Bands and concert photos, Bottom Liner asked for a thread title change

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Dorkroom > Bands and concert photos, Bottom Liner asked for a thread title change

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evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

HPL posted:

I could swear I saw the inside of that clock tower in someone's PAD photo.

He posts shots of that thing pretty often. You have to admit, it's a pretty rad location.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2009 07:41

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 23:08

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

How do you people with obviously more talent than me get your loving cameras to focus where you want? They only way I've hit focus with any kind of reliability is by using single point continuous and then framing whichever point stuck to people's face, but it's awkward, and it leads to more crops than I'd like. I can't use single shot (the mode people use to focus then recompose) since artists tend to gesticulate and move about to the patrons' delight.

Would an IR illuminator help with the focus at all?

# ¿ Apr 12, 2009 01:22

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

The flashiness doesn't matter since I'm stuck in manual anyway, the backlighting isn't so bad except you don't get anything but atmospheric pictures with the color hitting the smoke, or Jesus shots with white back spotlights.

HPL posted:

Flashiness is a pain in the rear end because it screws up autofocus when it goes dark.

Meh, AF is so hit or miss anyway

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Apr 13, 2009

# ¿ Apr 13, 2009 18:08

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Red floodlights are the enemy of all that is holy 8(

# ¿ Apr 13, 2009 20:44

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Nah I use a crop (D90), but the problem is that if I use AF-S it takes ages to lock (and it won't release the shutter without an AF lock) and the perfomers are usually not in focus anymore half a second after you get a lock anyway, and in AF-C it'll happily release without a decent enough focus.

AF point selection is never the problem, I just specify which to use (single point AF), it just doesn't lock worth a drat, hence the illuminator question. I realise now I worded the original question poorly.

If IF light is good to get a lock with phase AF I'll have a pal of mine who's handy with a soldering iron rig me something I can screw under the camera or stick in my hot-shoe. There's no way I'm paying for a SU-800 just for the AF-assist, especially if it engages in the same manner as the integrated illuminator (only in AF-S, how loving retarded is that).

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 09:30 on Apr 16, 2009

# ¿ Apr 16, 2009 09:14

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

pwn posted:

Wait, the D90's AF assist light doesn't work with non-S lenses?

You misunderstood I think. It only comes on (for me) in single-shot AF. Nothing to do witht the lens that I know of.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2009 09:31

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

rockcity posted:

I set my focus to a separate button on all my cameras. So what I do is I center the frame to what I want in focus (typically the musician's face) press down the focus button, release so that it stays focused where I want it and then move the camera to the frame in which I want the subject. Works just fine for me.

That doesn't work when people move around.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2009 14:59

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Bottom Liner posted:

how do you set focus to another button anyways, never did find that option on my xtis menus.

On most cameras you can set your AE/AF lock button to act as AF-ON instead.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2009 23:00

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

There's a couple great pics there pr0digal. I wish the local venues had lighting decent enough to pull that kind of rear curtain antics.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 15:58 on Apr 17, 2009

# ¿ Apr 17, 2009 15:55

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Alkali Flats:

I had a great time shooting those fools.

Death Letters:

Those guys were pretty fun. Full of teenage energy.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Apr 19, 2009

# ¿ Apr 19, 2009 20:41

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Still processing, but wanted to get it off my chest: gently caress ELETRONICA BANDS.

I actually enjoy most bands I go to, but there will always, ALWAYS be some loving gear in the way. It get a little better if they're at/below your level because then you can get keyboards etc not to look awful, but drat.

# ¿ May 7, 2009 19:00

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Alctel posted:

This looks fun, but I don't own a flash

Try setting your flash EV comp to -2 or so. At apertures >f/2 you usually get enough ambient to have the onboard flash act as fill.

Alctel posted:

I just wish I had an XSI, its a lot better on higher ISO's than the XTI (which gets grainy as all gently caress)

That's the thing with available light, it's the area where the most progress is usually made between generations. At the same time, you know 5 years from now we're bound to get some pretty awesome stuff down the pipe.

