Photographing Live bands

[WAL]

I am fairy new to shooting in low light. However, a friend has asked me to take a few live shots of their band at a gig with my Digital Rebel.

I am unlikely to get much chance to take any test shots with their lighting rig running before the show and it will obviously be a little too dark to mess about too much with the camera settings when the gig starts. So can anyone suggest the most sensible ISO, exposure time and aperture settings to initially set the camera to, on such a shoot.

Regards

WAL

[Andy_T]

Hi Wal,

welcome to the forum!

What lenses do you have?

If you don't already have some good low light lenses (constant f/2.8 aperture), then it might be a good idea to invest $ 80 in the Canon EF 50/1.8.

Couldn't find much with the forum search in the short time, but take a look at these:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30832&highlight=band
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37502&highlight=rita
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=47318&highlight=concert
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=43284&highlight=concert

Hope that helps :wink:

Best regards,
Andy

[Pekka]

Av mode / M mode, ISO 1600, RAW, widest aperture. Focusing mode AI servo if the band moves a lot, but usually one shot middle point focus is best (focus lock/recompose).

Av mode is ok if the performers are lit quite even. In case there is very uneven light setup (or backlight) it is better to expose for faces with M mode (I use spot metering with Mark II).

You can correct a lot with RAW later. It is always a compromise: If you avoid underexposure you risk blowing highlighs for good (stage lights do not matter but people do) , if you avoid overexposure you get more noise when you need to compensate later. Biggest benefit RAW will give you get is ability to tweak WB later.

Shoot a LOT. Have cards ready and formatted. Enjoy the music!

[jgbeam]

Use your fastest lens, ISO at 800, AWB or tungsten white balance (try both). Blown highlights can be a big problem and you may have to underexpose by one stop. Check your histogram and highlight warnings and adjust accordingly. Most importantly, make sure faces are not blown.

Use Tv mode, shoot at 1/100 (usually fast enough unless they are really jumping around)and watch the aperture indicator in the viewfinder. if the Av indcator flashes, reduce the shutter speed till it stops blinking. This becomes automatic after a while. If you need to reduce the shutter speed below 1/60 you may need to boost ISO to 1600 to avoid blur.

Don't even think about using the flash.

Have fun and post a couple of pix when you're done.

Jim

[Andy_T]

Apart from that ... practice before the actual event to get a feel for the situation!

Best regards,
Andy

[gillyworld]

Don't even think about using the flash.
I don't entirely agree with you there. It is sometimes worth giving a little bit of fill-in just to put some detail into the shadows especiall if the lighting is not too good. I usually underexpose the flash by 2-3 stops . I prefer not to use it but sometimes it can improve the result.

....and shoot loads nad don't worry about high ISO

My latest are at:
http://www.gillyworld.com/ee15/index.php?groupid=16&lang=eng&pass=public
Alan

[jgbeam]

Interesting. Pekka posted before I sent my reply and we use much different styles. My experience comes from shooting stage musicals and dance performances and I have found that keeping the shutter speed under control works best for me. I also shoot only large jpeg because I take a lot of shots (usually about 1,000 in 2-3 hours) and don't do any post processing. I distribute (sell) the images on CD for the benefit of the performers. I only use RAW for portrait and architecture.

So you see that you are going to have to experiment and see what works for you. But if you want to get the best shots of a rock band, listen to Pekka - he's the master. I hate heavy metal but I've visited his metal gallery many times to be blown away by the photos.

Jim

[RichardtheSane]

I've done a few indoor & low light rock gigs

BElow is a link to the latest one where I pull all I have learnt from the previous gigs into action

HIM Gig at Leeds Uni UK (http://www.richardlindley.co.uk/gallery/show.php?gallery=H%20I%20M)

I shot at ISO 1600 F4 with an old EF 70-210 F4, full manual and partial metering (closest to spot I have on my 10D). I also shot RAW and let the 10D meter the scene, and adjusted my shutter speed accordingly so I was shooting from 1/60th to 1/200th.

Overall I got about 90 shots from the gig and also had time to enjoy the show :) :)

[Longwatcher]

I have tried it a few times also with my 10D.

- With flash, I just go out about 50 feet, put on my 70-200/2.8L IS and 550EX with diffuser up and fire away every few seconds (after the flash goes red)

usually good results of the individual band members. Biggest usual problem with flash is concern over the performers being temporarily blided, which is why I stand back a lot.

- without flash I would like a longer lens, but I tend to use my 50/1.4 high ISO 400 or 800 wide open and fire away.

I get a few decent shots this way, biggest problem is the flashy lights of the stage.

