A Few Stage Shots

Taken last year at a local festival of Country Music in the UK at Barnard Castle The Great North Country And Western Festival.I have been a member for a while but it my first posting thanks for looking.

John.

Nice for a first posting.
What lens did you use?
Your EXIF shows that you shot at ISO 400, I would have used higher ISO.
Higher ISO will give you more playground for shutterspeed or aperture, or even shoot without flash.
Watch your focussing, the last two pictures seem focussed on the mic / drum in stead the performer, or was that done on purpose?

I was using theTamron 18-270mm 1:3-6.3 IS, lens only about the 3rd time i have use it as for focus on the mic he moved back just as took the pic lol.
I am quite used to rolling around on the stage taking pic as i used to run a country music mag with my wife a few years back,but now being disabled its all down to front stage shot.I have taken pic of such bands as the Dixi Chiks and Steve Earl in the paot but thanks for your coments.
John

Bad photos! Sorry

Check my portfolio
Fotograf i Århus

hotelfm wrote in post #13679168
Bad photos! Sorry

Check my portfolio
Fotograf i Århus

I like it when all you have to say is bad photos! sorry
It was my first post and i might just make it my last did not know we all had to be pro,s
If thats how things work dont think i will bother,I can get insults any time

Abbo wrote in post #13686146
I like it when all you have to say is bad photos! sorry
It was my first post and i might just make it my last did not know we all had to be pro,s
If thats how things work dont think i will bother,I can get insults any time

Don't think that one pretentious comment is reflective of everyone here. Most people on here will offer constructive criticism rather than blatantly insulting a poster.

As hennie said, this is pretty good for a first post and I think you are headed in the right direction (we all start somewhere, right?). Try using a higher ISO next time you shoot. I tend to hover at about 1600 for stage work, but I am comfortable going up to 3200 if I need to. This will allow you to get some faster shutter speeds and alleviate blurring. As for your focus, try using servo (that's what I typically use) and keep it on the performer (unless you really wanted just the mic/drums in focus). My .02.

Now thats what i was looking for advice good solid advice and help thanks so much.

Like Aramalus said, I would use a higher ISO. This, especially for what I assume was a night or very dark stage, would let you use a bit higher f stop to gain a bit of DOF on the tight shots.... I also use the center focus point on servo. Good starting point for a first shoot.....

To add some more to what I'd previously said: I tend to swap lenses a lot during concerts, so I always set my aperture to my slowest maximum aperture regardless of which lens (my slowest is 5.6). This allows me to keep shooting without having to modify my exposure settings while swapping lenses. Here's an example: 1600 ISO, f/5.6, and 1/80

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/in/set-72157627808286192

are you using single point AF? or are you letting the camera choose the focus point?

the first looks as though to suffer from a slow shutter speed. the second you need to avoid chopping off the guitar head.

3 and 4 grabbed focus in front of the performer which is why I am asking about focus. I know too many people who let the camera choose the focal point and wonder why they get misfocused shots.

Need faster shutter speed - attain with higher ISO and/or faster lens. Good luck.

Well, they're not what I would call "good" but, yeah, perhaps a "good start".

They all appear very soft. In the drummer shot, it looks like the point you were focusing on was the very bottom of the tom-tom, but even that isn't sharp.

It's apparent you were using flash. Nothing kills a concert shot faster than a flash. As has been mentioned already, bump your ISO up. Way up. I normally find myself between 1000 and 1600.It doesn't look like the lighting was horrible; you probably could've gotten much crisper shots without the flash.

Keep in mind, too, that IS isn't really going to be a benefit with concert photography. It'll do noting to stabilize the motion on stage.

What body are you shooting with?

BreitlingFan wrote in post #13695842
What body are you shooting with?

EXIF shows it was a Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

BreitlingFan wrote in post #13695842
Keep in mind, too, that IS isn't really going to be a benefit with concert photography.

Generally I disagree.
In this case, shooting under low light at 1/60s with 200mm IS will increase sharpness, especially if flash would not be used.

hennie wrote in post #13700287
Generally I disagree.
In this case, shooting under low light at 1/60s with 200mm IS will increase sharpness, especially if flash would not be used.

I should've stated my point differently.

I know some folks who use IS thinking it's going to help with what's happening on stage; as if it'll help freeze the motion of the performers...

Ok, agreed there are two sources of unsharpness due to motion:
1- unsharpness caused by camera shake, IS or better camera support will help here.
2- unsharpness caused by motion of the subject, flash or a faster shutter speed will help here.