shooting band. HELP!!!

[ShawnBituin]

Hey guys so I was asked by some guys to shoot their band. They want a promotional kind of shoot, album cover kind of stuff. I need help with where to shoot at? camera setting suggestions, and any kinds of comments or suggestions that will help. and I KNOW IM ALMOST SCREWED WITH SHOOTING WITH JUST 1 430exII. HELP!!

I shoot with a 50D/24-70L/430exII..

[blackshadow]

One of the most important lessons a photographer needs to learn is when to say no. If something is beyond their expertise/experience - from the sound of this question I'd say you have a lot to learn before taking on this type of commission.

[EOSBoy]

One of the most important lessons a photographer needs to learn is when to say no. If something is beyond their expertise/experience - from the sound of this question I'd say you have a lot to learn before taking on this type of commission.
+1 Not to mention, it's a promo deal. Many people will see your pictures if the band is somewhat popular. I'd hate to get grilled on my pictures if I were starting out new...It would burn like hot sauce...

Then again, it can also be a learning experience. You may not produce stellar pictures, but at least you'll learn how to deal with people. First, ask what style or theme best represents the band and choose a setting according to that. If they're down to earth and indie, try looking for a more natural scene or something that's very simple. If they're hardcore or metal, try looking for a grundgy, industrial setting. Maybe some old houses or alleys. Don't get tied up in trying to pick a setting, though...If you have to, keep it simple. You're focusing on the band, not the background.

Talk to the band and pull out their personality. Try and interpret their personality into a "look". You can even throw them into an area and take candids of them instead of aiming for the generic 'line 'em up and shoot 'em' stuff. The possibilities are endless. It's not wrong for a photographer to ask for help on an idea, I encourage it! In the end, you aim to please your clients. If they're happy, you'll get more referrals.

As far as settings go, use what you're used to. Don't jump into a shoot and use Manual mode if you haven't put in enough practice to feel comfortable with it. You most definitely can get away with one flash. Just bounce it! Point it towards a ceiling or wall. (Avoid colorful walls, they may add color casts.) If you shoot in Av mode, make sure to meter off the highlights and let the flash fill the shadows. (Unless you're in broad daylight, your shutterspeed will probably be too high.) It may be stressful, but make sure you look like you know what you're doing and take your time. If the band starts vibing you as a noob, they're probably going to treat you like one. Boast confidence and don't be afraid to direct the band to go along with all of your ideas.

Good luck!

[René Damkot]

If you don't have / know about decent lighting, use available light: Whatever daylight there is. Or street lights for instance after dark. Use high ISO.

If you want everyone in focus, be mindful of what aperture you use.

What is your experience level? (Since you are asking about "camera settings", which is pretty meaningless without some additional info.)

[phr0ze]

Bring a helper and a piece of foam core. It'll cost you about $3 for the foamcore and it will help if you run into shadow problems.

[londonblue007]

1. Where to shoot : Depends on the band. Generic rock bands seem to like having a shot in front of a brick wall in an industrial area of a city. Indie bands seem to go for anything. Metal and Hardcore tend to like really dark shots. Pop, depends on the style of pop.
Drive around, find a cool location (that allows access, don't try and shoot in a hotel lobby without permission), talk to the band, see what they want. If they don't know what they want, then you get to make the decision. It's all about communication at this stage of the game.

2. Where you shoot will dictate settings. If it is outside during the afternoon, ISO100 will be great. Indoors, ISO800. Night, maybe higher.
In portrait type stuff, you need a decent Aperture. Depth of field is important, so Stay above f/8 if you can.

3. Get the flash off camera if you can. You say you have one 430EXII. You're not screwed, but get the flash off camera. 1, buy some pocket wizards. if you don't have $350 for that, then try this for $35:

Hama HOT SHOE ADAPTER 2 (PC)
Hama PC MALE - FEMALE EXT. CORD 33'You can get those from B&H for $36.85 with shipping. I just bought these as my ghetto "get flash off camera". Works great. My setup is EXACTLY like yours, 50D, 24-70 and 430exII. Basically it's a 33ft PC extension cord and a PC to Hotshoe adapter. Simple and straight forward. (no batteries required either)


4. Use your environment to your advantage. If shooting outside, wait for the sun to get down closer to the horizon, like, 35-45 degrees. (3pm-ish). Then position your people so the sun is behind and slightly to one side of them. You now have a separation light. (Thank you sunlight). Next, use your 430 for a key light. In the front and to the side of the camera, say to the left. Set the flash to full power and expose for that. The background will now be down 2-3 stops. Use a piece of white poster board or a white sheet (as phr0ze) mentioned as a "fill" reflector to the right of camera. This is where a helper would be very helpful :-)
Here's an example of this setup (this is my brother clowning around in my yard):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/3939844006_0a491252ae.jpg

If you only have one flash, the key to it is controlling the ambient. Get the ambient to what you want, then use the flash to fill in what is missing. Then use a reflector to fill in anything else. Get a friend and try it out, like I did with my brother in my yard.

