KANSAS @ Penn's Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA March 9, 07 rocks a full house - w 50mm f1.4 [Archive]

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johnstoy

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 10:26

KANSAS @ Penn's Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA March 9, 07 rocks a full house - w 50mm f1.4

From the show program:
"Kansas amassed quite a collection of awards with 8 Gold albums, three sextuple Platinum Albums, one Platinum live album and a million selling Gold single with "Dust In The Wind" in 1995, "Carry on Wayward Son" was the second most Played Track on classic rock radio and by 1997 it was # 1."
Other hits I remember are: "Point Of No Return", "Hold On" and many more.
Comments and critique always welcome and encouraged...

1. David Ragsdale, Violin and Guitar
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_7818.jpg

2. Steve Walsh, Vocals, Keyboards, Song Writer
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_8723.jpg

3. Billy Greer, Bass Guitar and Vocals
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_7974-1.jpg

4. Richard Williams, Lead Guitar
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_8862.jpg

5. Phil Ehart, Drums and Percussion (w sweat running down his face)
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_9000-1.jpg

6.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_8750.jpg

7.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_8913-1.jpg

8. stage slightly from the side
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_8802.jpg

Link to KANSAS: http://www.kansasband.com/

shesgotthepic

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 10:41

Sweet! Nice to see a PRS guitar as well.

johnstoy

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 10:54

Sweet! Nice to see a PRS guitar as well.

Thanks for checking the pics out...Yes there are some fans here of PRS guitars...Let's see if they notice...

thelightofsound

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 10:59

nice john. i think the violin and the full stage shots turned out the best. i love the framing of the drummer, but it didn't come out as sharp. maybe cranking the EV down a little bit would of helped

bmoguy

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 11:07

I like them, you got some great shots. #6 is a cool capture, the only thing that might have made it better would be to not have him quite so centered, maybe get more of the violin. Very nice set.

johnstoy

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 12:00

nice john. i think the violin and the full stage shots turned out the best. i love the framing of the drummer, but it didn't come out as sharp. maybe cranking the EV down a little bit would of helped

Thanks for checking these out thelightofsound... I'll have to practice using the EV on the fly...
Yes, I'll agree with you on the results...It's basically cause I am limited by the venue to the lenses I can use... The drummer was furthest away from me... while the violinist was closest...

It took three days of PP to arrive at these results because of hot and cold stage lighting... although very colorful, they all had to be filtered out to reveal the photos...;)

I like them, you got some great shots. #6 is a cool capture, the only thing that might have made it better would be to not have him quite so centered, maybe get more of the violin. Very nice set.

Thanks Basil, I picked out what would be most representative of the band, and eye appealing of the ones I finished post processing... The framing of #6 is totally (100%) straight out of camera...Apparently I tried to contain the colorful lights while capturing the violinist and the entire violin, head and all...:D

CanonXTuser

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 12:01

yeah, #6 very crisp with great colors, light show

johnstoy

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 12:24

yeah, #6 very crisp with great colors, light show

It's kind of an eye candy shot...
It makes me feel, just like a kid in a candy store looking for a bag full of jelly beans...

livewire-photography.com

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 12:31

johnstoy

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 12:49

John John John John John, iv said it before, il say it again, you really do get better every time u post, these are great, really every one, is crisp. the framing is almost spot on, i dont really have anything bad to say on them.
awesome.
cheers

Thanks James... There always needs to be room for improvement... The venue limits my use of lenses, so I'm reaching a point where post processing might be the only area with most improvement potential... and, in a way that's good...cause a lot of it needs to be explored... We all gotta grow together here... there is strength in numbers...and you guys have and are helping me a lot, with information and practical critiques experiences...

CanonXTuser

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 12:51

johnstoy

12th of March 2007 (Mon), 12:57

yeah, John, I second that. I see vast improvement in your last two sets. Much more crisp focus. More vibrant color [though that's a matter of taste]. And much better contrast and minimal if any blown highlights in comparison with older sets.

It's Taygull and Dwight's doing...they put me up to it with their guidance...

By the way, you might want to come out here for a show, maybe we could team up on a shoot, (as fan's only, though)... it also would take some coordination ... just food for thought...

squashed

13th of March 2007 (Tue), 15:15

Wow John !! These are by far your best shots that I have seen !!! Carry on Your Wayward Sun John Stoy !!! :)

Steve Parr

13th of March 2007 (Tue), 16:02

Hey John, that's some nice stuff, man.

Can't believe how much Steve Walsh has changed over the years...

shesgotthepic

14th of March 2007 (Wed), 19:59

Thanks for checking the pics out...Yes there are some fans here of PRS guitars...Let's see if they notice...

hehehe

Love number 6.

