Live Music Pictures

[jfrancho]

The Isotopes (http://theisotopes.com/) Choose You Own Adventure CD release Show.

Trent Steel:
http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/18406763-M.jpg

Handsome B. Wonderful:
http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/18406719-M.jpg

Kick Logo:
http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/18406757-M.jpg

Handsome again:
http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/18406762-M.jpg

Trent again:
http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/18406755-M.jpg

[jfrancho]

Here are some more.

Todd from the Grinders:
http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/18403775-M.jpg

John:
http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/18403748-M.jpg

Trent Steel from the Isotopes:
http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/20054422-M.jpg

Ed from the Grinders:
http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/20054406-M.jpg

[DwightMcCann]

It would help to have some technicals and/or description of what this is about and/or what you are trying to accomplish. I think they are a little soft, but that may be intentional. I like the next to last best.

[jfrancho]

I'm not sure what the technicals would help you with. Most of these were shot with 28mm. If it helps, the Isotopes are a surf/instrumental band that uses a lot of schtick - lab coats, pocket protectors, "radioactive" waste barrels, go-go dancers, multimedia presentations - to enhance their sci-fi geek image. The Grinders are an honest garage pop band in the vein of the Kinks. I'm trying to capture their performance and their personalities. Any feedback would be appreciated. I don't think the softness detracts from the image, but maybe others disagree. There is always a trade off when taking these pictures, I could go wide open and increase the shutter speed, however, that would limit the DOF. I really want to be sure that I include some of the surroundings, instead of having the subject surrounded by creamy bokeh.

[DwightMcCann]

Well, sounds like you are pretty set in what you are doing and not looking for too much feedback.

[jfrancho]

Somewhat set. As I pointed out, I am limited with what I can do with the available light. I take other types of shots, using a slow sync flash, sometimes use my 50 1.4 wide open. so, you are right about the set up portion, I am pretty set there. Maybe next time I'll try for some razor sharp stuff, and post them side by side stuff like this. I'd like to get some input regarding framing, composition, angle, etc. I've received helpful advise in the past regarding these aspects, and maybe you, or anyone, have some input.

[jfrancho]

I like the next to last best.BTW, Thank you, I'm glad you like it. This shot had a major blowout on his left forearm, but I liked the scene enough to work with what I had. It seemed like a good candidate for monochrome. I used channel mixer and bright/contrast layers, and finally curves to balance the image. I've been finding that when I do these conversions, it is good to get up occasionally and view the image from several feet away.

[DwightMcCann]

I photograph Live Performances at a couple of venues including a bar and a casino. You can see some of my stuff at my website (http://DwightMcCann.com). I expect that your venues are very different than mine in many ways, most particularly in lighting, although the first couple of places where I shot (and don't post those images any more) were pretty terrible. So, I appreciate the difficulty of what you are doing.

As for suggestions on framing, etc., I have found, very surprisingly to me, that people really like the montages I create (in the Chumash Casino section of my website) and they probably were the reason I got my ongoing paying gig at the casino. It might be interesting for you to give the collage thing a try ... it also allows for some text and/or logos that can help explain and advertise. The Maverick Saloon folks want me to create a whole series for them ... for free, of course, so it is a very back burner project.;)

Anyway, I do like your images ... they are just a slightly different genre than mine. How about posting some of the slow sync flash? I'm not allowed flash at the casino and there is little action at the Maverick.

[jfrancho]

Here is an old thread: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=58975. The first three were slow-sync flash. This was with the kit lens. I am going to try this again with the 50, although I am not too keen on taking too many shots with the flash, most of these people are friends of mine, and It seems a little rude to pop a flash off in their face...they usually get over it when they see themselves in the print. The weird fourth was the same as the first three, except, two or three others popped P&S's off at the same moment. Luckily, it was in raw, and I could at least get something interesting out of it.

[DwightMcCann]

They look interesting. BTW, friends are the ones who are supposed to let you try things out and experiment and be supportive, not the ones you pamper! :-)

[jfrancho]

Your right, besides, they can't chase me if they're blind!
I had a chance to take a look at the casino collages. These are cool. I like the CCR and Cheap Trick images. Back in the old days (uh-huh? the early 90's) we would make homemade fliers by arranging clipped transparencies into a show announcement. Many locals bands still partake in this endeavor. I have done a few fliers in ps, however, it just occured to to think of it as a collage. I've been taking the wrong approach to this...I'm going to give this a try.

[DwightMcCann]

Those collages are all done with Ulead's PhotoImpact which I use extensively as my primary photo image editor even though I have the whole Adobe Creative Studio ... it's under $100 and I find it very quick and easy for anything I am not doing in conjunction with another commercial enterprise. When building the collages I often swap ten or twenty images in and out to find what I like.

[Feihung08]

I really like the first Isotopes shots. The first two are great with those halo effects that you got from the top lights! I also really like the shot of the 'lonely bass player' where 'Trent' is framed in the right of a big black canvas.

The big difference between what your shooting compared to the stuff that DwightMcCann is doing is 'genre + setting'. Your pics are much much more personal and really emphasize the intimate venue that these rock bands play at and set the mood for anyone who has gone to see 'local' bands. And DwightMcCann's shots are much more geared to those who pay for a 'seat' and 'sit' towards the back in order to show off the high production of those shows. And I can guarantee that the stage lighting DwightMcCann is working with is at least a thousand times better than what you had to deal with jfrancho. Oh, and *ehem* did you see his equipment? Yeah, that might help with some of the 'soft' issues! ;)

[jfrancho]

Thanks, Feihung08. The halo was something I strived to capture. Some other forum members prompted me to take more time considering my composure. I thing that advice payed off big. Many don't like the empty space in pics, although I'm not sure why; seems like a pretty basic artistic technique to me, although not always easy to get the exposure right in all the commotion. Your spot on about using the word intimate to describe them. For most of the shots, I was literally pinned to the waist-high stage, shooting around lighting and mic stands. I'm not so sure Dwight's situation is that much better, as it presents a whole new set of issues. His work shows that he has come up with the solutions to provide good images. On the wide end of the spectrum, I don't think that equipment is a limiting factor. What I mean is, I don't think trading in my Tamrons and 50 usm for L glass will give me better images. Maybe, though. You'll have to explaing the credit card bill to my wife, though...j/k. Right now my main equipment upgrade is in the processing hardware department.

[Ballen Photo]

EXCELLENT work JF! I like the way you worked with the stage lighting. :D
-Bruce

[DwightMcCann]

Mea Culpa! Although all of those images were shot with my Fuji S2 the equipment is good, although I agree (and said so) that the casino's $750K lighting is in a different class. But even when I was shooting freebies in the local biker bar with a couple of incandescent lights I shot with a tripod from a far corner for a lot of shots. One more note on equipment ... it is easy to blame equipment or to suggest that better equipment makes a BIG difference, but it is almost never the case. The Canon equipment listed in my signature was bought with money made using my Fuji S2.

And JF is right about another point ... I can't use flash and very often can only shoot during the first three songs! Try squeezing in 200-300 frames in ten minutes! :-) And I shoot from the floor in front of the stage and the back of the room from a tripod when I can ... no standing in front of the paying customers.

So, to come full circle, I think working your images into montages would be a great experiment.

[jfrancho]

EXCELLENT work JF! I like the way you worked with the stage lighting. :D
-BruceThanks, it wasn't easy getting the good angles; pointy elbows and a sense of humor got me through it.