So, who took them pictures of Styx and DP in Birmingham UK?

I've kind of figured that you are all on the same page here when it comes to the opinion of these pictures. Pretty much what I fel too.

Sure, I could have fixed them before I posted them but the kid needs to learn.

Yes, it's a kid. He is 16 and has never done anything like this before. Hardly even handled an SLR. He didn't even know we were going to do this until a few hours before the show. I act as a friend and mentor. He has another mentor through his church who is an avid photographer, lighting designer and Canon user /the guy who went with me to check the 28-105 lens).

The kid knew about the 3 song rule. I shot the first song of Styx so the camera was pretty much set for him. Then I let him loose. 2 songs later, the security pulls out the other 2 photographers from the pit and leaves the kid. I was sat on the step on the barrier waiting for security to pull us out but they just left as too it. So I started running between production office and the pit, clearing cards and giving him fresh cards.

Styx (and we did thank them) gave him every pose in the book. He missed loads, got a fair few. I saw him on his knees, bending over backwards while the 4 with guitars and bass posed auntil he got the shot. They made sure he knew what they were doing and dragged him back and forth in the pit. Little nods, glances and signs to let him know and keep his attention.

For purple I shoved him in the pit and said he was on his own and had 3 songs only and not to argue with security.

Security asked him to help them pull the other photographers out when 3 songs were out.

He's been bullied in school and is now on self tuition. I think he has a bit of ADD or ADHD but he was dead focused on his task. Behaved impeccably. Made a point at thanking Styx for the poses.

Me and the other mentor see that there just might be a budding photographer here.

I've played with the crops a little and it totally changes the pictures. there is too much space. He's stuck on the center focus point, was too nervous to think about re-composing. He missed every jump Tommy did (I got it instead but Chuck stepped in the frame so it isn't as good as it could have been.). He missed several great shots. Kept checking the screen after every click untill I yanked his shirt and told him to stop. (I turned it off for me), he wouldn't let go of a drummer shot where I saw the lens chasing for focus and missed god knows how many *money shots* of Gowan and the rest.

But overall he totally exceeded our expectations. Sure, he got it easy on this as I'm fairly connected with this lot. Still I'm dumbstruck. He got the pit for an entire set on his first ever shoot! It took me 10 years to get that privilege. He got better pictures than I did when I started out. Sure, technology has changed, but still...

There was a bunch of us back home who were quite stunned when we saw what he's done.

As said in the first Styx post. NO PP was done. No cropping - nada. He shot in raw. All that is done is exported to jpeg and added watermark.

So - now you see why I was asking for C&C. Please feel free to carry on commenting. Good and bad. He can take it and he wants to learn.

Thanks
/She

I cropped a couple of the jpegs.

1

shesgotthepic wrote in post #3156088
I've kind of figured that you are all on the same page here when it comes to the opinion of these pictures. Pretty much what I fel too.

Sure, I could have fixed them before I posted them but the kid needs to learn.

Yes, it's a kid. He is 16 and has never done anything like this before. Hardly even handled an SLR. He didn't even know we were going to do this until a few hours before the show. I act as a friend and mentor. He has another mentor through his church who is an avid photographer, lighting designer and Canon user /the guy who went with me to check the 28-105 lens).

The kid knew about the 3 song rule. I shot the first song of Styx so the camera was pretty much set for him. Then I let him loose. 2 songs later, the security pulls out the other 2 photographers from the pit and leaves the kid. I was sat on the step on the barrier waiting for security to pull us out but they just left as too it. So I started running between production office and the pit, clearing cards and giving him fresh cards.

Styx (and we did thank them) gave him every pose in the book. He missed loads, got a fair few. I saw him on his knees, bending over backwards while the 4 with guitars and bass posed auntil he got the shot. They made sure he knew what they were doing and dragged him back and forth in the pit. Little nods, glances and signs to let him know and keep his attention.

For purple I shoved him in the pit and said he was on his own and had 3 songs only and not to argue with security.

Security asked him to help them pull the other photographers out when 3 songs were out.

He's been bullied in school and is now on self tuition. I think he has a bit of ADD or ADHD but he was dead focused on his task. Behaved impeccably. Made a point at thanking Styx for the poses.

