Re: Concert photos, Part LXXIV
- From: Matt Ion <soundy106@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 08:26:02 -0700
Cynicor wrote:
From time to time I post concert photos up here, and people tell me they suck, or that they like them, or whatever. Mostly that they had too many distracting shadows.
A couple of things. I have been following this band (British Sea Power) for several years now. It's only in the past year that I've really worked up my nerve to a) bring cameras to gigs, b) work my way up close and do photos, and c) actually present them to the band.
I went to two shows of theirs this week. At the first one, their roadie recognized me from a previous gig I'd shot in Seattle. I took some more photos, and asked if he could get them to sign some for me. Absolutely. I posted a link to the photos on their fan chat board, and went back to their next show on Tuesday armed with two copies of several photos.
The roadie said hi to me again, and waved to me from the stage. This time, someone from the venue told me I couldn't use flash, so I cranked the D300 up to ISO 1600 and 3200 for the set. (http://trupin.smugmug.com/gallery/4935991_paFwX)
It was a typically great show. At the end of the show, I stuck around while everyone was clearing out. One of the band members I'd spoken to before wandered out from backstage, and I brought the pictures over. I asked if he could get everyone to sign one copy (in one folder) and they could keep all the other copies (in the second folder) if they wanted.
Their horn/keyboard player came out and asked if I was the guy who had taken the photos. He had seen them on the fan site (he goes up there and looks!) and thought they were great. We go to talking for a few minutes. Then their viola player comes out, and she's walking across the stage with copies of the photos I'd taken! SHE started talking to me about the photos, about her impressions of America, etc.
The lead of the opening band (The Rosebuds) came by. It turns out we have friends in common. I'd taken a bunch of photos of them and gave him my card - right up on stage - after their set two days previously. He turned to another band member and said "Hey, this is the guy who did those photos I sent you!"
They've got one more show in the area before returning home after months in the States. I'm going to do up some more prints from the ISO 3200 show and bring them over to them before the concert.
So the lesson here is that you can actually use photography to meet semi-famous people you want to meet. It just takes a bit of nerve to get started. Now I'm recognized on sight by a band that's just had a Top Ten album in the UK.
Even though I didn't use a D3 or a 100mm f/2.
I haven't seen any of your other shots, but these ones turned out really good. I've been shooting bands for years with a Digital Rebel with the kit lens and an f/4-5.6 75-300 lens and turned out better shots than some others I've seen using the D80s and 40Ds and what not. Before that, it was my 35mm Rebel, and years ago, it was a little Minolta X-700 with a Tamrom 70-210 zoom.
A better camera just gives you more options, it doesn't give you the eye to recognize a good shot, or the ability to balance the light the way YOU envision it.
When it comes to concert photography, you're largely at the mercy of the existing lighting. Using straight, overpowering flash gets you photos that aren't much better than snapshots - like this little joint that had maybe three weak lights:
http://picasaweb.google.com/soundy106/SplatterEndoplasmic02
Most small clubs don't have sufficient stage lighting for good exposures without taking some extreme measures, like super-high ISO and ultra-low shutter speeds (unless you have really fast glass).
If you're really lucky, there will be good lighting *and fog* - that's where the truly spectacular shots come from. This one local club in partcular, has lots of lights, some intelligent fixtures and pin-spots, and some really well-distrubuted fog:
http://picasaweb.google.com/soundy106/Severfuse27July2007Cheers
http://picasaweb.google.com/soundy106/KJBAgents26July2007Cheers
With practice, you can sometimes balance the stage lighting and a bit of flash (where flash is allowed) too:
http://picasaweb.google.com/soundy106/MuffgoatEntropia/photo#5072291932452004466
http://picasaweb.google.com/soundy106/MuffgoatEntropia/photo#5072291941041939074
http://picasaweb.google.com/soundy106/MuffgoatEntropia/photo#5072291885207364098
.
- References:
- Concert photos, Part LXXIV
- From: Cynicor
- Concert photos, Part LXXIV
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