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Shot a bunch of hardcore bands on Saturday. Much much much more entertaining than the typical indie 'three guys standing around for 45 minutes' I usually run into around here. The best part was a conversation I had with one of the bouncers before the show:  Would I be able to get to the wings to shoot from the side of the stage? ...I think that would probably be the best place for you.  Set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_bradshaw/sets/72157624024091867/
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May 27, 2010 19:31
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| # ? May 31, 2024 11:45 |
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dreggory posted:Shot a bunch of hardcore bands on Saturday. Much much much more entertaining than the typical indie 'three guys standing around for 45 minutes' I usually run into around here. I shoot mainly hardcore/pop-punk bands and he gave you some pretty drat good advice. Especially if you are not used to dodging flying fists and pileups. Though the crowd looks pretty tame. Great angle and back lighting on the first!
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May 27, 2010 19:34
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That's some good stuff dreg!
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May 27, 2010 21:22
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One of the most fun shows I've ever shot was SNFU at the old Cobalt. I brought a film EOS and a plastic fifty so: a) I could shoot it one handed above my head while moshing in the pit. b) If it broke, it wouldn't be a biggie.
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May 27, 2010 22:58
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HPL posted:Oh god, LED stage lights are the devil. They're not as bright as normal lights and they blow out sensors. You've got to be very careful when shooting a show with them. When I shoot a show with LEDs, I usually underexpose by a notch or two because cameras aren't very good at metering them. They were the bane of my Metallica shoot in the fall. They had them in front of pretty much every mic stand even though they had crap tons of lighting above them.
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May 28, 2010 03:04
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Dreggory those are brilliant.
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May 28, 2010 10:14
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Do you guys ever offer advice to bands you shoot? For example, I had this band the other night where their lead singer was off to the side and the guitar player hid behind her. There was just a giant void in the middle of the stage, complete with a microphone for the guitarist to sing on the 2 songs he sang out, but it wasn't pointed out at the audience, just a side shot. I figured I'd tell them to knock that poo poo off, since a lot of "freelance" blogs I read suggest that you educate your clients. I'll edit in the shots when I finish'em.
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May 29, 2010 14:59
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AtomicManiac posted:Do you guys ever offer advice to bands you shoot? Very, very occasionally, and only if I know the guys well. I would definitely tell them for sure if the band themselves is paying me to shoot. A lot of times stuff like you described is because the band is inexperienced. Sometimes the sound guy will tell them what to do to fix it, but that depends on the personality and competence of the sound guy.
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May 29, 2010 15:03
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I will if it's a band I know personally. Usually it's more of a collaborative advice session, like they'll tell me when they're going to do something, as in, I jump off the drums halfway into song X.
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May 29, 2010 15:12
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evil_bunnY posted:That's some good stuff dreg! thehustler posted:Dreggory those are brilliant. Aw, thanks  I've started working with a local promoter/booking agent, which I'm completely thrilled about. I'm lined up to shoot more shows in the next month than I have in the past 6. Between that, starting to land more wedding jobs, and my amazing roommate who can apparently talk his way into press passes left and right I'm having a loving blast. Shooting Lightning Bolt in July (!!!). The venue is reaaallly dark anywhere that's not the stage, so I'm kind of wondering how that's going to work out. Anyone know if they still set up in the middle of the crowd and proceed to go nuts?
