live Band Photogrphy

[nath]

hey,
interested in getting into live band photos and just wondering if anyone had some basic starting tips.

Thanks.

[bigdazzler]

how you goin nath .. welcome to AP .. :th3:

start by telling us what gear you use ?? and what kind of bands/music/venues you wanna shoot ??

[nath]

hey
i just got a nikon d90 with the 18-105mm kit lens, i know the lens might be a bit slow for what i want to do but i want experience before i get more lenses. i am interested in starting in smaller gigs of local rock, metal bands.

thanks!

[bigdazzler]

nice camera mate, well done .. just crank up your ISO, set your lens wide open at whatever focal length youre shooting at and fire away ... you can expect a little bit of noise in your results at high ISO but thats easily fixed later on in post. The key is attaining the highest shutter speed possible to eliminate any motion blur, from either the band moving around the stage or from handholding your camera. :th3:

and then theres flash .. but thats another ball game. Have a go without it first and see how you go ..

[nath]

thanks heaps i will let you know how i go next week! hope i get 1 okay shot lol

[atky]

Only don it once was hard work big learning curve from my limiteds knowledge High ISO big aperture is the way to go. Flash washes out the lighting and you lose the effect.
I got access to the band as they rehearse in a shed near where I work I just asked if they minded if I showed up at one of there gigs and took some shots they said OK.
http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=25978
These are some of the images

[Falcons]

I've had a go at live band photography - Awesome fun, but seriously you need a really fast lens F2.8 would be pretty much a bare minimum.

Here is a link to some of my attempts I used a 55mm F1.8 Lens.

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=16523

[JulesR94]

It is possible to use a f3.5, i did and the results were fine...kinda.

Definitely get a cheap prime thats around f1.8, and get a press pass; it really helps :D

[bigdazzler]

It is possible to use a f3.5, i did and the results were fine...kinda.


Well it all depends on the available light doesnt it, 3.5 would work if its super bright, but most venues are not ... personally I wouldnt rely upon anything less than a 2.8 constant for live music.

Maybe you could post the pictures for us to have a look at ?? :)

BTW: Welcome to AP Jules, not sure if you realised but this thread is over 12 months old and the OP never came back :rolleyes:

[JulesR94]

Well it all depends on the available light doesnt it, 3.5 would work if its super bright, but most venues are not ... personally I wouldnt rely upon anything less than a 2.8 constant for live music.

Maybe you could post the pictures for us to have a look at ?? :)

BTW: Welcome to AP Jules, not sure if you realised but this thread is over 12 months old and the OP never came back :rolleyes:

Yeah, i just posted it for a reference, incase someone found the thread in a search ect.

This is what i had to get with my 3.5

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=58614

There was only one light, and it was usually covered with filters :(
The shots are relatively darkish, but definitely suited the band :D

[ving]

crack up the ISO and open the aperture right up on your current gear to start, but a 70-200/2.8 might be the way to go, so start saving :D

[chamellieon]

I've done alot of both band and nightclub photography, and while I can say that yes, crank your iso and give yourself an aperture of about F4 - 5.6... you dont really need to push your specs that much.

BUT

you need to use flash.

I got quite proficient at shooting at minimums of 1/15 sec with flash.

Be sure to set a slow-sync like 1/15 @F5 @ ISO 320-500 (depending on your camera) - this way you will get whats happening in the foreground and get background ambience. Point your flash straight up and use a diffuser.

[BLWNHR]

I don't like using flash for band photos, particularly in smaller clubs. And smaller clubs are usually bad for lighting. F/2.8 is minimum and high ISO is a must. I've found 24-70 @ f/2.8 and ISO 1600 a minimum in most local pubs.

[brianward81]

Most of the gigs I've shot have not allowed flash at all which forced me to get comfortable shooting at high ISO and lower apertures. I prefer them that way anyway as you get the ambiance of the show and you don't annoy the performers which will hopefully lead to them having a better time which leads to better shots!

I use my 24-70 f/2.8 and I try to move around the room as much as possible to get as many different shots as possible - most people will move for you if you're polite enough (even at the most heavy of metal shows; "Of course kind sir, I would be most pleased to move so that you can take a photo of Slayer").

I shoot in manual most of the time which some people think is crazy but I just get an average exposure for the room and slightly adjust on the fly as needed. The lighting changes too rapidly to get a "proper" exposure and the light meter on my camera doesn't usually evaluate as well as I'd hope. So I say give manual a go, it may be hard but you'll learn heaps and be able to apply that to other areas of photography.

You can sign up at a few website to contribute photography (they supply you the media pass and you just have to upload ~25 shots to their website);
The Dwarf (http://www.thedwarf.com.au/)
Fasterlouder.com.au (http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/)
Metal Obsession (http://metalobsession.net/)

I've signed up to all three and you can get some great chances to shoot some awesome bands for nothing.

Good luck!