Sometimes it isn't about picture quality for me...

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

01/11/2010 06:53:01 AM · #1

So, I went to church yesterday as a friend had asked me for some images for a slideshow. After the service, during coffee hour, this group of gospel/rock/blues singers/musicians played. They were really, REALLY good, and I, as usual, just happened to have my camera along......

They call themselves The Chosen, and they are headquartered right here in good ol' Harrisburg, Pa.

As you can see from this first pic, the light was, uh.....difficult. One thing I have noticed these past few years is that shooting black people is a whole different ball game than white folks. Trying to get a decent face shot with light from behind is a disaster.

So......let's have the perfect angle for winter sun to blaze through the church window......right behind the guys, right?

I'm screwed!

I finally just said to heck with it; I'd just go with however they came out and started to try to work with the light for effect......silhouettes, powerful haloing, sharp angles, harsh shadows.......and I'm happy with the way these came out, horrible conditions and all.

So it isn't always about the image quality so much as the mood and where the day was in relation to what I have to work with. There's a very raw quality about these images for me that really shows how powerful these guys were in their carrying their message through their very charismatic performance. These guys were very much into their music, and their message, and were a true delight to be around and enjoy.

I hope some of that charisma and excitement is visible in the images for you as well.

ETA: Had I not found DPC, and learned so much, I would neither have been able to "see" the potential of this scene, nor shoot for/with it.

ETA II: Anyone else old enough to remember Miami Vice and get a chuckle about the guitarist named Don Johnson???? LOL!!!

Message edited by author 2010-01-11 07:30:45.

EL-ROI

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

01/11/2010 08:33:01 AM · #2

This is a stone groove my man! Very emotional captured the spirit of the occasion as well. They work so much better as a group of images than as just one because you can see the consistency throughout the shots. That is what I am working on this year is consistency. I want to be able to shoot a group of images and have them all be related in lighting, exposure, color, quality. You have done just that.

Starbanana

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 II

01/11/2010 08:44:31 AM · #3

Thats a lovely series, a couple I think are real gems. great capturing of thier music & spirit

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

01/11/2010 08:58:53 AM · #4

Not everything has to be DPC high score material. I'll bet the band was thrilled with the shots you got of them. My pics of Christmas morning were "meh" by DPC standards (that one I entered in the candid challenge only managed a mediocre finish), but I got some great response from the family on how well I captured the kids and the excitement on their faces.

yakatme

Lytro Illum Light Field Digital

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

01/11/2010 09:02:45 AM · #5

Originally posted by NikonJeb:

One thing I have noticed these past few years is that shooting black people is a whole different ball game than white folks.

You can't say that. You're right, but you can't say that. Just ask Senator Reid. But that is for another thread.

Okay, kidding aside, you definitely were faced with a challenging shoot on one hand. If your goal was to get detail in your subjects faces then it was a hard goal to achieve and came with a price. The image in which you did get detail is very noisy.

On the other hand, the rest of the collection looks great with the sort of the backlit silhouette look. It definitely captures the mood which is very important to me and many others. The question is, will presenting the final images in the style of what you would like to do sufficient to the ultimate user or client?

I would hope that they would be happy with how you want to finish the images because I think that your choice is in good taste, conveys the atmosphere and feeling, and looks great.

edit to add: I shot a wedding in St. Thomas, USVI, in which 90% of those in attendance were black. It was my first wedding and it was extremely difficult. A wedding is, of course, a type of shoot where mostly silhouettes will not work. It was very difficult getting proper exposure in faces in shot after shot while keeping the entire image balanced and looking good.

Message edited by author 2010-01-11 09:09:08.

Lytro Illum Light Field Digital

01/11/2010 09:13:00 AM · #6

Originally posted by NikonJeb:

One thing I have noticed these past few years is that shooting black people is a whole different ball game than white folks.

Originally posted by yakatme:

You can't say that. You're right, but you can't say that. Just ask Senator Reid. But that is for another thread.

