Second concert

[kmb]

Hi all.

It is currently about 4 am here in Finland. I just shot my second (and third) concert. This time it was heavy metal. Two rather unknown Finnish bands (unknonw even in Finland, that is). The lighting was quite bad, unlike in the first concert (renewed and "official" gallery now here (http://www.bjorklid.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=1)). The main spot lights were really low most of the time, and most moments when there was enough light involved bright colored spots from the sides (which isn't bad in it self, but the lighting conditions changed all the time, and most of the time there just wasn't enough light to shoot. I regretted that I did not take my 50/1.4 with me (I don't have full insurance for everything so I left most of my gear home).

So, I shot everything with the Canon 70-200/2.8 IS. many times shutter speeds were around 1/25-1/30 seconds, and everything was shot at ISO 1600. I used aperture priority and manual modes.

These are some semi-randomly selected pictures (technically relatively good ones) with minimal post-processing (I really need to get some sleep!), done just to see and show what I shot. I'll come back with pictures selected more carefully and properly post processed, so be gentle with these :P

Fall of the Leafe
http://www.bjorklid.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/normal__MG_9304.jpg
f/2.8, 1/60 sec, 110mm

http://www.bjorklid.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/normal__MG_9301.jpg
f/2.8, 1/60 sec, 105 mm
Silentium
http://www.bjorklid.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/normal__MG_9604%7E0.jpg
f/2.8, 1/25 sec, 70mm

http://www.bjorklid.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/normal__MG_6271.jpg
f/2.8, 1/25 sec, 70mm

Bigger versions here (http://www.bjorklid.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=23)

[Steve Parr]

Well, my favorite is going to be #3, but I'm not a big fan of red (and, as Dwight will attest to, the dreaded "magenta").

For focus and clarity, all but #4 look good. That one's just not working very well.

Definitely take that 50mm f/1.4 out next time...

Steve

[kmb]

Thanks for your comments :)

Yup, there'll be more colors after I go through all the pictures. These just happened to be on the red side.

I'd like to hear a few more opinions on #4 though, I personally don't mind the motion blur (I was hoping to have some), if that's what you think is wrong with the picture. I understand and respect your opinion, but I skipped a few technically good shots and chose that one because it had more mood. It is a bit tight, though, and I need to darken a bit the surroundigs of the subject (the keyboard player's figure is a bit distracting).

[Steve Parr]

Thanks for your comments :)

Yup, there'll be more colors after I go through all the pictures. These just happened to be on the red side.

I'd like to hear a few more opinions on #4 though, I personally don't mind the motion blur (I was hoping to have some), if that's what you think is wrong with the picture. I understand and respect your opinion, but I skipped a few technically good shots and chose that one because it had more mood. It is a bit tight, though, and I need to darken a bit the surroundigs of the subject (the keyboard player's figure is a bit distracting).

I think part of the problem I have with it is that, not only is there blur, but there's blur in a photo that's awfully dark...

Steve

[René Damkot]

1 is nice, 2 I like better, 3 is best. Next time do bring your 50 or something wider. I'ld like to see some 'overview' shots.

[DwightMcCann]

I agree with Steve and Rene (I usually do, but not always). I think the problem with #4, while a great instant with that hair flying, doesn't look as good as it might if there was more contrast "inside" ... not sure you could get it from this image, but the problem is that his face is "flat" ... partially due to the movement which reduces apparent contrast and partly due to the lighting. I would certainly have pulled out my 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.2L for such a venue.

[kmb]

Thanks for your comments, Steve, René and Dwight. I'm back home now after a weekend trip, so I'll start goinng through the pictures and post processing them. This time it is actually quite easy to forgive myself if the pictures aren't perfect, given the conditions :). I'm pretty sure that with more experience, I'd know better how to deal with low light problems (and related focusing problems), but this time, I'll let it slide and not be too hard on myself. There actually were some other rather unexpected problems, one of them was related to hair (hint: not mine) ;-).

[Steve Parr]

I'm pretty sure that with more experience, I'd know better how to deal with low light problems (and related focusing problems), but this time, I'll let it slide and not be too hard on myself.

Man, my first foray into live band photography yielded results that were so bad, I should've been arrested and charged with littering...

Steve

[earplugsrequired]

Man, my first foray into live band photography yielded results that were so bad, I should've been arrested and charged with littering...

Steve

we all remember our first times. I get spoiled by the bigger bands that I shoot that when I go and shoot bands without lighting I just hate it. Even if I'm allowed to use flash I don't. Though seriously there are more and more people shooting shows with little point and shoot cameras using flash..

[DwightMcCann]

You are sssoooooooooo right, Courtney! I look back at some of my earliest endeavors at band photography and they are trash ... way worse than most of what I see here from first timers. I should really do a retrospective to give some of these guys the idea of what can happen if you really devote yourself to this genre.

Steve, they would still be sweeping the streets for my junk from four years ago if I had turned them loose!

[kmb]

Hi again,

The third picture's link was broken for some time as I replaced it on my home pages and
forgot to replace the link...

Here's one image that shows what sort of lighting I was dealing with (or the EXIF will):
http://www.bjorklid.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/_MG_9623%7E1.jpg
f/2.8, 1/6 s, 70mm, -0,67 EV, ISO 1600.

That's actually a composite of three separate RAW-converted images, one as the full image, then one for her face (to make it less dark) and one for the difficult parts that were burned in the "full image". Used masks to apply them properly. I cannot remember how much I used post exposure compensation for each part, but it wasn't too dramatic. Note how the bottom part of the microphone cord has motion blur :).

[Steve Parr]

Now that's a nice shot; perhaps a tad underexposed, but not too offensive. It's definitely a step in the right direction!

[earplugsrequired]

Now that's a nice shot; perhaps a tad underexposed, but not too offensive. It's definitely a step in the right direction!

to me, i don't agree.. it looks too pixelated (is that a correct word?)

[kmb]

Earplugs, could you elaborate? I don't see the effect. I guess it might be something caused by noise removal, maybe?

About (under)exposure: do you guys see it as an "artistic choice" or do you always go for the perfect exposure?

[earplugsrequired]

Earplugs, could you elaborate? I don't see the effect. I guess it might be something caused by noise removal, maybe?

About (under)exposure: do you guys see it as an "artistic choice" or do you always go for the perfect exposure?

her hair, her face, it's too overdone.. could be too much done with photoshop.

[René Damkot]

I don't think it's overdone much. The eye(socket) is a bit too bright IMO, that's about it. I prefer noise & sharpness to 'plastic' though, so I say keep very low with noise reduction.

[kmb]

Thanks again for the input. I'll try to see different settings for the noise reduction software.

I should be getting last year's bonuses in a few days (from my employer), and I've decieded to get the battery grip for 20D and a second SanDisk Ultra 1Gb card (now I have one, and a few slower cards - and a data bank. I need speed since I refuse to shoot JPEG and it takes time to save the raw bursts to card). After that I don't have many excuses for not getting at least some good shots... I really do need the grip, shooting over two hour straight in the crowd (not much space for elbow when using the camera grip) with a 2,5+ kilogram combo mostly portrait-orinted shots proved that.

As a side note I have a few shots where the upper part of the singer's head is sharp but the jaw has notable motion blur. I have a lot to learn about how the motion will be shown in the final picture, but then again, when I really have pushed the camera's settings to maximum shutter speed and still get the effect, what can I do? Except change lens, but then it'll be a different photo.

Next time I'll be gringing more lenses with me for the same venue. It wasn't too bad shooting in the crowd and now i've seen that it is possible for the equipment to survive :P. I'm kind of nervous about that aspect in new situations.