A few new concert shots

[Digitalwave]

My university's battle of the bands was last night so I went out and snapped a few just for fun/more practice.











Thanks for looking!

[ohheyseth]

Cool shots, my fav would probably be #3.

[Digitalwave]

Thank you! #3 is my favorite as well.

[DesignVHL]

Yeah I really like #3....curious as to how that came to be....what was the shutter speed, F/stop, lens used, camera settings... I'd like to try and get an effect like this sometime...shows that raw motion & Emotion!

ps what does a battery grip do for you?

[René Damkot]

I like the first three. 2nd fav. Pity the second guy is there in #1, blur would've been nice 'the other way' in #3. (second curtain sync?)

[DwightMcCann]

Originally Posted by DesignVHL

ps what does a battery grip do for you?

Makes the camera appear more "manly!"

[Digitalwave]

Originally Posted by DwightMcCann

Makes the camera appear more "manly!"

I shoot the majority of my concert shots in portrait mode. With a tiny XT, its VERY hard to shoot portrait mode without a grip. It also adds weight to the camera which really balances out my heavy lenses (especially the 80-200, all metal lens).

I can do some crazy stuff with the grip too. With my Peleng 8mm, I held the camera with one hand on the grip, holding the camera from the bottom, and reached down below the drummer for this shot:

[Kemcmanus]

Originally Posted by ohheyseth

Cool shots, my fav would probably be #3.

3 is nice, but I'm liking 4 better for some reason.

[jfrancho]

D-wave you have to get a speedlight and an off camera-shoe. That picture of the drummer is very interesting. With a remote flash setup, it would be possible to illuminate more of the subject than the foreground stuff. It still a cool shot, though. I agree, even with a 20D, the grip makes the camer much easier to support at odd angles. About the only time I use the grip is when shooting bands.

[Digitalwave]

A Speedlight (550 or 580) is going to be my next purchase. The popup flash does well very quite often though, especially when I use my fisheye. I do want to be able to do off-camera remote triggering though. Do you know if I can use the on camera flash burst to trigger a 580EX?

[jfrancho]

I don't think so. I have a 430EX, and will be getting another 430EX and a 580EX to trigger them. The only thing I worry about is a performer accidentally crushing a remote speedlight. gmen and Dwight have posted so interesting mounting equipment in the Q&A threads that are worth a look. The off camera shoe cord is a great investment if you get a flash head since it gives you about 3 feet of mobility with the flash. Check my profile for the Gaylord/Greylord threads that feature this technique - it's still a work in progress. Hopefully I'll get proficiant enough to offer this type of shot to actual clients. While we're on the subject of flashes, get a bracket as well. I get really great results using the bracket in more casual, snapshot settings like a family events, parties, etc. There's a reason the WPs use them so much.