New DSLR photographer/picture critique

[biancarose]

Hello everyone, I am Bianca, and I am new to the forum. I recently purchased a Nikon D40(about 3 months ago) after spending years shooting with a simple point and shoot digital. I always got great pictures with my point and shoot, but the clarity is what I wanted. Anyways, I am still learning how to adjust my camera for the crappy lighting at most concerts, but I was hoping to get some critique on the pictures I have taken so far.

Here are some pictures

Thanks a lot everyone!!

Oh, any input on a good camera setting for when bands use a lot of fog would be awesome!! This is killing me!!

 

[Early]

New DSLR photographer? I'm skeptic! These are too good.

 

[2ART]

vgood
i especially like the monochrome. nice shot!

 

[biancarose]

New DSLR photographer? I'm skeptic! These are too good.

Really? Awesome. That first one of Lacey from Flyleaf was taken the day I got my camera.

 

[DScience]

Great pics!! Looks like those years of P&S photography really paid off! Getting concert pics to look really creative seems difficult. However you did it very well!

:thumbup:

 

[biancarose]

Yeah concerts are tuff expecially the concerts I go to because the musicians are buck wild and crazy LOL.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice for shooting in a situation with lots of fog on stage.

 

[sly677]

WOW!!! Those photos are insane, I can't believe the clarity. What setting were you using(shutter speed, ISO)? What kind of lens did you use, and was it well lit? Very nice shots.

Syl

 

[dolphin]

Looks good!!!

 

[Clawed]

Wow, these are some pretty sick shots!

Fantastic job, how do you get such great shots like this at a concert? Have these even been edited?

 

[MonicaEvansPhoto]

1,2 & last are my favorites
and it looks like you've had your DSLR for a long time because those pictures are amazing, expecially since the first picture was taken on the day you got the camera. thats just amazinggg

 

[bigtwinky]

Nice job! You definatly have a great eye.

 

[biancarose]

The first photo was taken with the D40 out of the box on manual setting. The venue had bad lighting, and my least favorite of things, 2 fog machines. The lens I used was the one that came with the camera, and it is a Nikon 18-55mm DX vibration reduction lens.

All of the other photos were taken on my D40 with the settings per Ken Rockwall’s site for P. I used a Nikon AF-S 55-200mm Zoom Nikkor lens. He has his settings custom with an emphasis on vibrancy.

The lighting really varied on the events, but none of them had good lighting really. I edit all of my photos in photo shop, but I really do not know what I am doing in photo shop (I follow a lot of tutorials), but on concert pictures I mostly just mess with the curves and I add RGB layers with a soft light or overlay or sometimes screen.

But thank you guys so much for the compliments. I really cannot wait to see how my pictures come out once I understand how to work my camera. I am registering for a class at school this Fall!

I just ordered a Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S Prime Nikkor Lens. Someone told me I needed a prime lens, so I cant wait to see what this one does.

 

[megamatt77]

All of them are great, execpt I think that the second one is a bit dark.