Here is a pic for PRS fans. Count them in ;-)
http://www.oscarssons.org/shegot/images/IMG_6492_jpg.jpg

mntbikejack

14th of March 2007 (Wed), 20:54

These are very good photos. You did a great job composing the photos and also the PP afterwards.

blackshadow

14th of March 2007 (Wed), 21:09

Nice job John - I really like #s 6, 7 and 8. (Had to put my shades on to stop all the glare from the white hair ;))

johnstoy

14th of March 2007 (Wed), 22:49

Wow John !! These are by far your best shots that I have seen !!! Carry on Your Wayward Sun John Stoy !!! :)

Thanks Gary, I'm way pleased with the opportunity they gave me for this shoot...

johnstoy

14th of March 2007 (Wed), 23:34

Hey John, that's some nice stuff, man.

Can't believe how much Steve Walsh has changed over the years...

Thanks for checking these pics out Steve... (Post processing really recovered a lot of semi lost shots...)

This is Steve Walsh closer up... He's awesome on the keyboard and his vocals are fantastic...

Steve came over to sing a song close enough for this pic... At some shows, he keeps his long hair in a pony tail... I'm still processing more pics for them and will post another one of Steve later, provided it looks good...

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_8518.jpg

johnstoy

15th of March 2007 (Thu), 13:01

hehehe

Love number 6.

Here is a pic for PRS fans. Count them in ;-)

The band is just getting back from the road hand hasn't seen most of these pics yet, till later today...

PRS has a long list of famous performers using their guitars...

johnstoy

15th of March 2007 (Thu), 13:13

These are very good photos. You did a great job composing the photos and also the PP afterwards.

Thanks for the feedback mntbikejack...This was a big shoot for me, with lots of images to select from... I'm still processing, with many more to go, before I submit them to the band...;)

johnstoy

15th of March 2007 (Thu), 13:28

Nice job John - I really like #s 6, 7 and 8. (Had to put my shades on to stop all the glare from the white hair ;))

I'm glad you like these... In # 7, the skin tones seem a bit less than natural cause of all the blue and green lights...I might try processing it again...

#8 came from a series of lucky long distance shots with the 50mm 1.4 lens... couldn't get into the center of the room cause of the crowded isles...

Might as well post another entire band pic, that I just finished processing...the 50 mm 1.4 does a pretty good job of it...

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_8779.jpg

René Damkot

21st of March 2007 (Wed), 08:47

Forgot to comment on this one... Oops.

Genaral comment: I prefer a 2:3 aspect ratio, unless the image dictates otherwise (say a panorama). Often I dislike more 'square' aspect ratios for 'landscape' images. Never liked them, must have something to do with Hasselblad... I never could compose a square image.

#1 is nice, but the look is a bit strange...
#2 I'd crop a lot closer: The bit you see between the keyboards doesn't add IMO.
#3 and 4 are both to squarish, and 4 is clipping a bit on the hands.
On #5 a *bit* more face would have been nice. Maybe crop it a bit at the top and left(loose the top cymbal and the bit of hair). Makes it 2:3 again :lol:
#6 is perfect, if it weren't for the headstock.
#7 is a bit too close, a bit blown, and needs a bit more contrast.
#8 is nice.
#9 is nice, but not too energetic.
#10 needs a bit of USM (15%; 150; 0) to 'cut through the haze'.
A bit more face on the bass player would have been nice.... In situations like this, I usually shoot a lot, since I want each player to stand 'good'. A small difference can mean a lot.

johnstoy

21st of March 2007 (Wed), 15:55

General comment: I prefer a 2:3 aspect ratio, unless the image dictates otherwise (say a panorama). Often I dislike more 'square' aspect ratios for 'landscape' images. Never liked them, must have something to do with Hasselblad... I never could compose a square image.

In situations like this, I usually shoot a lot, since I want each player to stand 'good'. A small difference can mean a lot.

Thanks Rene', for catching this thread posting and reviewing some of these critical shots...The band members will select them out for their respective web sites...:D :D

(Someone from the venue owns a Hasselblad... I saw that person, with a new digital one, shooting one of the bands recently... I'd love to have gotten one, even back in my early years...);)

I agree with the pointers you give, and am applying the changes today, before I send them out to the band, in the morning...
I have lots of other alternative pics for several of the band members and am finalizing my files for them...I shot over 11.5 gigs of straight RAW...:rolleyes:

The picture aspect ratio, for me, so far is being determined by Photoshop's crop tool... primary proportions that I use are the 4:5, 5:4, or 4:6, 6:4, sometimes a 3:5, or a 5:3 for wide stage shots, or tall, full body shots...I even used a 5:7, 7:5, as offered by the software program...These aren't cropped like I used to, with Canon's software...Then, I just "eye balled" the trim around obstacles, to the tightest selection possible...

The look in Pic #1 interested me too... He was just about to begin a heavy session on his violin and wanted attention to the moment...

RE: #2, here is a closer trim, minus the second lower keyboard... This pic with the 50mm 1.4, was from approximately 23 feet away, shooting up to his face... from the pit floor, which is 4' or 5' lower than the stage floor... The picture is starting to lose the detail (High Resolution)...

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_8723-1.jpg

The clip on #4 was unadjustable with the exposure slider in RAW... couldn't regain the highlights...so I worked on the face and the rest of the pic... there are other pics of him with better exposure but not the smile...

