will be shooting them in proper exposure also, can't miss the important bits.:D

Nice! Perhaps a zoom aswell?

melekalikimaka

noise ninja... d300/d3

your sorted

now i need a d3 and legal copy of noise ninja...

mpties wallet contents on table...

balls

AnimalRights

decimal wrote: »

One thing I've always found when I try and photograph gigs is that there's usually only one thing interesting at gigs - the artist, backgrounds can become too distracting and the viewer will be looking at everything other than the performer. Sometimes having an underexposed shot can add to the mystique of the shot and the subject. Here's a few I thought came out well by using this principle...

Would have to disagree, these capture nothing of a gig, no action/vibrancy/enthusiasm
#2 def the worse culprit, so much noise/darkness.

melekalikimaka

AnimalRights wrote: »

Would have to disagree, these capture nothing of a gig, no action/vibrancy/enthusiasm
#2 def the worse culprit, so much noise/darkness.

aye they is almost like staged modelling shots of sorts

Fajitas!

If that's what you think, is there any possibility you can post what you think would improve the images?

MataЯ

Expose it properly for a start dare I say.

*hides*

No seriously I'd like to hear the answer to fajitas q.

I'm really dreading this next gig (but in a good way) and would like to hear every piece of info yez have. If it takes a new thread then so be it, but I'm not sure of the rules here, not sure if I can post another thread about almost the same thing, so I'll stay in this thread for a while.

Nice name by the way fajitas. I'd kill for a fajita right now.

melekalikimaka

Fajitas! wrote: »

If that's what you think, is there any possibility you can post what you think would improve the images?

me??

Fajitas!

No, sorry, was in reply to Animal Rights last post.

decimal

AnimalRights wrote: »

Would have to disagree, these capture nothing of a gig, no action/vibrancy/enthusiasm
#2 def the worse culprit, so much noise/darkness.

I thought they caught the performers quite well, Jarvis cocker's gig was quite melodramatic, definitely too noisy though, was using a G9 and had to make up for it in PP.

Maybe this is something that captures the action/enthusiasm of a gig that you are talking about?

melekalikimaka

i think everyone has their own style and when c and c ing we should bear this in mind

bovril

MataЯ wrote: »

These african cats were jumping around like mad it was pretty hard to keep them in focus or avoid causing trails when they moved. But I liked the motion of his hands in the photo. It is a bit noisy, how's this one? It seems a bit better.

Yes this one posted is a bit better, the main guy takes up more of the frame but the guy on the left in the light is still a distraction.

What do you mean by watch out for people in the background? Is that bad news?

I'm going to probably make a mess of trying to explain this but if you're trying to isolate one performer you dont want someones head/instrument etc overlapping with the outline of the person you are shooting. Depending on how lively the band are you need to be on the move too, try bending down slightly or moving to the left or the right to get less in the picture.

I used a 40d, 50mm 1.8 and shot #6 was with a sigma10-20.

40d and 50mm 1.8 is what I used to shoot the three gigs. The 40D is great in that you can bump up the ISO and try get higher shutter speeds. Stick the camera on multi shot mode too. Get up to speed on using Tv or Manual (what I use most of the time at gigs) if you aren't already up to speed on them. Take some test shots and look at the histogram and change exposure to suit the lights. If the lights are really that bad flash may be the only option.

AnimalRights

melekalikimaka wrote: »

i think everyone has their own style and when c and c ing we should bear this in mind

Good point, obviously it depends on the type of music, fast will undoubtly be better showing what I said should be required and obviously slower music genres are going to be harder to catch the mood.

Out of your 3 pictures Decimal I'd go for #1
#3 the mic covers too much of the guys face.
The more gigs you do the easier it gets, I am lucky because the gigs I do for the majority of them I have no restraints on my positioning.