Just my experience,

[Torben]

http://www.nakskov-gym.dk/uriah2/indeks.htm
Uriah Heep in Copenhagen Oct 2004.
Most with 10D 50/1.4 ISO 800
A couple with Tokina 19-35 ISO 1600
Raw shots, some postprocessing

[FlyingPete]

My experience (same points as some of the other guys):
- Use a high ISO (use a image removal tool if necessary to clean up the mess afterwards)
- Get close
- Wear black with good shoes if you are going to be on the stage itself
- NO FLASH! The musicians hate it, and you loose the stage lighting effects
- Set the white balance to overcast (cloudy) I find this works best with the stage lights
- Use rapid fire, these guys can do interesting stuff you will usually get a slight warning, but be ready to shot!
- Fast glass is good if you can get it, the last one I was at I was shooting mainly on a F1.8 50mm
- Get to know the stage manager, if you get in the way and they don't know who you are, you will become their target!
- Watch you step on stage, don't trip over any wires, or you will become the new focal point of the audience (and the stage manager, see above)
- Get some ear plugs, these things can be really loud, and you will be really close, one year in order to get to the media pit at a festival I had to walk past the 20000W speaker stacks going full tilt!

Ah and some evidence of the above advice is in order these are found on the web from a 2002 festival, I can add more recent ones (last year) when I get home (only if you want!)

http://www.parachutemusic.com/festival/gallery/images/delirious2_peter%20lowden.jpg
This one is shot from the media pit with the camera over my head

http://www.parachutemusic.com/festival/gallery/images/lads2_peter%20lowden.jpg
In this shot you can see how white stage light can be, remember my WB is set to overcast, not tungsten

http://www.parachutemusic.com/festival/gallery/images/salvador_peter%20lowden.jpg
Crowd shots are cool, esspecially if you can get this close!

[WAL]

Hi there again,

Your replies were really helpful and I managed to get a bit of practice last night – smuggling the camera past the security at the Darkness show in Nottingham (no mean feat with a camera that big).

I didn’t get too many great shots, as I only had the EF18-55mm lens that came with the camera body when I bought it and I was simply too far back (and behind too many people who are taller than me). However, the light settings and shutter speeds supplied worked a treat on some of the full stage shots that I managed to get.

I desperately need a 200mm lens (and slightly better access to the stage) for shows like this, but for the shoot with the band that I have been asked to do, I know I’ll get access all areas, so the 18-55mm be ideal using these settings.

So thanks once again.

Regards

WAL

[RichardtheSane]

WAL, do you live in Notts?

[Andy_T]

... so the 18-55mm be ideal using these settings....


Believe me :roll: ... the 80$ on the 50/1.8 will make a hell of a difference!!!!!

Ask your friend what it is worth to him ... especially if it is a one time occasion.

Best regards,
Andy

[WAL]

I do indeed hail from Nottingham Richard.

I looked at your website and noted the wildlife shot from the Mill Lakes at Bestwood. I live in Arnold and so that is a place where I regularly go for a run.

I wouldn’t exactly call myself a “proper” photographer. In fact, I bought the Rebel and kind of hit the ground running. Before I got it, I had a cheap 35mm “point and shoot instamatic” that got used for holidays and landscapes on days out, so there is still a lot of trial and error going on - thankfully, without the need to waste any film!

While I have an eye for a shot, the main reasons for getting the job shooting my friend’s band was that:

a. I created the website for a band that I play in and my pal’s band liked what I did and asked me to create one for them. I agreed to add a photo shoot as part of the process! I have a damn good camera and they wanted professional looking pictures on the cheap.
b. I took some decent shots with the Rebel of a few bands while I was on holiday in the USA, with loads of help from a friend who is a photojournalist. He uses a Rebel and was good enough to advise on the camera settings and got us “access all areas”. This allowed me to get a few shots that the average fan wouldn’t get from the camera in their mobile phone.
c. Most importantly, I agreed to work for FREE!!!! - Well, for beer anyway. The gig shoot that I did before was great fun and I figure that they’ll show the shots to a few people. If they are any good, I may get some paid work from them in future. If the shots turn out lousy then it has cost them nothing and I will have gained a bit of experience and had some fun (and free beer). So we should all benefit.

My friend’s band aren’t exactly a million selling act yet, so I doubt that they’ll want to shell out any money for a decent bit of glass for my camera, but I want to expand my collection of lenses for more shoots like this one, so I fancy one of those Canon 75-300mm USM beasties.

At the Darkness show I was about 30 yards back from the stage and the 18-55mm lens was really struggling to provide anything more than decent shots of the full stage from that distance. The drummer was just a spec throughout. But it was good practice.

Regards

WAL