But....I just did.....8>)

The thing that I have discovered over the years is that I can be very real and honest with people because I have absolutely no guile or agenda when it comes to the natural differences between me and them. It is what it is, I make no big deal about it 'cause it is no big deal. Most people accept me just fine in spite of the fact that I'm a big, dorky, happy-go-lucky, old white guy. They deal with it......8>)

Originally posted by yakatme:

the rest of the collection looks great with the sort of the backlit silhouette look. It definitely captures the mood which is very important to me and many others. The question is, will presenting the final images in the style of what you would like to do sufficient to the ultimate user or client?

Well.....I am the ultimate user.......I shot these 'cause I wanted to.....8>)

FWIW, the afternoon concert in the basement of the church with these wonderful men was one of the most delightful and uplifting experiences I've had in a long time. That's their mission, and they succeeded swimmingly in my case. I will remember them fondly, and will go see them again.

Challenges met!.....8>)

Message edited by author 2010-01-11 09:17:22.

yakatme

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

01/11/2010 09:14:35 AM · #7

I had to edit my post to say Senator Reid instead of Joe Biden. I haven't finished my first cup of coffee and I'm not quite awake yet.

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon

01/11/2010 09:15:09 AM · #8

Originally posted by yakatme:

edit to add: I shot a wedding in St. Thomas, USVI, in which 90% of those in attendance were black. It was my first wedding and it was extremely difficult. A wedding is, of course, a type of shoot where mostly silhouettes will not work. It was very difficult getting proper exposure in faces in shot after shot while keeping the entire image balanced and looking good.

You *must* have the lighting exact, from the front, and it requires patience and a sense of humor from the subjects......8>)

cryan

Nikon D700

01/11/2010 09:16:16 AM · #9

It funny you should mention the difference in shooting skin color. When I was in photo school some 20 yrs ago we spent a whole week learning about shooting people with different skin colors. You did a great job in capturing the mood of the music.

Lytro Illum Light Field Digital

01/11/2010 09:16:45 AM · #10

Originally posted by yakatme:

I had to edit my post to say Senator Reid instead of Joe Biden. I haven't finished my first cup of coffee and I'm not quite awake yet.

You're toast!

It'll cost you to have me modify my reply so it isn't recorded in the DPC forum archives for all eternity!

Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

yakatme

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

01/11/2010 09:19:28 AM · #11

Originally posted by NikonJeb:

The thing that I have discovered over the years is that I can be very real and honest with people because I have absolutely no guile or agenda when it comes to the natural differences between me and them. It is what it is, I make no big deal about it 'cause it is no big deal. Most people accept me just fine in spite of the fact that I'm a big, dorky, happy-go-lucky, old white guy. They deal with it......8>)

That's the way I live my life. As a rule that's rarely broken, I don't lie. I try not to do anything that would make me feel like I have to lie to cover it up.

Still, today, there are some things that we are not supposed to say. I think that it is silly when it is the truth. But we can't seem to overcome the past and certain subjects are treated like they are still too sensitive to mention unless, of course, you are included in that subject. Then it seems okay to talk about yourself.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

01/11/2010 09:41:34 AM · #12

From a former musicician point of view, those are excellent. There is a distinction between being technically "right" and finding the "soul" or essence of the music that you are bringing from your instrument or voice. I can see from your images that those guys were channeling the power and love into their performance.
Your photos are the same way, you have crossed the line with these shots, into the realm where the core emotion of the performance resides. I understand what you were capturing, and they will be very happy with the images as well. It's not easy to find things that have the same essence now as they did 60 years ago, and good music is one of those things.
The B&W definitely gives them a "retro" feel that reminds me of Kodak TriX Pan film. It's a sort of timeless look. Good job, Jeb.

scarbrd

Leica M10

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical MF - Black

01/11/2010 10:37:28 AM · #13

Originally posted by NikonJeb:

Best of the bunch. The foreground head with the window reflections makes it.