# ¿ May 9, 2009 18:12

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

As usual the light was a complete pile of doodoo.

# ¿ May 10, 2009 12:59

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

I really like my Sig 30mm f/1.4 :3:

The Nikon 35mm f/1.8 is a cheaper alternative, but you seem to be on Canon, who makes a 24mm and a 35mm f/1.4 primes (expensive L glass), and cheaper 28mm f/1.8 and 35mm f/2, but I have no idea of the optical quality. Those will result in a "standard" length on a crop body or a bit shorter.

Sig also makes a 20mm fast prime but it's poo poo

For the long end, the 85mm f/1.8 USM doesn't seem too expensive, and it's pretty good. I'd definitely get the short lens first though.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 14:08 on May 15, 2009

# ¿ May 15, 2009 13:53

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Depends on the band. Some coked-up rockers will need ~150 or flash, quieter stuff you can go down to ~50, bit lower at wide angles.

# ¿ May 16, 2009 19:33

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Kynetx posted:

I've done quite a bit of this for friend's bands and it's been a ton of fun. I've used exclusively Sony cameras and have had good luck with them.

Now that's just silliness.

Kynetx posted:

I recently upgraded from a fixed-lens F-828 into an Alpha-350 and it's my first DSLR.

Kynetx posted:

will probably go fixed at some point since the MP count is high enough to allow some pretty radical cropping before things get ugly.

Past a certain point, that is also silliness.

Kynetx posted:

The 828 was awesome for concert work. Being able to rotate the body independently of the lens allowed me to shoot over my head and over the heads of the crowd. The tilting LCD+Live view thingy does the same thing now.

Is the live view AF actually anywhere near fast enough for that in low light?
I mean on my D90 it's just retarded. Just will not work in the dark.
About the only thing I've used that was good enough was the G1.

Kynetx posted:

I'm contemplating switching to RAW, which will negate the problem entirely, especially since massive CF cards are so drat cheap.

Yeah unless you are a hobo with no money or a PJ there's no reason not to.

Kynetx posted:

Be polite with security, even if you have a backstage pass. Don't get lovely if you are challenged. You are on their turf.

Also send them manly pictures of themselves if you work on their turf regularly. Really. 90% of security knows my first name at the couple of venues I shoot at regularly.

Kynetx posted:

Carry spare batteries, since concert photography is 9/10ths luck which will require you to:

I don't do that, but that's because I can shoot 20GB of stuff on a single charge, and by then I'm out of media :ohdear:

Kynetx posted:

Take a ton of shots. In any live photography environment, composition is a luxury you don't always have. Given the often inconsistent lighting conditions you're not going to catch anything good even 5% of the time unless you're blasting the stage with a flash, and even then you may end up with something lovely.

Over the course of most full-length shows I've blasted off 700+ shots and maybe walked away with a dozen good ones at most.

This a thousand times. I can point at least 50 pics I have with superb composition and right on metering right off the camera, and of course the focus is off just enough to make it unusable. AF-C and machine gun shoot.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 21:37 on May 18, 2009

# ¿ May 18, 2009 21:27

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Nihiliste posted:

So how do you people address colour metering at concerts? You'd think this would come up in most guides, but it doesn't.

You don't. What are you going to do, whip out your grey card and hold it against the performer's face everytime the lights guy pushes a button?
I just shoot AWB and correct in post. Maybe there's a better solution, but since I'm a loving newbie I haven't found it.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 19:48 on May 19, 2009

# ¿ May 19, 2009 19:43

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Shooting against the sun fill is your friend.
Shooting people without sunglasses in the hogh afternoon sun isn't a brilliant idea either, you get shadowy blobs instead of definition in the eyes.

# ¿ May 20, 2009 09:08

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

I find that stating what you know you're allowed to do then asking them to check with the security manager works best.

# ¿ May 22, 2009 09:54

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Honestly I much prefer smaller venues. The light's poo poo, but you can have a beer and a smoke with all the performers, shoot all you want, then shoot the poo poo afterwards, show them your pics, get a free loving CD when you promise to mail them some pics for their myspace or whatever the gently caress, then be on your way.

