Advice for Live Music challenge.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/10/2005 12:42:31 PM · #1

Feel free to read the gig photography mentor thread here: //dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=240076 but there's a lot to wade through so I thought I'd distill some helpful advice for everybody.

1: Don't take photos of a big-name band. Unless you have press accreditation and have it worked out in advance. If you don't have a DSLR your photos won't look good at all, and you'll be likely to be thrown out or have your camera taken away if you're using a DSLR. Of course, there are always exceptions and you can get some good crowd shots if you have a good p&s but I think you'll be better off with an up and coming band.

2: If you shoot an up and coming band, you'll be able to get much better shots. Get on stage with them. Get behind them so you can catch the audience. Shoot from their feet (especially good if it's a rock band and you have a 12mm lens). Stand on speakers. Get stuck in and look for the shots that nobody else would get. Take candid informal shots of the band backstage. Take posed formal CD-cover type shots if you can. They might buy them at a later stage, or you can give them for free to build word of mouth and goodwill.

3: Get permission from everybody you need to. Speak to the band. Speak to their manager if they have one. Speak to the venue owner/promoter. Offer some photos for free if that's what it takes to get permission. Be honest though, don't oversell yourself if you're relatively new to this. Explain you want to build your portfolio.

4: Ask for permission to use flash. Most smaller bands are okay with this. Without flash it's hard to get decent shots without a state-of-the-art lighting rig. Just make sure you also get plenty of ambient light into the shot. Never use direct flash, always bounce it or use a diffuser.

5: Shots including your audience help to reflect the atmosphere of the event.

6: Turn saturation down to -2. This helps when the lighting is a wash of blue, red or green especially and prevents burnt out highlights in one colour channel. Also turn contrast down to -2 for similar reasons. Turn sharpness down to -2. You'll be battling quite a lot of noise at high ISOs, and USM will give you less noise than in-camera sharpening.

7: Conversion to b&w using one colour channel (red or green) is a good way of reducing noise. Sometimes grain is good though and adds to the atmosphere of the shot.

8: Don't take an expressionless shot of a performer that could have been grabbed any time during their set. Good gig photos are about that special moment that only happened once. Look out for it.

9: The background is an important part of the composition. Keep it simple. The best backgrounds are just black. Don't spoil the shot with clutter.

10: If the performer's hand is near the edge of the shot, don't cut it off, keep them in the shot.

11: Don't have people on the edge of the frame looking out of it... this leads the viewer's eye straight out of the shot.

12: If you're not using flash, 1/125s is the minimum you can usually get away with.

13: Handle more than one performer in your shot very carefully. Ideally they should be looking at each other.

14: Performers with microphones... get them from the sides otherwise the mics will obscure their faces. Don't stand right in front of them.

I'm sure there's loads more but you can wade through the thousands of words of advice I've left in the mentor thread.

Of course, these points are only guidelines and sometimes they can be broken to great effect.
If anyone else wants to post advice here, feel free!

Good luck!

Bob

neophyte

Nikon D810

08/10/2005 12:46:29 PM · #2

great advice! Thank you!

gloda

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/10/2005 12:53:33 PM · #3

Thanks, some things I've never considered before.

SCI 009

Kodak DX6490

08/10/2005 12:59:54 PM · #4

Thanks for takin the time to teach us all. Greatly appreciated!!!

KaDi

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

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

08/10/2005 01:08:35 PM · #5

Wonderful summary of points! These are especially relevant for shooting stage bands, but....

(You did expect a but, didn't you?)

Stage bands are not the only type of live music, so think broadly when shooting (and voting):
Chamber music
Solo pianists
Street musicians
School bands and orchestras (especially for our friends down under)
Acapella groups
Bar entertainment
Folk musicians at festival or wherever you find them
Coffee shop guitarists
Uncle Ernie and his trombone...

irishempress

Nikon D200

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

08/10/2005 01:09:00 PM · #6

thank you for doing this...this will come in handy for all of us!!!

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/10/2005 01:11:36 PM · #7

Originally posted by KaDi:

Good point! Not many of those are easy to get good photos of. And I'll bet voters will be very ready to vote down any photos which look posed. Classical musicians are especially hard to capture effectively live.

Message edited by author 2005-08-10 13:11:47.

Artan

Canon Digital IXUS v3

08/10/2005 01:21:18 PM · #8

Originally posted by KaDi:

You have a Trombone playing Uncle Ernie as well.....

KaDi

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

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

08/10/2005 01:28:07 PM · #9

Originally posted by BobsterLobster:

Classical musicians are especially hard to capture effectively live.

This comment is soooooo hard to leave alone!
(Are there any "live trap" attachments for my camera? I do like to employ humane practices whenever possible!)
=o !

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

08/10/2005 01:32:08 PM · #10

Lol!

Canadian_eh

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

08/10/2005 01:36:13 PM · #11

lol, good to know

CalamitysMaster00

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM II

08/10/2005 01:40:21 PM · #12

I have a shot in mind.... every Saturday night my fiance and I go watch live jazz at this podunk bar outside on their patio. Its in the art district and there normally is us and few others in the crowd. Its always dark and the background is this huge illuminated bar sign.... any suggestions on the best possible shot?

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM II

08/10/2005 01:49:02 PM · #13

Sounds tough, and it depends on what the sign is. I'd use bounced flash though as long as the performers were okay with it. Expose for the sign and then experiment with flash power... if you can use manual settings and external flash!

CalamitysMaster00

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

08/10/2005 01:51:26 PM · #14

you are so over my head its ridiculous! lol. I suppose I can use this as a reminder I am an ameteur. I have no adobe... just crop options. Also, my camera is a simple little digital and the options are tough. Often times its luck that gets me a decent picture. I am just worried without flash I will get a blurry washed out pic. With the flash I will get light from all over. I don't want to be too disturbing to the players but perhaps I might be. :(