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May 29, 2010 16:06
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dreggory posted:Aw, thanks Aw, thanks. Just because I get really drunk and don't remember how I get 2 press passes to Electric Daisy Carnival doesn't mean I'm amazing. milquetoast child fucked around with this message at 19:31 on May 29, 2010 |
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May 29, 2010 18:49
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a rookie effort w/ my new Luminix Public Enemy in Vancouver [Commodore Ballroom, May 27/2010]       
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May 29, 2010 19:50
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dreggory posted:Aw, thanks ooooh finally something I can offer advice on! Lightning Bolt were my first 'real' shoot that I did; yes, they will set up on the floor, and no you don't want to be in front of them. Seek out their stage manager, dude with glasses/shoulder length hair (or at least, that's who it was when I shot them); he gave me permission to climb on their speaker stacks. Results:   Definitely take a flash, one of the few shoots where they said it was cool. Bonus -  Yes, this dude did get hit in the face with a drumstick. It's probably my fault because he noticed me taking photos and kept doing it. Godspeed random drunk dude  Also the expressions of everyone around him; and you can see my camera silhouette on the chick. Stage backlighting 
I, Butthole fucked around with this message at 02:31 on May 30, 2010 |
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May 30, 2010 02:26
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Lightning Bolt sounds like a hell of a band to shoot. My first paying freelance gig was shooting Monotonix, which was tricky to say the least. They set up on the floor too, but they're all over the place so there's often no light at all. I wound up with a lot of weirdly framed shots like this, since I only have prime lenses:
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May 30, 2010 08:44
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The Tokina 11-16 is a godsend for up-close mayhem. I shot this set with the Tokina at a packed house party: http://www.mikechow.com/Concerts-2010/Ham-WailinLife-Against/11526605_BUN4C You can get full body shots from a foot away and you get all sorts of crazy-rear end perspective because everyone is so close to you. HPL fucked around with this message at 11:21 on May 30, 2010 |
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May 30, 2010 11:19
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I shot a special show last night, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Laarks' Brian Moen have a side project together, The Shouting Matches. Moen ripped his snare drum head a few minutes before this shot. After the show they were both gracious enough to sign it for me. I'll post more later.
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May 30, 2010 13:34
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HPL posted:The Tokina 11-16 is a godsend for up-close mayhem. I shot this set with the Tokina at a packed house party: Nice one: http://www.mikechow.com/Concerts-2010/Ham-WailinLife-Against/11526605_BUN4C#811429167_vdUwM I've been looking for a good close-up solution for house parties and smaller warehouse shows. I used a borrowed Canon 10-22 for a little while, but I wasn't really satisfied with the results. I think I absolutely need to be able to drop down to f/2.8, since the Canon tops out at f/3.5. Were you just using a regular on-camera bounce flash for lighting?
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May 31, 2010 02:27
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IndieRockLance posted:I've been looking for a good close-up solution for house parties and smaller warehouse shows. I used a borrowed Canon 10-22 for a little while, but I wasn't really satisfied with the results. I think I absolutely need to be able to drop down to f/2.8, since the Canon tops out at f/3.5. I used a Demb Flip-It with the panel raised to get a mix of bouncing off the ceiling and fill light from the panel. The nice thing about the Flip-It is that you can adjust the ratio to whatever you want since it's on a hinge and not fixed or anything.
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May 31, 2010 06:29
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Festival lighting: so hot right now. I don't know what it is, but the 5D Mark 2 just seems to absolutely shine at festivals over indoor gigs. It's crazy. British India  Grinspoon  The Cat Empire
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May 31, 2010 10:22
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I, Butthole posted:Festival lighting: so hot right now. I don't know what it is, but the 5D Mark 2 just seems to absolutely shine at festivals over indoor gigs. It's crazy. Great photos! What lens were those shot with out of curiosity?
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May 31, 2010 15:23
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   Well, that was some bad light. Blah. Crash Kings, Flobots and Paper Tounges.
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May 31, 2010 20:09
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Eeek posted:
I love the emotion conveyed in these shots, but I hate you for getting to see that line-up.
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May 31, 2010 20:25
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Bojanglesworth posted:Great photos! What lens were those shot with out of curiosity? 70-200 F4, with IS. With the 5D Mark 2, it's unstoppable; I'd love to get the 70-200 F2.8, but the cost associated with the fact that I would never, ever shoot below F4 anyway (at the moment; waiting for wedding work in the future though) means I can't really justify it.
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May 31, 2010 23:01
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toppro posted:I love the emotion conveyed in these shots, but I hate you for getting to see that line-up. Also, 20WT (local band from Jacksonville) and Richy Nix played. And it was free to everyone. You like me now, right? Right?
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Jun 1, 2010 04:09
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I, Butthole posted:70-200 F4, with IS. With the 5D Mark 2, it's unstoppable; I'd love to get the 70-200 F2.8, but the cost associated with the fact that I would never, ever shoot below F4 anyway (at the moment; waiting for wedding work in the future though) means I can't really justify it. Out of curiosity, why the hate on low aperture? I only use my 30 1.4 and 50 1.8 anymore at shows, I've used f/4-5 but it just seems ridiculous to use it now, compared to the results the 1.4/1.8 give.