This shot of Will Dailey, his band, and some friends after a music video shoot has on camera flash, but it was an overcast day and we were on a porch. The cloudy day is like a giant soft box in the sky and the porch helped control the light direction. The flash was exposure comp'ed -2 and had a diffuser on it. It was there as a subtle front fill.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3402350972_f55dccbfcf.jpg


If you have time, read this : http://strobist.blogspot.com/2009/10/qna-big-group-in-big-dark-room.html
It's a good read, and while the subject matter is different, the basics can be adapted for your situation.

Experiment, have fun and get the band into it. Don't stress out. Shoot in manual, have control over everything. If you can, shoot in multiple locations so there are choices.

And, in this case its obvious that you are doing the band a favor and not getting paid, so get them to buy you food, take you for drinks after, etc. While money is nice, not paying for dinner is equally nice.

For some really cool band shots, check out Keaton Andrew on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/accidentalphotography/)
he uses a lot of gear, but the basics are the same regardless. {edit} looks like he pulled a lot of his band photos from flickr, try here instead : http://www.keatonandrew.com/music/

good luck.

[canonnoob]

Hey guys so I was asked by some guys to shoot their band. They want a promotional kind of shoot, album cover kind of stuff. I need help with where to shoot at? camera setting suggestions, and any kinds of comments or suggestions that will help. and I KNOW IM ALMOST SCREWED WITH SHOOTING WITH JUST 1 430exII. HELP!!

I shoot with a 50D/24-70L/430exII..

I shot a band with only 1 430 ex II...

[vpnd]

grain + b&w+ wierd angles== skate by

[ShawnBituin]

hey thanks alot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. Where to shoot : Depends on the band. Generic rock bands seem to like having a shot in front of a brick wall in an industrial area of a city. Indie bands seem to go for anything. Metal and Hardcore tend to like really dark shots. Pop, depends on the style of pop.
Drive around, find a cool location (that allows access, don't try and shoot in a hotel lobby without permission), talk to the band, see what they want. If they don't know what they want, then you get to make the decision. It's all about communication at this stage of the game.

2. Where you shoot will dictate settings. If it is outside during the afternoon, ISO100 will be great. Indoors, ISO800. Night, maybe higher.
In portrait type stuff, you need a decent Aperture. Depth of field is important, so Stay above f/8 if you can.

3. Get the flash off camera if you can. You say you have one 430EXII. You're not screwed, but get the flash off camera. 1, buy some pocket wizards. if you don't have $350 for that, then try this for $35:
Hama HOT SHOE ADAPTER 2 (PC)
Hama PC MALE - FEMALE EXT. CORD 33'You can get those from B&H for $36.85 with shipping. I just bought these as my ghetto "get flash off camera". Works great. My setup is EXACTLY like yours, 50D, 24-70 and 430exII. Basically it's a 33ft PC extension cord and a PC to Hotshoe adapter. Simple and straight forward. (no batteries required either)


4. Use your environment to your advantage. If shooting outside, wait for the sun to get down closer to the horizon, like, 35-45 degrees. (3pm-ish). Then position your people so the sun is behind and slightly to one side of them. You now have a separation light. (Thank you sunlight). Next, use your 430 for a key light. In the front and to the side of the camera, say to the left. Set the flash to full power and expose for that. The background will now be down 2-3 stops. Use a piece of white poster board or a white sheet (as phr0ze) mentioned as a "fill" reflector to the right of camera. This is where a helper would be very helpful :-)
Here's an example of this setup (this is my brother clowning around in my yard):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/3939844006_0a491252ae.jpg

If you only have one flash, the key to it is controlling the ambient. Get the ambient to what you want, then use the flash to fill in what is missing. Then use a reflector to fill in anything else. Get a friend and try it out, like I did with my brother in my yard.

This shot of Will Dailey, his band, and some friends after a music video shoot has on camera flash, but it was an overcast day and we were on a porch. The cloudy day is like a giant soft box in the sky and the porch helped control the light direction. The flash was exposure comp'ed -2 and had a diffuser on it. It was there as a subtle front fill.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3402350972_f55dccbfcf.jpg


If you have time, read this : http://strobist.blogspot.com/2009/10/qna-big-group-in-big-dark-room.html
It's a good read, and while the subject matter is different, the basics can be adapted for your situation.

Experiment, have fun and get the band into it. Don't stress out. Shoot in manual, have control over everything. If you can, shoot in multiple locations so there are choices.

And, in this case its obvious that you are doing the band a favor and not getting paid, so get them to buy you food, take you for drinks after, etc. While money is nice, not paying for dinner is equally nice.

For some really cool band shots, check out Keaton Andrew on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/accidentalphotography/)
he uses a lot of gear, but the basics are the same regardless. {edit} looks like he pulled a lot of his band photos from flickr, try here instead : http://www.keatonandrew.com/music/

good luck.