Me and the other mentor see that there just might be a budding photographer here.

I've played with the crops a little and it totally changes the pictures. there is too much space. He's stuck on the center focus point, was too nervous to think about re-composing. He missed every jump Tommy did (I got it instead but Chuck stepped in the frame so it isn't as good as it could have been.). He missed several great shots. Kept checking the screen after every click untill I yanked his shirt and told him to stop. (I turned it off for me), he wouldn't let go of a drummer shot where I saw the lens chasing for focus and missed god knows how many *money shots* of Gowan and the rest.

But overall he totally exceeded our expectations. Sure, he got it easy on this as I'm fairly connected with this lot. Still I'm dumbstruck. He got the pit for an entire set on his first ever shoot! It took me 10 years to get that privilege. He got better pictures than I did when I started out. Sure, technology has changed, but still...

There was a bunch of us back home who were quite stunned when we saw what he's done.

As said in the first Styx post. NO PP was done. No cropping - nada. He shot in raw. All that is done is exported to jpeg and added watermark.

So - now you see why I was asking for C&C. Please feel free to carry on commenting. Good and bad. He can take it and he wants to learn.

Thanks
/She

The shots are exceptional for the first time. But if you dialed the shots in, you deserve a lot of credit to. See back to my Reliant K thread- Canon XT and 135mm done by Kyle. Maybe not the backstory of your protege. Kyle is older - 19/20. - but never touched a dslr or slr either. I set it for him and had him pt. and shoot. I gave him instructions on what to look for or if by him, would tell him to aim at so and so. Otherwise, same newbie issues, including stuck on center pt [Kyle had shot the previous day and that was the problem I pointed out and he got use to recomposing].

You should print some of these shots large for him. He will really cherish them. He did a great job.

CanonXTuser wrote in post #3156292
The shots are exceptional for the first time. But if you dialed the shots in, you deserve a lot of credit to. See back to my Reliant K thread- Canon XT and 135mm done by Kyle. Maybe not the backstory of your protege. Kyle is older - 19/20. - but never touched a dslr or slr either. I set it for him and had him pt. and shoot. I gave him instructions on what to look for or if by him, would tell him to aim at so and so. Otherwise, same newbie issues, including stuck on center pt [Kyle had shot the previous day and that was the problem I pointed out and he got use to recomposing].

You should print some of these shots large for him. He will really cherish them. He did a great job.

Thank you XT.

The day before the shoot the other mentor spent an afternoon teaching him the settings on the camera, explaining depth of field, raw v jpeg etc. We were supposed to shoot at a jazz festival that night but our press passes got pulled as too many *real* press in the pit. AS much as it would have been a dress rehearsal for the new lens I bought that day, it would have been his dress rehearsal as well.

In the band hotel bar before the gig, one of the bands' manager was showing him tricks in lightroom and teaching him settings on my camera as well. This guy is someone who teaches me loads too (I learn something new every time I see him) and I now know how to do custom white balance. A pringles can top can work. That will definetly go in my bag for future shoots.

I wonder what he could have done had we had that dress rehearsal.

Anyway - he has my eos600 now and the other mentor's 28-80 USM on it. Got the kit today and has already filled one roll. I have to dig out the manual for the eos. It's around somewhere.

He knows about this site and definetly has the bug. Rest assured that a "Hes...somethingorothe​r" will register as a member and be pestered with questions.

As much as I would like to say I dialed it in I can't. He knows how to dial and looking at exif he did work the camera. He just got stuck on the center spot.

Thanks anyway

She

Ps. checked Kyles work. Not bad at all.

They aren't loading for me.

DwightMcCann wrote in post #3160476
They aren't loading for me.

Dwight, who are you talking to?

/She

shesgotthepic wrote in post #3160484
Dwight, who are you talking to?

/She

Whoever put up this thread! Oh, that's YOU!

DwightMcCann wrote in post #3160588
Whoever put up this thread! Oh, that's YOU!

You could have been talking to XT about Kyle's pics. I'm not prone to take things for granted.

Anyway, they load for me.

Oh, well, they load for me now ... nice improvements.