The Features @ Firebird -St. Louis 06/27/09

[lolcat07]

I am new to photogrpahy in general but I took my 40d out and tried some concert shooting last night. I was having major issues getting it right though. I guess that is what practice is for. Here are a few that turned out better than the rest although I am still not happy with them. Could it have been the lens holding me back? Canon EF 28-135/3.5-5.6 IS USM.


1) This guy is not part of The Features.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3639/3666397770_622c554357.jpg

2)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2610/3666398120_8eff7684d7.jpg

3)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3665593223_ed2bac9102.jpg

4)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/3665593419_1a00f2db3a.jpg

[johnstoy]

I have the same lens... What ISO did you use... What aperture and shutter speed?

What mode did u shoot in? and which point or points did you use to focus?

[lolcat07]

Weird, I thought the exif data was in there. I clearly have no idea what I am doing.

1) Shutter Priority, f5.6, ISO-1000, 1/5 shutter speed
2) Shutter Priority, f5.6, ISO-1600, 1/13 shutter speed
3) Shutter Priority, f3.5, ISO-1600, 1/15 shutter speed
4) Aperature Priority, f/5, ISO-1600, 1/10

I used either the center focus point or top to focus depending on where the head was in the frame, tried to keep it on the artist's eye.

I was mainly just playing around trying to figure all this out.

[johnstoy]

You actually did the best you could with this low light stage action...

There always is motion on the stage, whether it be light colors and intensity changing, or the performers, moving around to the music.

Even if you had a faster f/2.8 zoom, you would be border lining the shutter speed... You are simply the victim of low stage light... Fast, zooms with IS, or fast primes are the solution... and ISO's of 1600 and above are popular.

One thing about the 28-135 IS, is that (at least my particular lens) the IS actually takes a split second to set up... So it takes time before you can snap the photo with the IS fully engaged...

You have some motion blur and camera shake in some of these pics... Even with IS, these were real slow shutter speeds to hand hold...

Fill flash would probably help, but then most venues/artists/patrons/photogs don't like to see lots of flash at a show... Then there is the faster prime selection... I went to the 50mm f/1.4, and the 85mm f/1.8... Thereafter, I converted to the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS... It's my primary lens for shows now...

There is another IS, the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens... (on my wish list)... I'm currently also trying to squeak by with the 24-70mm f/2.8... but without IS, I have a lot fewer keepers than with any of the above (excluding the 28-135 IS) lenses.

If you had just a little bit more light, and at ISO 1600, shooting wide open, you might have gotten slightly better results with the 28-135mm... It's a very nice lens for all around use, including macro... but for real low light stage action, just a few select lenses succeed.

So, overall you did well, framing is pretty good, subjects and composition is right there too... it's just the low lights that make it very difficult to succeed at shows.

[lolcat07]

How would you use fill flash in a venue like this one (black ceiling, about 9 feet in front of the stage)? I have an Opteka EF-600 I could use if needed. This venue doesn't mind the flashes so much as long as you don't use it the whole show (I asked). That being said I wouldn't use it the whole show as it is rude to the people on stage.

Thanks again

[johnstoy]

How would you use fill flash in a venue like this one? I have an Opteka EF-600 I could use if needed. This venue doesn't mind the flashes so much as long as you don't use it the whole show (I asked). That being said I wouldn't use it the whole show as it is rude to the people on stage.

Thanks again

There are some others here in the Performing Arts forum, more comfortable with fill flash than I am...

Let's wait and see who adds some constructive info to this thread...

I use the 580EXII, it's TTL (through the lens) technology allows me to shoot in TV mode and still fire off a flash suitable to fill in the shadows... It's the custom settings that I'm not too comfortable with yet... Hopefully, one of the others will chime in...

[René Damkot]

Could it have been the lens holding me back?

Partly, yes. That and too low ISO.

Way too low shutterspeeds.
Use a higher ISO next time.

But a faster lens would have helped as well. Neither of these options on it's own would have been enough IMO.

That being said, I actually like the first image.