Best methods for live band photos?

[feenomenal]

Well, thanks to some help by you guys recently (I was asking if a new model of Digital Rebel was coming out due to erroneous info given to me by a couple of sales reps), I picked my new DRebel up about a week ago.

Last night I was taking some shots of some friends of mine in a local band. It was extremely low light, and I came up with several shots that look a lot like this:

http://www.feenomenal.com/images/p4m/p4m-Images/0.jpg

I like them, but wondered if there were other tips for this type of situation. I ended up using the night setting and the flash (obviously) and was reasonably pleased with the outcome. There were NO lights on the front of the stage - just at the back, in addition to the light from the street in the window behind them.

I'll likely be taking photos similar to this in the future, so I'm just trying to find the best methods. Thanks!

[Tom W]

I have to ask, did the flash disrupt their playing or the atmosphere of the club? The reason I ask is that flash can be quite distracting.

That said, your picture is exposed quite well.

It looks like the stage is too small for the whole band, and thus the track lighting that I do see wouldn't reach the front band members. I wonder if the band or yourself has any influence with the club owner to get some better lighting. It certainly doesn't have to be top-grade pro lighting, but some colored or clear spots on the performer's faces and instruments might add to the ambience and give you some available light to work with. That way, you will get some of the club atmosphere in the photos and avoid the potentially disrupting use of flash.

[Ballen Photo]

Well, thanks to some help by you guys recently (I was asking if a new model of Digital Rebel was coming out due to erroneous info given to me by a couple of sales reps), I picked my new DRebel up about a week ago.

Last night I was taking some shots of some friends of mine in a local band. It was extremely low light, and I came up with several shots that look a lot like this:

I like them, but wondered if there were other tips for this type of situation. I ended up using the night setting and the flash (obviously) and was reasonably pleased with the outcome. There were NO lights on the front of the stage - just at the back, in addition to the light from the street in the window behind them.

I'll likely be taking photos similar to this in the future, so I'm just trying to find the best methods. Thanks!

Hiya Fee, You might want to try a shot or two with no flash just to get the hang of real low light shooting.
Also, it would be very helpful to know what lens you have/use, before any meaningful advice can be given besides using higher ISO settings.
..........Bruce

[abel]

also people wont mind if u take a ton of pics without the flash since they cant really tell if ur taking pics or not. if u take a ton of pics with the flash to try diff settings out etc.... u might get a little negative feedback... hehe pun intended.

[feenomenal]

Howdy again; sorry I didn't post for awhile. Got all caught up in that "work" thing. =)

The band were friends of mine, and didn't mind the flash. Plus I kept it down to a few shots, and only at the beginning of their set when not many folks were around.

I tried some shots without the flash, but the three guys up front were completely unlit, and the back two guys were lit with just a couple of dim stagelights that didn't have much to offer.

I didn't bring my tripod, which could have had some nice effects.

I'm using the kit lens that came with the DRebel. And again, I'm a newbie to my DRebel - and matter of fact it's been several years since I had an SLR camera and even longer since my college photography classes. So don't feel bad about "dumbing it down" for me. :lol: