New Artist Showcase

[bayougator]

Greetings all -
had a recent opportunity to shoot a new artist showcase at a local place here in Nashville - singer is Brian Davis - from N. Carolina. He is quite a talented songwriter and has 2 CDs on iTunes and his website. His band is topnotch - his guys are all touring with major acts this summer. The showcase was sponsored by Warner Bros and Brian did only 6 songs.

Photos were taken with Nikon D2x, 17-55mm/2.8, accessory flash

Comments, critiques, suggestions welcome.
1.
http://web.mac.com/skyskimmer/iWeb/Site/BD-Web_files/BD-full%20size%20%2822%29.jpg

2.
http://web.mac.com/skyskimmer/iWeb/Site/BD-Web_files/BD-full%20size%20%2848%29.jpg

3.
http://web.mac.com/skyskimmer/iWeb/Site/BD-Web_files/BD-full%20size%20%2825%29.jpg

4.
http://web.mac.com/skyskimmer/iWeb/Site/BD-Web_files/BD-full%20size%20%285%29.jpg

5.
http://web.mac.com/skyskimmer/iWeb/Site/BD-Web_files/BD-full%20size%20%2833%29.jpg

6.
http://web.mac.com/skyskimmer/iWeb/Site/BD-Web_files/BD-full%20size%20%2834%29.jpg

7.
http://web.mac.com/skyskimmer/iWeb/Site/BD-Web_files/BD-full%20size%20%2811%29.jpg

8.
http://web.mac.com/skyskimmer/iWeb/Site/BD-Web_files/BD-full%20size%20%283%29.jpg

best wishes to all -

[SilverOnemi]

the group shot looks somehow realy weird for me, totally out of focus maybe?, i'd still crop slightly abit so you don't see his knee. i' work with this lens and d200 evreyday and it's god damn sharp. rn 7 i would tilt slightly to the left, nr 1 has this weird color on his face but that's probably my screen. can you post the EXIF for us please ?

best pic is certanly nr 7.

[bayougator]

the group shot looks somehow realy weird for me, totally out of focus maybe?, i'd still crop slightly abit so you don't see his knee. i' work with this lens and d200 evreyday and it's god damn sharp. rn 7 i would tilt slightly to the left, nr 1 has this weird color on his face but that's probably my screen. can you post the EXIF for us please ?

best pic is certanly nr 7.

Thanks for the comments - EXIF was embedded but the pesky edit program may have corrupted the files - most were shot with the lens opened up to f2.8 - will attempt to recover. You're right about the group shot - was shooting into total darkness and it was done literally 2 seconds before the guys hit the stage -

I am struggling still - trying to get sharper images - you're correct - I should be able to get better focus with this lens - it's not the lens but my settings - what AF settings on the D200 do you use in concert? Do you use the AF lock or go for the shutter release regardless of AF?

[SilverOnemi]

i use primarelly my d200 on weddings, i havent tweaked my d200 focus settings honestly, i've done some colors tweaking so i can take jpegs if it's not important,if you shoot raw then simply don't bother, i shoot mostly jpegs when on a wedding becouse i'm asked to, people sometimes simply don't have the time to convert and bla bla, but if i have time to process then definitlive RAW, SPECIALLY on a nikon body . i find RAW saves most pics on my 350D.

i was once on (dont know the name ) but there was this guy who was a total noob hanging arround with his nikon d2h and 17 70 i think, in total darkness i noticed he used his flash focus assist light, and i pretty much think it worked, i could see the red lines pretty well.
i would recomend you getting your flash focus light, there's a custom function on the 30D "flash emmits ? " that allows you to use your focuss assist light and noflash will emmit.

you could also try to lock one of the faces with the center point ( on my 350D it's the most precice, but i doubt on a top camera like yours will make much diference ) and then make the pic you want , why do this ?. it's called pre focus btw.

simple, becouse i find on those shots that most of their cloths are dark, and that's not good, so search for bright points, neither total white, or dark, his red shirt for example.

also use only 1 focus point, you simply don't know which your camera will pic.

EDIT: also what are you exacly doing to attempt focussing these ?

there is also a slight chance you got a bad lens copie ... but i doubt so.

[bayougator]

great - thanks so much for the directives - will definitely check on the flash assist - for this shoot, the AF/exposure was set to center spot - will recheck the photos and settings - I did shoot most in RAW but have not yet gone through the processing on those -

thanks again for the thoughtful reply and suggestions -

[SilverOnemi]

no problems, feel free to add me to msn and keep chatting.

[DwightMcCann]

I think I've seen that steel guitar player before! I like #4. Flash steals away the performance ambiance.

The group picture: autofocus in low light is hard. I was having a terrible time (I shoot guests at VIP events at the casino in very dim light and was having a horrible problem) with focus until I found that my system (Canon 5D with 580EX) would provide a focus assist light with the correct camera/flash settings. Since then my images have become tack sharp. The focus assist beam is a set of very red vertical bars that are perfect for the autofocus sensors ... the frames just snap into focus.

[bayougator]

I think I've seen that steel guitar player before! I like #4. Flash steals away the performance ambiance. .

Thanks for the compliment - you have sharp eyes and a good memory! The steel player is Gary Morse - currently with Brooks and Dunn, formerly with Dierks Bentley, and (my all-time favorite) Dwight Yoakam.

The rest of the band - Tully Kennedy (bass), Kurt Allison (guitar) and Rich Redmond (drums) are all currently Jason Aldean's band both on the road and in videos. All 3 were formerly with Rushlow.

Top-notch band - all very friendly guys.

The group picture: autofocus in low light is hard. I was having a terrible time (I shoot guests at VIP events at the casino in very dim light and was having a horrible problem) with focus until I found that my system (Canon 5D with 580EX) would provide a focus assist light with the correct camera/flash settings. Since then my images have become tack sharp. The focus assist beam is a set of very red vertical bars that are perfect for the autofocus sensors ... the frames just snap into focus

thanks also for the how-to - will make a point of learning this immediately. Given the brevity of the set and the limited space in the venue, I made the (now obviously) wrong decision to carry only an accessory, fixed pocket flash instead of full feature bounce. When shooting at 1600 failed to get any reasonable photos I fell back to shooting with direct flash. The venue felt like a cavern - every possible surface was painted flat black.

One of the bad habits I have (in addition to excessive chocolate intake) which I am trying to break is a reliance on flash use.

I agree - the flash really made the photos look "flat" which is completely opposite to the completely amped energy that the singer and the band generated that night. I am definitely hoping for another opportunity to shoot this band again in the near future - will be sure to post results.

best wishes -

[DwightMcCann]

Thanks for the compliment - you have sharp eyes and a good memory! The steel player is Gary Morse - currently with Brooks and Dunn, formerly with Dierks Bentley, and (my all-time favorite) Dwight Yoakam.



Aha, so I've probably photographed him with each of those headliners! Yup, there he is in the back on the left:
http://dwightmccann.com/Images/BrooksDunn02242006/BD1126-1000.JPG

[bayougator]

Aha, so I've probably photographed him with each of those headliners! Yup, there he is in the back on the left:

sure enough - that is definitely Morse in the back left - he must be an incredibly busy guy when not on the road - he has shown up with several different bands at different venues around town during the week on some of my other shoots - great musician and also a super friendly and polite person

[SilverOnemi]

honestly when i'm in a concert, i keep my flash in manual , high iso and lens wide open... if i'm in TTL, it will probably trick the sensor and kill the enviorment

[shesgotthepic]

honestly when i'm in a concert, i keep my flash in manual , high iso and lens wide open... if i'm in TTL, it will probably trick the sensor and kill the enviorment

Flash! At a gig!

Learn how to use ISO settings in your favor. You'll soon get kicked out of the pit if you don't ween yourself off the flash.

I don't even own one and wouldn't even know how to use one.

[bayougator]

[QUOTE=Learn how to use ISO settings in your favor. You'll soon get kicked out of the pit if you don't ween yourself off the flash.
[/QUOTE]

any tips certainly welcome -

[DwightMcCann]

Flash! At a gig!

Learn how to use ISO settings in your favor. You'll soon get kicked out of the pit if you don't ween yourself off the flash.

I don't even own one and wouldn't even know how to use one.

I own two, 580EX and 580EX II. I have been known to use them at the club level. But I generally try to go with a table top (or larger) tripod rather than flash. You can get some gnarly images with everything in sharp focus except the band members if you use a tripod. I know it's now cool. I know you can't do it from the pit (I've never even seen a pit actually but I think I know what it is.) But try it if you can.

[SilverOnemi]

Flash! At a gig!

Learn how to use ISO settings in your favor. You'll soon get kicked out of the pit if you don't ween yourself off the flash.

I don't even own one and wouldn't even know how to use one.

eye i know, but when i do use a flash , i have permission from the singer, and the administration to do so. but even so, I RARELY do it.

and i still use a very high iso to get the ambient i want , i just use the flash to make the singer "pop" .

[René Damkot]

any tips certainly welcome -

Easy: Use high ISO. Like 1600. Fast lens, wide open, untill shutterspeed stays above 1/125 or so mostly. Then you might consider lowering ISO or stopping down...

*If* you need to use flash, be subtle about it: Use as much ambient as possible, and use the fash as fill...

[bayougator]

Easy: Use high ISO. Like 1600. Fast lens, wide open, untill shutterspeed stays above 1/125 or so mostly. Then you might consider lowering ISO or stopping down...

*If* you need to use flash, be subtle about it: Use as much ambient as possible, and use the fash as fill...

Rene -
thank you - the 1600 setting on the D2 is an issue - this is the older model that had the setting of "H-1" as opposed to a true 1600. Having more familiarity with SLR, color film and natural/ambient light only until one year ago, my general proclivity is to avoid the 1600 ISO. I have to keep reminding myself that digital processors manage light much more differently and infinitely better. My digital shots with the 1600 never look quite right to my eye - always appear with too much noise - I definitely need to woodshed this one and push the ISO - thank you -