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Jun 2, 2010 00:21
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AtomicManiac posted:Out of curiosity, why the hate on low aperture? I only use my 30 1.4 and 50 1.8 anymore at shows, I've used f/4-5 but it just seems ridiculous to use it now, compared to the results the 1.4/1.8 give. I think he is cloaking his inability to afford the 2.8 with excuses for never needing it.
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Jun 2, 2010 03:56
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Bojanglesworth posted:I think he is cloaking his inability to afford the 2.8 with excuses for never needing it. As 2 amateur concert photographers, we have a house rule that we're not allowed to have any lenses slower than 2.8. It's just not worth it.
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Jun 2, 2010 04:41
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dunkman posted:As 2 amateur concert photographers, we have a house rule that we're not allowed to have any lenses slower than 2.8. It's just not worth it. Haha, Jokes... right?
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Jun 2, 2010 04:43
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I was just thinking that while it would make my ears bleed, it would probably be pretty neat to shoot the Eurovision contest finals.
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Jun 2, 2010 05:01
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Bojanglesworth posted:Haha, Jokes... right?  Not really. Left to right: Sigma 30mm f/1.4 5D 24-70 2.8L 7D Tamron 17-50 2.8 50m 1.8 430 EX II (we have 2) 70-200 2.8 IS Sorry for the lovely camera phone pic, we don't have a 3rd body. Depending on the shoot, we'll bring most of this gear, or just tag team with the 7D way far away with the 70-200 and the 5D up close with the 24-70. http://photos.tfatf.com/ We're still amateurs, getting photo passes rarely, and just showing up with a giant camera and getting to shoot the rest of the time.
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Jun 2, 2010 05:03
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I mainly use f/4 because the depth of field is better to work with. When I bought the 70-200f/4 along with my 5D, Tokina 11-16, 85 1.8 and assorted flashes/battery grips, the IS II version was a fair way away; the f/4 is just as sharp as the 2.8 series I at f/4, and having used the 17-55 f/2.8 for about 6 months prior in concert shooting, I just generally prefer shooting at f/4. Sure, now the series 2 is out, it's a fair bit sharper at f/4; however, clocking in at 1.2kg as opposed to 600g when I'm running around festivals with a Macbook, two bodies with battery grips, two flashes, and 4 other lenses, I'm happy enough with the weight difference. Combined with the fact the people who I shoot for rarely need it at a high enough DPI or large enough resolution that shooting 2000-3200 ISO on a full frame never really bothers me or them, I'm happy with the way I operate. e: i also never use lens hoods because IM SUCH A loving REBEL e2: I'll probably get the 70-200 2.8 IS II when I start doing more weddings and it's 100% justified. Or when I get an assistant who can carry my poo poo for me 
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Jun 2, 2010 13:01
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I think f4 gives really good results for concert photos, but only with adequate light. I like to use it at really well lit arena shows, but those are few and far between. Most of my shots are done at 2.8 or wider.
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Jun 2, 2010 13:33
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dunkman posted:
I mean jokes towards I,butthole. Sick setup.
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Jun 2, 2010 14:27
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AtomicManiac posted:Out of curiosity, why the hate on low aperture? I only use my 30 1.4 and 50 1.8 anymore at shows, I've used f/4-5 but it just seems ridiculous to use it now, compared to the results the 1.4/1.8 give. With a full frame sensor and IS, you wouldn't really need 2.8. They could just enjoy usable 3200 and fire away.
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Jun 3, 2010 06:18
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Update on the "silent camera" thing. It wound up not mattering since security didn't even know about the rule. And if they did, they didn't care. Unfortunately, Neil Young's management decided to make all of the photographers shoot from the soundboard at the back of the balcony at the last minute and I didn't have the right gear to do the show justice. I wish shooting big name artists wasn't such a pain in the rear end.