As soon as I got into bigger venues it started feeling like a job. Suddenly you can't flash, you can only shoot 3 songs, and you're at least a meter below stage level. Thanks but no thanks.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 19:45 on May 22, 2009

# ¿ May 22, 2009 19:43

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Nothing wrong with the pictures, but the post is kinda... bland?
It might just be that I'm used to see film stuff from you though.

# ¿ May 25, 2009 07:55

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

HPL posted:

Funny, I get that reaction a lot, and not just from the forums. Everyone is tripping goofballs over the black and white stuff whereas the colour stuff is more like: "oh, that's nice".

The thing is that you could just efex your color stuff into looking like film.
Try it out if you please >8)

It's silly, but I think your shots have that typical canon feel to them. Nothing really striking except that unending sharpness.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 23:30 on May 25, 2009

# ¿ May 25, 2009 23:27

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

thehustler posted:

2 in particular is caused by my crappy lenses but I can't afford to get anything better than constant 2.8 apertures so I'm stuck for now.

You should really get a normal prime.

HPL posted:

But I'm trying for that "Nikon" look!

Haha. You're not serious, but there's no such thing so much as a Nikon Capture NX look.

HPL posted:

EDIT: Argh. A bunch of the photos are out of focus because I was using my Pentax MX!

Heh maybe you should get with THE TIMES. But seriously everyone fucks up focus semi-regularly. When there's no light there's no light (and I can't shoot focus-priority continuous on my D90, which makes me a sad panda).

KickStand posted:

The one shot I got that had them all in frame and in focus I had somebodies head pop up in the center and took up half the shot

Less talking more machine-gunning. This is why you just keep shooting, really, you never know what shots you've missed the focus on until you PP them. Also, get low when the performer looks down like that.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 08:14 on May 26, 2009

# ¿ May 26, 2009 07:55

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

thehustler posted:

Oh, I do have a 50mm 1.8 prime and it's amazing, I just find it annoying to have to change things over and I don't have a second body available. I think a 50mm is a little too zoomed in also. I will see if I can get a wider angle prime.

That's 80mm on a crop, so not too handy. Good for headshots and shooting peeps at the back of a stage, not so much for anything else.

# ¿ May 26, 2009 08:16

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Also, who the gently caress wants to do promo sessions. The money's the only reason I'd do it in the first place unless I had someone I know art-direct or something.

# ¿ May 26, 2009 15:52

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

jackpot posted:

If I could get the 85 f/1.2 I might be the happiest man alive...albeit the poorest.

EF 85mm f/1.8 USM.

# ¿ May 27, 2009 15:43

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

The problem with low budget digital is that it's not going to look quite as good at ISO3200.

# ¿ May 28, 2009 07:43

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

That's only a problem for Canon (heh).

# ¿ May 28, 2009 15:58

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Have you talked to the venue or the tour management at all?

Edit: what do you want to shoot? Your pals or the bands? What kind of venue is it?

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Jun 13, 2009

# ¿ Jun 13, 2009 17:41

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Yeah I read books. posted:

I can't seem to find a way to contact anyone i would need to to get something like this. it's pretty frustrating

If you know a band their management/booking can probably get you started. Otherwise, ask the promoter.

As HPL said (and that was the reason for my questioning the type of venue), you don't want to be in a moshpit with a 3kg DSL. If there's no photo pit you'll just get stomped.

# ¿ Jun 13, 2009 18:20

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Yeah I read books. posted:

We decided since we couldn't get photo passes to just go to a tattoo convention instead...next time I'll have to consider giving proper notice and all that for the right passes...thanks for the help!

If you had gone I would have said P&S too, especially outside in daylight.

But hey, photo wise a tatoo con could be hilarious.

