Travis Tritt @ Penn's Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA 11.02.06

[johnstoy]

Travis Tritt @ Penn's Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA 11.02.06
Travis fills the house early... and the anxious crowd enthusiastically enjoys his exceptionally energetic country, rock and bluegrass performance...These pics and some others are keepers for me...Any recommendations or favorites from this set? Any suggestions for further post processing?
#1.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Tritt/IMG_39251.jpg
#2.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Tritt/IMG_38801.jpg
#3.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Tritt/IMG_38341.jpg
#4.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Tritt/IMG_38261.jpg
#5.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Tritt/IMG_38091.jpg
#6.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Tritt/IMG_38011.jpg
#7.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Tritt/IMG_37051.jpg
#8.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Tritt/IMG_36661.jpg

[René Damkot]

#3 is nice, but a bit 'classical'. Goes good with the singer however (I think, never heard of him).
On post processing: The different aspect ratios bother me. But that might be just me. I always stick to 2:3.
Apart from that: Exposure is sometimes over, sometimes under, sometimes spot on. You might want to correct that. (This time in post, next time preferably in camera ;))

[DwightMcCann]

They still look a little soft, John ... are you sharpening after resizing yet?

[johnstoy]

#3 is nice, but a bit 'classical'. Goes good with the singer however (I think, never heard of him).
On post processing: The different aspect ratios bother me. But that might be just me. I always stick to 2:3.
Apart from that: Exposure is sometimes over, sometimes under, sometimes spot on. You might want to correct that. (This time in post, next time preferably in camera ;))


Great Feedback Rene'...

Just what I need to hear...I included # 3 in the set because it "was" the only classical image I have of Travis from this show...

In other words, he is just a pack of dynamite on stage...singing and running and jumping all over the stage and speakers...I was lucky enough to place a spot meter on him somewhere near his face, and hoped for the best...

Currently, I'm using Zoom Browser EX for trimming the immages...I don't have a grid for guidelines to snap to, for precise ratios of a trimmed immage...There was a slight problem with the stage set up for me, as the custom speakers on the set were placed right up front...and I had to shoot over them, to get any chance of a shot at Travis...

About Travis Tritt, (a portion,) copied from his web site Bio:
"His first single, 1989’s Country Club, roared into the top 10, and the album of the same name went on to become the first of many platinum records. He won the CMA’s prestigious Horizon Award in 1991, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry the following year and amassed a body of hits including “I’m Gonna Be Somebody,” “Here’s A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares),” “Anymore,” “Ten Feet Tall And Bulletproof,” “Foolish Pride” and dozens more."

[narlus]

On post processing: The different aspect ratios bother me. But that might be just me. I always stick to 2:3.

sorry to sidetrack the thread, but i've often wondered about this when cropping...i think it's good to preserve at or near this ratio, but sometimes the best crop for the image would either call for a squarish photo, or a tall/skinny one.

rené, do you use the various AF points or primarily the center one? when using spot metering it's easier to just stick w/ the center point unless you always remember to lock exposure prior to locking focus, and i used to pretty much exclusively use the center AF point because of great accuracy, but using one of the other points can be a bit more advantageous for image composition.

[johnstoy]

They still look a little soft, John ... are you sharpening after resizing yet?

You are absolutely right...I'm even lucky enough to have sharpened them to this resolution...because......
I couldn't get a spot sensor on him long enough to snap a photo...Travis Tritt is one enormous bundle of energy on stage and doesn't stop for anything...

I got to spot focus his hands or a shoulder and then had to take it from there, with the sharpening tool in Canon's Zoom Browser EX Program...It's very basic and that's all that has been done to these photos besides a substantial trim to size...

He did however come right up to the front of me and posed for several different moments during the show...The lighting was an issue as well...two big spot lights were used along the way through out the performance...while the remote stage spots and color lighting mixed things up...

Thanks for checking on my results for me Dwight...Rene' also gave me some pointers...It's appreciated...

[René Damkot]

sorry to sidetrack the thread, but i've often wondered about this when cropping...i think it's good to preserve at or near this ratio, but sometimes the best crop for the image would either call for a squarish photo, or a tall/skinny one.
True, I've also had a banner printed at 1,2 x 2,8 meters... But for web presentation (multiple images) I prefer a more standartised approach...

rené, do you use the various AF points or primarily the center one? when using spot metering it's easier to just stick w/ the center point unless you always remember to lock exposure prior to locking focus, and i used to pretty much exclusively use the center AF point because of great accuracy, but using one of the other points can be a bit more advantageous for image composition.

I have my 1D set to 11 AF points, so I can spot meter with either one if needed. I find it hard to keep the spot metering circle aimed at the face (if AF is on the hair that's no biggie, if spot metering is on the hair, you have a problem), so I use Evaluative most of the time and AI Servo AF. (allthough this (http://www.moonglade.net/~rene/060715Oefen/) concert was shot largely on spot metering.)
I use any AF point that is closest to the subject in the composition I want, unless it's very dark. Then again if it's that dark, I'll probabely use center AF and Oneshot anyway, so I'd be focus/recomposing. Different ballgame.

So from good to bad light: Anypoint; AI Servo - Center point; AI Servo - Anypoint; One Shot; Center point; One shot.
Middle two might be reversed based on how much/fast the subject moves and/ or lighting changes.... Choices, choices.

[taygull]

Nice shots of Travis,

I noticed in a bunch of them you had a shutter speed of 1/1000th, and an f/stop of 1.8. I would pay attention and when shooting in AV mode stop down and you should get some sharper images.

You need to get photoshop as the resizing is kiling you. There are many tools that will take your shots to the next level, things like Noise Ninja and Manryk SRS.

I never shoot in AI Servo, I guess I need to practice? How do you guys focus, recompose and lock the focus when shooting AI Servo?

[johnstoy]

Nice shots of Travis,

I noticed in a bunch of them you had a shutter speed of 1/1000th, and an f/stop of 1.8. I would pay attention and when shooting in AV mode stop down and you should get some sharper images.
You need to get photoshop as the resizing is killing you. There are many tools that will take your shots to the next level, things like Noise Ninja and Manryk SRS.
I never shoot in AI Servo, I guess I need to practice? How do you guys focus, recompose and lock the focus when shooting AI Servo?

It took me some time to figure out how to answer many of the questions poised also by Rene', and Narlus too.

Travis Tritt didn't slow down for pictures, instead ran around playing his guitar all over the place...The dark lights changed to bright lights quickly too...After changing the shutter speed several times and the aperture a few times too (resulting in non keepers), it was just easier to keep the lens open...

The better, and more purpose specific software is a must for me...It's just a matter of time and cash flow before I get it...I did find that Canon's Digital Photo Professional, software permits me to resize to specific proportions, like 2:3 or 3:2...

Since I do my own (32 inch) matting and framing, I crop them to the image that the final picture will look like matted, it permits me to get the wires, stand stems water bottles and extra mikes out of the picture...However, only a few of the very best will get mats and frames and a spot on a wall somewhere in the house...
I don't shoot AlServo yet...Haven't tried it at the venue shows, to trust it enough...
When shooting with the 85mm, I find it to be a narrow field of view...for tight close ups of the entertainers, it will be necessary to use the "Top Center Focus Point", as the middle center focus point is just too low, when aimed at the face, and specifically, an eye...;)