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Jun 3, 2010 09:50
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I'm thinking of making a quick guide of things to help musicians improve their concert photos, just a simple one page thing that I could attach my name too and give out as a promotional thing. Here's what I've got so far: ---------------------- 1) Dress the part. ---------------------- -It's not terribly important that the band "Fits" into the genre, but the band should look cohesive. If you're a metal band, and everyone is wearing a black shirt and jeans, the one guy wearing the white shirt and khaki shorts is gonna look like a douche 99% of the time. -If you're not a fashion expert, keep it simple. Black shirt + Jeans always work, and everyone in the band should have this. -If you're a gimmick band and you wear costumes, don't ditch them half-way through because you get hot. You're almost assuredly gonna look like a big bag of rear end. ------------------ 2) Act the part. ------------------ -Try and look like you're having fun up on stage. Unless you're in an indie band, then you have to look bored. -Even if you hate each others guts, pretend like you enjoy your band-mates. Shots where band members are interacting with each other usually make for good shots. -------------------------- 3) Plan ahead -------------------------- -If you always jump/do something awesome at a certain point in a certain song, let me know before hand so I can catch it. -Make sure your band is dressed accordingly. See Point 1. -Look at concert photos of your favorite bands, and watch live youtube videos. There's no shame in stealing some of their moves, they probably stole them too. -Cutting excess stringage can be a good idea. Having strings flailing around the head of a guitar usually looks bad. ----------------------- 4) Move Around. ----------------------- -The best shots are action shots. Jump, dance, whatever, it makes the show more fun for you and the audience, and makes for better photos. Just don't run in place. That poo poo looks retarded 100% of the time. -Try and move around the stage a bit. If you stand in the same place hitting the same basic looks, you're gonna get like 10 shots that are mostly identical despite my best efforts. Try and hit the other side of the stage at least once. -Invest in strap locks. They can be had for less than $20 and are idiot proof to install. You'll feel a lot more confident about moving around. -------------------------------- 5) "Bread and Butter Shots" -------------------------------- Here's a quick list of shots that almost always turn out great. -Jump Shots -Interacting with fans (High fives, Pointing, Having fans sing, Getting down off stage, bringing people up, etc) -Interacting with other musicians - generally the more people in the band in the frame the better the shot is. -Hot-dog moves (Playing behind the head, swinging the guitar around your body, etc) -If you don't sing, but there's parts where gang vocals or big vocal parts happen, feel free to scream/yell along. Just make sure to get into it and really belt out the words or it'll look lame. -Head banging (especially if you have long hair) ----------------------------- Some other random tips: ----------------------------- If you don't sing. There should not be a mic in front of you. If you do sing, but don't play an instrument, ditch the mic stand. Try practicing in front of a mirror or recording practice to see what you look like on stage. Practice your songs in the dark/with your eyes closed. You want to look up and at the crowd as much as possible. Any thoughts? I'm thinking of going back and including some pictures and making it a PDF/Powerpoint as well.
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Jun 5, 2010 12:43
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The only thing I'd add is: Get some decent light on the drummer.
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Jun 5, 2010 12:53
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2ndclasscitizen posted:The only thing I'd add is: Get some decent light on the drummer. I've always thought of buying the sound guy a drink and saying "Light the drummer really good on the 3rd song"
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Jun 5, 2010 19:41
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AtomicManiac posted:Any thoughts? I'm thinking of going back and including some pictures and making it a PDF/Powerpoint as well. Don't do this. You basically just wrote a how-to for the most boring, by-the-numbers bullshit. On the other hand, any band that would download a powerpoint presentation on "How to take good band photos" probably deserves your advice.
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Jun 6, 2010 09:41
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What would you suggest to "spice it up"? Call me jaded, but in my opinion a lot of concerts involving local bands really are "By the numbers". If you don't have the money for Pyro, fancy lights, or elaborate stage set-ups, there's only so much you can do. As a hired photographer it's your job to get the best shots, wouldn't you prefer your clients came into it looking like they had a clue what they were doing? I'm still pretty new to this, but I could see there being a decent market in cover-bands and bands with older members. They've got real jobs so they have money to spend on their hobby and they'd be more likely to pay out for a concert shoot, but at the same time might be accepting of advice.
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Jun 6, 2010 10:20
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