first time concert ever (scary)

[nino_zeke]

i got a phonecall yesterday somewhen in the afternoon: "nino, 'am can you do me big favour..."
thing was my friend was organizing her first big project and had the showdown with a little concert speach and exebition yesterday, the project was about city planing from the youth view... some youth cultural project!
well i was supposed to meet some friends, but this sounded kind a importent to my friend. so i went there and tried to take some pics with my 50mm and 10-22 and a 580ex (i still didn't figure out how to use tha flash realy)

thing is how do you guys hold track of the event it selfs and finding good shots and adjusting your camera in m mode? i found it stressed up, but maybe that's comeing with experience...

is there a few rulez someone needs to follow for event photography? apart from getting lost inbetween the audience so no one realy notices you?

well here are a few of the shots

[nino_zeke]

another 2

[nino_zeke]

and the last 2
i shot about 100 pics and we descidet about 50 of 'em are good.. she was all happy with the result so i'm glade... what do you guys think bout the pics?

[René Damkot]

pity the second is OoF, would have been nice otherwise. I like the last 2 shots. The 1st 'overview' is way underexposed.
I use M mode if the (front) lighting is pretty constant, or if the lights are 'cycling' (reaching a certain setting every time), or when using flash. Otherwise I'm on Av or P. Once you know the way your camera is metering (and when it's going wrong), you can dial in EC 'on the fly'.
There are no 'rules' in event photography, other then 'shoot, shoot, shoot'

[Nidz]

you did a good job matey. I don't know much about concert photography but it all looks good from here.

[Screamer]

Hey! I know that band (top). I shot them for the ROCKRGRL conference up here in Seattle back in November.

I think for your first time out you did well.

Regarding the camera. I change modes on how robust the venue's lighting is, and what color gels they use. If it is fairly static lighting I will shoot in M mode, IS on (70-200 2.8). Heavy lighting Tv mode, usually around 1/125 of a second or less with IS on (70-200 again), as your aperture will almost always be wide open. It really comes down to whether ot not you can get a bead on the lighting.

Regarding rules...Here in the states.

At larger managed shows/venues there are typically two rules.

1. You can only shoot the first three songs of each bands' set.
2. Don't use flash

At smaller venues, like Rene stated, it's shoot, shoot, shoot...unless you have a request from the band specifically.

[DwightMcCann]

Oh, sometimes even when shooting big names you can shoot, shoot, shoot ... each event is different and I have learned that, even when initially told "first three songs" that a polite request to be able to shoot from sides and back is often (maybe 25-33% of the time) met with, "Sure, no problem." They usually just don't want you to shoot in front of the audience. Of course, the other 66-75% of the time they look at you like you were out of your mind to bother them with such a request, but as I build a bigger and bigger reputation of my own I tend to be a bit more assertive. :-)

English your second language?

[nino_zeke]

hmmm was my spelling that bad? :P
i learnd my english by speaking, and ´not realy that much writting, so big sorry for that! some words i have no clue ho to writte them, and the thing with my deslexy (thats one of the words ;) ) doesn't make it better..

thank you guys a lot for your answers

i odered a 70-200 but without IS but they are totaly out of stock of everything... so i'm waiting now since a month for this lense and a fisheye...

i can live with the no flash rule...i have not realy the knowledge how to use it right anyway.. :D
today the photos are going to the organiser and the band.. so i'll see what the think! if they're happy its all good :D

[DwightMcCann]

today the photos are going to the organiser and the band.. so i'll see what the think! if they're happy its all good :D
Well, no, if YOU are happy its all good! :cool:

[dzstudios]

Hey dude, you did a great job!

Even more so, if you chose to shoot on M - it took me yonks to built the confidence (and technical understanding) to be able to adjust manually during a fast moving event. And from the pictures shown, you sure did well.

Maybe, you should follow the other guys' advice and try and shoot on auto for at least some of the time - this will give you more time to concentrate on focusing.

The pictures can do with sharper focussing - are you focussing manually or on autofocus?

You see - with a little bit of photoshop knowledge, a wrongly exposed picture can be fixed, no problem - but you can never get a shot back that is out of focus!

[nino_zeke]

thanks a lot dzstudios
i was useing autofocus because i forgotten to put in lenses and my glasses were missing as well... so that was pretty ****ed up... i realized it when i was in the subway and not realy late yet but sharp on time.. :P couldn't go back anymore... :(
well i mean mistakes are there for learning... :D

yeah dwight that's a good way to look at it, but it makes me automaticaly happy if i was able to make otherones happy ;)

thank you guys all a lot... i think i'll try some auto mode next time, but i deffinitly want to stay on manual as well... for me that's the best way to learn about exposure... and i can do under exposure :D