Shoots at concerts

Feenix · Mar 6, 2008

Hi everyone,

Looking for some advice on an upcoming shoot I have. It'll be at a gig, and it's a type of shoot i've never done before so i'm trying to get some info.

Thing that concerns me the most is the out of the ordinary lighting conditions, in particular advice on ISO Speeds would be great.

Just any advice at all you can give me is great. I'm using an EOS 400D, with the integral flash. Preferably, i'd like not to have to use it much as i've read a lot of Photographers commenting on how they prefer not to use flash when shooting gigs. Also, i've only got a UV filter and a dark blue filter and neither will work out well but i'm paranoid about my lens getting damaged in that kind of environment so any advice on a fliter?

Thanks for the help guys, apprechiate it :thumbup:

Sideburns · Mar 6, 2008

why won't the uv filter work out well? It's perfectly clear....

Crank up your ISO all the way and go for it.

Feenix · Mar 6, 2008

Well i've heared a number of times UV filters in low light conditions is a no no. Causes "green ghosts", though admittedly I don't know too much about it.

KristinaS · Mar 6, 2008

Is the concert you'll be shooting at a rowdy-type concert? And is there a photo pit that you'll be allowed to shoot from? If so, I wouldn't worry about my lens getting messed up without a filter. I've shot many concerts from the photo pit...many of them were rowdy ones with bodies flying everywhere and I've never broken, scratched up or ruined a lens. I have, however, been kicked in the head and banged around on many occasions, but that's a different story.

I prefer not to use flash also. I can usually get away with ISO 1600 or ISO 800 with a faster lens. I've had to go up to 3200 a few times because lighting was so bad. My camera--Canon 20D--does well at 1600. It starts to get pretty visibly noisy at 3200, though.

I would say use the lowest ISO you can get away with, with the fastest shutter speed.

Mav · Mar 6, 2008

Yeah I've gotten green ghosts a lot with UV filters at night. Doesn't matter what type either. Plain, multi-coated, etc.

LaFoto · Mar 6, 2008

I don't know about the filter thing. My stage photography of late did not suffer from my forgetting to take off the filter (but it is just an ND filter, anyway).

My suggestion for your settings is (well, I used those, and fared well): highest ISO possible (with my camera that is 1600), no matter the noise you get.

Then TV mode set to 1/100sec. (my lens needed that restriction to go any slower SORELY, since I worked with the 70-300mm, and my zoomed shots still were quite a risk with this setting, anyway, but I took that risk).

The lens will almost always be as wide open as can be, and you might STILL be warned by whatever your camera does to warn you that there is too little light. In fact I am sure you WILL be warned (in my camera, the 4.5 or 4.0 kept flashing). Ignore that. Stay with the 1/100. (Unless, of course, you work with a 50mm prime lens, in that case you will fare a lot better and can risk to go down to slower shutter speeds).

Shoot RAW.
That offers you ample chance to still "rescue" shots that were too dark.

NeatImage may afterwards be your friend to fight the noise.

Mav · Mar 6, 2008

I'd use a 50mm f/1.8, 85mm f/1.8, or a 50mm f/1.4 lens (all reasonably priced) and then aim for a shutter speed of around 1/125s. That's quick enough to freeze most "normal" motion. Set your camera for ISO 1600 and I'd use aperture priority (Av) with the lens wide open at f/1.8 (or 1.4) and see what kind of shutter speeds you're getting. It's it's in the 1/80 to 1/125s range, just leave it there and shoot. If you're getting up in the 1/200s range, you could play with dropping the ISO down to 800 for a little bit cleaner shots *or* closing the lens aperture down a little bit from 1.8/1.4 to 2.xx which will give you a little more depth of field and also reduce focus errors.

Err on the side of higher ISO or a faster shutter speed. You can always clean up noise later, but blurred shots are pretty much lost (unless you're going for some sort of artistic effect)

Aw45 · Mar 6, 2008

I am going to have to agree with everyone else keep your shutter speed around 1/100th of a second and your ISO as low as you possibly can. You are going to have to crank it up somewhere around 1000 plus, however.

Lens choice is really up to you just like everything else in photography. I have used a 17-35mm, 50mm, and 70-200mm lens.

Have a good time and remember to roam around. I have often got my best shots from behind and around the stage.

GOOD LUCK

Feenix · Mar 7, 2008

KristinaS said:
Is the concert you'll be shooting at a rowdy-type concert? And is there a photo pit that you'll be allowed to shoot from? If so, I wouldn't worry about my lens getting messed up without a filter. I've shot many concerts from the photo pit...many of them were rowdy ones with bodies flying everywhere and I've never broken, scratched up or ruined a lens. I have, however, been kicked in the head and banged around on many occasions, but that's a different story.

It wont be overly rowdy I shouldn't think but it's a small venue and the crowd are basically right up to the stage which is only slightly off the ground. I've got very little space and no security there to help me out if I need it. I'm just gonna have to stake myself out a good area and hope I can get around a bit if I try and look as official as possible. The fact the venue is so small however is the reason i'm worried about my lens getting damaged. Either i'll have to find a suitable filter or i'll have to keep my lens cap close at hand at all times and watch out for people flying about.

Anyway, first off i'd just like to say thanks for all the friendly replies. This is easily one of the nicest forums i've ever come accross and it's a welcome change to have so many helpful people around so thank you for that.

So, things to remember then is ISO ratings 800 and up watching for noise, fast shutter speeds, wide lens and shoot in RAW. Missed anything?

I have a 18-55mm lens, think it should do just fine. I can't afford another lens at the moment and the next lens I do buy will be a macro one as i'm extremely keen to start off some work in that area.

Thanks for the advice everyone :thumbup:

Fiendish Astronaut · Mar 7, 2008

If you're still do to the shoot another good bit of advice is that if you're with the crowd you'll want to be at the frint so be nice to them No-one wants to be at the front only for a photographer to get in their way. Smile, make eye contact and keep out of people's way when possible. Most people wont mind you standing on front of them if they know you're just there to do a job and will move out of their way fairly quickly.

And select your metering - spot meter or partial meter. Not everyone knows what this is but basically it tells the camera what part of a scene to meter off. Using the right metering system will ensure your camera exposes for the centre of your image rather than stage lights around the edges of your subjects (that is unless you want to take a picture of the stage lights).

Does that actually make sense?