RE#5.
In the mean time, I removed the guitarist's hair, and took the cymbal away, from above the drummer's head... since this pic is taken with the 50mm 1.4 lens, the image is at it's limits for enlarging (starting to lose the detail)... check it out...(couldn't get any more face cause the stage is 4' or 5', above the pit floor and shooting up, gave me no additional angles to capture the drummer's face)...

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/stoy17/Kansas/IMG_20070309_9000-2.jpg

#6. I just wish I had the 24-70mm 2.8L on the camera...
It would have been perfect...

I'll see what I can do about # seven, and post a revision later...
I'll also work up pic. # 10 later, and if I succeed and improve it, will promptly post it here...

In hind sight, I wish that I had changed the lens out and shot with the 85mm 1.8 for the long shots of the piano player and the drummer...The ultimate remedy would be for the venue to let me bring my 24-70mm 2.8L and my 70-200mm 2.8L IS lenses in...

I hope to be able to use the "L" 's when some of these bands return and invite me as their special guest...They will be back eventually, as before... :lol: :D

Ballen Photo

21st of March 2007 (Wed), 18:33

John, These look really good. That 50 F/1.4 and you work well together. :cool:
-Bruce

johnstoy

21st of March 2007 (Wed), 21:29

John, These look really good. That 50 F/1.4 and you work well together. :cool:
-Bruce

Thanks Bruce, I appreciate your feedback...

I really like this prime lens... The f/1.4 and USM offer great speed in low light...

DwightMcCann

21st of March 2007 (Wed), 23:05

johnstoy

22nd of March 2007 (Thu), 01:48

6 & 8! But you are getting to be a problem, John ... people are beginning to think you and I are really the same guy at different venues! In another six months they will actually have forgotten about me!

We'll ,there was a guy named Jason at this concert... the band's videographer, who asked me for some shots of the band... He's not the same Jason who also might be shooting STYX, is he? :rolleyes: :D

Don't you worry about a thing Dwight... Your position is "carved in pure granite" in this entertainment industry... You're a standard setter and others just try to emulate... We need to get some "Dwight McCann T shirts", to wear to these shows as genuine McCann associates for the world to see ...

Though I may be in luck with using my 24-70mm 2.8L and my 70-200mm 2.8L IS lenses at the venue...It might happen when the recent bands I shot, return again to Penn's Peak... I will be their special guest to photograph them... It's still a way off, on the calendars...It might be later this summer for one band and a year or more for others...

So while in Cancun, how many offers to buy a timeshare did you get? Did you have to drink a lot of "cervesa Tecate or cervesa Corona's" instead of water? Welcome back... :D

DwightMcCann

22nd of March 2007 (Thu), 10:09

John, I'm gonna think about the McCann T-shirt thing! Some tight colorful ones for the girls and black for the guys ... I may have to find a good avatar. Several people have mentioned that they'd buy one. :lol: :lol: :lol: I'd put my "Live Entertainment Photography ... the Way it was Meant to Be!" on as the slogan.

Ah, Club Med Cancun ... we stayed on the campus the whole time so were only approached by anyone on the way through the airport arriving and that was all about coming to their hotel. We had Anna and didn't want to deal with the Girls Gone Wild of Spring Break in downtown Cancun.

johnstoy

22nd of March 2007 (Thu), 10:32

The T shirts make a lot of practical sense... XXXL or XXL for me... can always wear a black one over another shirt, too... We need to wear black for inconspicuous stage front photography ... besides, the performers will be more comfortable knowing who's taking their pictures ...

René Damkot

23rd of March 2007 (Fri), 17:05

DwightMcCann

23rd of March 2007 (Fri), 17:09

besides, the performers will be more comfortable knowing who's taking their pictures ...
I already have/wear black polo shirts with my logo and name stitched on ... also have them for Marna and Anna.

johnstoy

24th of March 2007 (Sat), 06:16

Like the crops better like this, but I agree #5 is nearing the limit...
On the H'blad: I couldn't imagine using a MF back at a concert situation. Wrong tool for the job IMO. Very nice in a studio situation though ;)

The H'blad owner is an older guy... and I think he is a man of immense wealth... I'm pretty sure I know who it is... He seriously engages in a variety of the media arts.

I already have/wear black polo shirts with my logo and name stitched on ... also have them for Marna and Anna.

Yeah, I'm there too Dwight... Back in late summer, I purchased a variety of a dozen long and short sleeve, silk, cotton, and sports mesh material, solid black shirts, and paid a fairly decent price for each of them... Each shirt has to look real good for a concert venue...

shannyD

19th of July 2007 (Thu), 13:08

johnstoy

19th of July 2007 (Thu), 13:21

wow. AWESOME PICTURES! i will go with a 85 1.8 for now. i have been able to find a few at a pretty good price. i really thank you for all of the info you have given me, and i appreciate all of the info you have given me.
shannon

I'm glad you like the results...

If you get a chance, find out which casinos (Harrah's) in Reno and South Shore permit cameras at their shows... I know I saw some big name entertainer's photos taken by fans from Harrah's.

Good Luck with your camera and new lens.