# ¿ Jun 13, 2009 19:07

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Yeah I read books. posted:

So, here's my night summed up in one picture:

Any DJ with a set called Pussy Violence isn't necessarily going to be good, but you know it'll be entertaining.
In other news, I went to punk show, got moshed, moshed back, got my walkaround covered in beer, and generally had a ton of fun. Pictures soon.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Jun 14, 2009

# ¿ Jun 14, 2009 13:35

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

TacosDeGato posted:

I was having some trouble with grain and lighting, but hey live and learn.

Everyone does :unsmith:

# ¿ Jun 23, 2009 13:51

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Iron Squid posted:

How dickish are smaller venues about kicking out people with their dSLRs?

Most small venues simply don't give a poo poo. It's half the reason they're so much fun.
I brought a couple of small prints (to pin on their walls etc) to the small venues in the city I live in, and now they just let me me in whenever I feel like. Most of are really chillax, and as mentioned before they just love the free promotion.

Iron Squid posted:

So is starting off at smaller venues a good way to get a concert portfolio, and then using those pics to get some kinda press pass to bigger concerts, a good way to go about things?

Definitely, especially if you can coordinate with something like free/online zines in your area.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Jun 23, 2009

# ¿ Jun 23, 2009 23:33

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Cyberbob posted:

Looks like i'll be using my kit 18-55mm f4.5-5.6, with a sb-600 to assist me.. What's the safest way, ie least intrusive, to bounce a flash in a club/bar.. off the roof?

Most non-ratty clubs have ceilings either too high or non-white, so bouncing can somtimes be tricky. I'd get a softbox. Is there any hoope you can get a decent low-light lens? It really helps with AF, even when you flash.

# ¿ Jul 6, 2009 09:50

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

HPL posted:

Don't sell yourself short. You're better than half the concert photographers in my town.

Yeah this is really more than decent, especially for a first gig.

# ¿ Jul 7, 2009 17:19

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

I finally put most of my stuff online in one place a couple of weeks ago, so you fuckers go have a look and poo poo on my stuff please.

# ¿ Jul 13, 2009 20:53

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

The social stuff is retarded since they're so much farther from critical mass than flickr (but I don't care about that really), the gallery stuff works great. It's such an improvement over MySpace or Picasaweb, which is what I used before.

You can have your main page output a stream if you like, but I don't do that since I upload poo poo in batches, unlike more talented people who can actually produce decent stuff every day.

But most importantly, Jeffrey Friedl's LR2 plugin is loving amazing and you should throw money at him.
Putting a new gallery online is like 4 clicks once you've made a preset, and that takes 5 minutes.

I'd be glad to answer any question you have, but the best is probably to give it a try, they have a 14 day free trial.

Also, comments on my loving pictures instead of more questions :mad:

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Jul 13, 2009

# ¿ Jul 13, 2009 21:51

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

Smug: yes that'd work, but you've got to wonder whether flickr is so limiting for your purpose. But again, one thing Smug does well is help you make the transition from "here's a place to put my picture" to "you can buy my $300 prints here". Honestly I don't get how flickr is so hard to navigate, I just like the Smug options/support better. They really watch the mail like loving hawks.

Tilt: yes, I've been trying to turn it (heh) down lately, but that can make for very boring shots when artists aren't doing anything else to make the shot interesting.
Deadspace: that's really down to the D90 not having AF points far enough in the corners, so when I stick the furthest corner point in someone's eye, I end up with wasted space on top. I think I've gotten so used to it I'm not quite willing enough to crop that poo poo away.
Lack or close-ups is 2 things, really, my longest lens is 50mm (I crave longer, but that means either a 85mm that fringes like a bitch, or dropping a grand and a half on a good 70-200), and also I'm clueless about making them interesting. When I posted this shot in PAD or something people just were babbies about it being too close. But I like it, and you say try it, so I shall.

Thanks a lot for the input, it's really nice having another pair of eyes on my stuff.

# ¿ Jul 13, 2009 22:35

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 23:08

evil_bunnY: Apr 2, 2003

That shirt is pretty awesome.

# ¿ Jul 15, 2009 15:00

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Dorkroom > Bands and concert photos, Bottom Liner asked for a thread title change

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