Paid to Rave - Night-life Photographer!

[BeachDesign]

EDIT : My apologies for placing my test photos in the professional forum, I've removed the majority of them, and will be replacing & updating this page with my more professional shoots from the equipment I'm more used to shooting with. Up until now I haven't been a paid night-life photographer. The images on this first post are of the first events that I shot at, while I was still experimenting with my style. I'll be updating this thread with images of paid shows after every gig.

Experimental shots!​

 

[jamesbjenkins]

You asked for professional critique, so here goes:

1. If you're going to drag your shutter, make sure you're using 2nd curtain flash. Otherwise, everything just gets messy.

2. Lose the on-camera bare flash. It looks extremely amateur.

3. Party/event shots are much more interesting if they're telling part of the story of what was happening at that moment. These images don't really tell me anything.

I'd like for you to post some of your paid work. From this small sample you've shown, I wouldn't be paying anything for these party images.

 

[Trever1t]

Welcome from San Jose. If you love what you do, keep on doing it!

 

[o hey tyler]

Three of your photos have a shadow cast from your lens hood.

 

[BeachDesign]

I'd like to thank everyone for their critique. I posted these shots, since they were the last event that I shot. I'll add some higher quality shots from paid gigs later on this week. I was borrowing a friends rig for this event, and wasn't familiar with...anything about it, forgetting to mention that professional flash wasn't allowed at this event.


@James, I'm sincerely going to take note on "telling the story" of the night with my photography, and see if I can't put more effort into that. I'd also like to thank you for the technical assistance, even thouh there wasn't much I could do about the rig I was using, since I had to borrow it from a friend last minute.

@Trevor, I'm not in San Jose, I'm up in Oakland, but it's still the bay. This is something that I have an extreme passion for, and don't see myself giving up on anytime soon.

@Tyler, I'm aware of the shadow cast from my lens... didn't have a hood on it though. I just wasn't used to shooting with a larger / wide angled lens, and the combination of that and the default flash really threw me off. It's something I'm going to be aware of for future events now though, live & learn, right?

 

[o hey tyler]

What constitutes a professional flash?

 

[runnah]

What constitutes a professional flash?

It comes with a little briefcase.

 

[Ballistics]

What constitutes a professional flash?

A flash that makes money from flashing.

 

[BeachDesign]

What constitutes a professional flash?

An external flash of any sorts.

 

[o hey tyler]

What constitutes a professional flash?

An external flash of any sorts.

Why do they allow on board flash, and not hotshoe flash? Do they have a reason?

 

[BeachDesign]

They didn't allow any flash, I was just breaking the rules... regardless, I wasn't being paid, and didn't really care. Only reason I wasn't kicked out of the event for flash was because I didn't make it painstakingly obvious & annoying for everyone in the audience.

 

[o hey tyler]

They didn't allow any flash, I was just breaking the rules... regardless, I wasn't being paid, and didn't really care. Only reason I wasn't kicked out of the event for flash was because I didn't make it painstakingly obvious & annoying for everyone in the audience.

If this wasn't a paid shoot, can I ask why it's in the professional gallery?

 

[jamesbjenkins]

These aren't my "professional" shots...

If this wasn't a paid shoot, can I ask why it's in the professional gallery?

Dude has a point.

 

[unpopular]

I have no technical advice beyond what was already said. Honestly, these photos give the impression - perhaps maybe accurate - that the rave scene is pretty washed out, lost and directionless. I don't get a sense of excitement, fun, movement or even music for that matter - more just a bunch of intoxicated young suburbanites acting bored.

Maybe I'm old. Maybe I am a 90's kid. Maybe I'm bitter. And maybe all this influences my opinion - I won't deny that, but that is really all I am getting from these images.

 

[DiskoJoe]

So you go by paid to rave and state that you dont charge and wont charge. I think you need to go get you a good dictionary and learn how to look up definitions for words before you use them.

As for the shots, I can see why you dont get paid. And if you have to sneak your gear in then you need to network better.