First ever shots of stage show

[Bend The Light]

I took a few shots at a dress rehearsal for a local theatre group (my 5 year old is a member). I have never took stage shots before. I used my Canon 400d, 135mm f2.8 manual focus lens on adaptor, no flash, high ISO.

How do these look? They are some of my favourites from the evening.

1.
We Will Rock You 2 grunge by Bend The Light, on Flickr

2.
Headlong 2 framed by Bend The Light, on Flickr

3.
Hey, Teacher, Leave Them Kids Alone Framed by Bend The Light, on Flickr

4.
Jesus Christ, Superstar 3 Framed by Bend The Light, on Flickr

5.
Headlong Framed by Bend The Light, on Flickr

 

[Destin]

Not too bad for using an f2.8 lens. For stuff like this, you wouldn't believe how much a 50mm 1.8 would help. Sure you have to get closer, but you can always crop.

The white balance looks a little cool to me, but im on a cheap laptop with an uncalibrated monitor so I could be wrong.

Also, on number 3 I feel the focus should be on the girls, not the man behind them.

If you wanna see some concert/stage shots I've taken, click here.

Not saying they are any better, just showing you so you know I am speaking on something I have some experience with.

 

[Bend The Light]

Not too bad for using an f2.8 lens. For stuff like this, you wouldn't believe how much a 50mm 1.8 would help. Sure you have to get closer, but you can always crop.

The white balance looks a little cool to me, but im on a cheap laptop with an uncalibrated monitor so I could be wrong.

Also, on number 3 I feel the focus should be on the girls, not the man behind them.

If you wanna see some concert/stage shots I've taken, click here.

Not saying they are any better, just showing you so you know I am speaking on something I have some experience with.

I do have a 50mm, f1.8, but it's also manual, and I haven't the experience with it to use it in the dark (it's very fiddly, if you ask me). Also I wasn't in a position to use that lens - there are a lot of kids in the show, and I wasn't going to get too close and distract them...my daughter will continue going to this theatre group, so as people get to know us, I can get closer and not cause them to become distracted.

White balance I do struggle with - the lights were poor as it was a dressed rehearsal...I think they'll be better on the night, but I won't take the camera - I wanna watch my daughter in the show, not take pics.
I'm going to place a white card on the stage for my next gig shoot, so I can sort white balance better.

I focussed on the "teacher" deliberately in that shot...I have lots more of the kids around him, but wanted one of him.

Cheers for the feedback.

CRaig

 

[Destin]

Yeah, I've never used the canon 50mm, but I know the manual focus on the nikon 50 1.8 is very fiddly. I totally understand about not wanting to get close.

I struggle with white balance alot too, which is why I shoot in raw, so I can adjust it in lightroom when I get home.

The white card idea is a pretty good one, as long as nobody minds it being there.

I figured you focused on him deliberately, and it is a good shot of him. I'm just not fond of the kids being out of focus in the foreground, however there isn't anything you can do about that I suppose.

Concert/stage photography is one of the hardest types to get good at imo, because you are basically shooting in the dark. Even if you can use flash you don't want to because it normally ruins the photos unless you get it off camera and that can be tough in a crowded theater.

by the way, this is all just my opinion, take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Bend The Light]

**commenting from phone to come back later**

Someone said you should be looking at these, well, looking at the other thread where I was asking for advice...looking forward to your comments.

 

[Bend The Light]

Yeah, I've never used the canon 50mm, but I know the manual focus on the nikon 50 1.8 is very fiddly. I totally understand about not wanting to get close.

I struggle with white balance alot too, which is why I shoot in raw, so I can adjust it in lightroom when I get home.

The white card idea is a pretty good one, as long as nobody minds it being there.

I figured you focused on him deliberately, and it is a good shot of him. I'm just not fond of the kids being out of focus in the foreground, however there isn't anything you can do about that I suppose.

Concert/stage photography is one of the hardest types to get good at imo, because you are basically shooting in the dark. Even if you can use flash you don't want to because it normally ruins the photos unless you get it off camera and that can be tough in a crowded theater.

by the way, this is all just my opinion, take it with a grain of salt.

I'll take your opinion and store the info for later use...it's all good, thanks.

The 50mm I have isn't even a canon one. It's Meyer Optik Gorlitz, M42 lens. It's more fiddly than anything else I have.

About the "teacher" shot: On a couple of the other shots I did, I reduced the aperture, to about f5.6, I think, and so I got some shots with a greater DoF, but most of the time I had to use f2.8, hence the kids out of focus.

I have another gig to do in just over a week, a "Battle of the Bands" at school (I'm a teacher, not a kid. ), and I think I'll use the same set-up. Not seen how the lighting will be, though, but will attempt a smaller aperture where I can. In that job, I will have a couple of post-16 students shooting wider shots with LUMIX dSLRs, so I will do the "portrait" style again, like these.

 

[Bend The Light]

Psh! Who told you I'm qualified enough to tell you my thoughts? They're crazy...

Jason Lambert, apparently. He said "Erose...where are you?" in one of my threads. Maybe he was just looking for you?

That being said, I'm going to tell you anyway... :lmao:

Good, I'm ready...

And what other thread are you talking about? I missed that one apparently...

This one...

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...19460-best-way-shoot-battle-bands-school.html

 

[Bend The Light]

Phew...thanks erose! I've read it all, and I will read it again. With the Canon 400d, the ISO is max at 1600, and with the light I got, the shutter speed was slow...depending on the action (or lack of it) at the time, I was able to get very sharp shots, other times they were a little soft.

I was manual focussing, as I don't have ANY alternative in this light. The 135mm is my fastest lens, so that's what I chose. I wasn't in a position to go closer on this occasion, and use the 50mm, as I didn't want to distract the kids on the stage...they were a little too easily distracted and lost their words!

Oh yes, as for Flickr being private...I can't put these shots of the kids out to the general public yet. The guy "rocking out" was 1/60s at 1600.


Anyway, I'm off out now...it's the night of the above show, for REAL. I'm leaving the camera at home - I'm gonna watch my 5-year old strutting her stuff on the stage! Very Proud dad!

 

[Bend The Light]

Just had a look at your shots of Faded Fortune. I think the f1.4 makes life better, allowing 1/160 as a shutter speed...

...I also see what you mean about WB...keep the colour of the stage lighting - more true to the show than making all the colours correct!

Cheers

 

[cnutco]

Were you ready for that?

Great read.

 

[Bend The Light]

Were you ready for that?

Great read.

Aye, it's all good. And the show was great, and Ruby (my 5-year old) is a star!