Uh oh...first real assignment?

[Arsonist lolol]

Hey all, just got off the phone with my friend and she said that a local band (whom I really like, and is quite popular) wants me to do their promo photos....I'm extremely nervous because
1) It's my first real assignment
2) I've never done promo stuff / general portraiture
3) Meeting these guys and hoping they like me will be nerve wracking!


We were kinda thinking of doing a B&W shot in a train yard (maybe with a moving train behind the band) Or maybe something in an abandoned hospital, I guess they're looking for a rustic kinda setting.

Basically I'm just hunting for some general tips / tricks / techniques for band promo shots, and for my situation (train yard)
Things like:
-What equipment to use (Current gear is in my signature)
-What kinda poses / position of the members are the most pleasing (some on higher ground than others? Some in front of others? all in a straight line? etc etc)
-Would I use TV mode for the moving / blurred train shot and just focus on the band?-And I assume I'm shooting RAW....

[intechpcx]

As far as equipment, I think you're fine with what you've got. Probably use the 50mm since that multiplies to an 80mm on the dReb which is a good portrait length. The 100mm might work but might be too tight for some shots. You could also go with the 75-300 to get some flexibility depending on how you setup the shots. I think your best bet though would be a prime.

The type of shots would depend greatly on the type of band. I would spend some time talking with them to get to know them and get a feel for the attitudes of the band members. Listen to their music. If it's light hearted pop or light rock music, look for fun candid type shots. If there more of a metal/alternative band, they'll probably want something more serious and almost "angry" looking.

If you want the train blurred, there's no reason you have to use Tv. You'd go shutter priority if you wanted the train to not be blurred (i.e. so you can set the shutter speed fast enough to "freeze" it). You might be better off going Av since you'll want to control your depth of field to make sure that the band is completely in focus, especially if you use the 50mm (wouldn't want to pick a high shutter speed and have it go f/1.8 and blur half the members).

Hope that helps.

[Arsonist lolol]

Awesome, thanks a lot.

Yeah I figured I'd be sticking with the prime, or the 75-300. Sorry I forgot to mention what type of music they were, and that definitely makes a difference; they're a hardcore rock / metal band. So yeah, the angry thing applies to them..

Hmm yeah keeping the band in focus will be extremely important, AV might be the way to go.

[intechpcx]

Awesome, thanks a lot.

Yeah I figured I'd be sticking with the prime, or the 75-300. Sorry I forgot to mention what type of music they were, and that definitely makes a difference; they're a hardcore rock / metal band. So yeah, the angry thing applies to them..

Hmm yeah keeping the band in focus will be extremely important, AV might be the way to go.

Traditionally, metal band shots are done with the band fairly lined up. You can overlap shoulders and such. Most of them will probably cross their arms and have a pretty serious look on their face. You could try including some instruments if the mood strikes you. Also if you do have them lined up, make sure to stager the heights. Don't go shortest to tallest or put the tallest in the middle going progressively shorter to the outside. This is ok for regular group shots but lacks interest when doing something like this. Be creative, try a mix with some of them standing and one or two crouching (maybe with guitars or something). Also remember the key principle to taking good portraits, make sure your subjects are comfortable and at ease. Don't be afraid to take plenty of shots, you can sift through later to find the good ones.

And I didn't mention it before, but be sure you shoot in RAW, might help you save a good shot that just missed on the technical side. If you've never done it before read up on the posts in this forum to get yourself prepared. A cool side effect of raw is that you wont have to worry at all about white balance settings because you can fix it when you convert them (of course for outdoors shots White Balance usually isn't much of an issue).

Good luck and remember to make sure that both you and your subjects have some fun with this!!

[Arsonist lolol]

Thank you so much, I really really appreciate it. Great tips and recommendations, you've eased my mind quite a bit :)