Kids X-mas Concert 70-200 f/2.8?

I'm not sure if I'm suppose to post this here if not please move me...

My kids will be having their X-mas concert tomorrow and Thurs in the school gym. What do I need to know to shoot them in this venue? I have the 70-200 f/2.8 will that do with a tripod? Do I need a flash? Do I need to be close? Do I need cwb and should I shoot at ISO 3200?

Thanks for your help!

Kids get nervous when in front of a room full of adults so I would certainly use the 70-200 2.8 IS and leave the flash. That way you can take pictures discretely without the kids (and parents) getting annoyed.

The higher the ISO the more chance of noise.. perhaps you'll need to experiment and see how you get on. A tripod might get in the way, depending on the hall, there might not be that much room for manoeuvre.

Finally, you might want to check if you're allowed to take pics. I'm not sure about Canada, but here in the UK it is getting more and more difficult to take a camera to an event like this. As cherished as you want to keep those memories, many people don't like it.

first off make sure your allowed to get photos, as some schools wont allow it for obv reasons.

how Far back will you be as that lens will probably be fine, at 2.8.

Cant say about ISO as dont know how dark it will be. play around with it, maybe use TV for a bit? dont use flash as it will distract the kids and the parents. hope this helps.

Cheers

ha ha we posted at the same time lol

livewire-photography.com wrote in post #4528941
ha ha we posted at the same time lol

Oh well, we backed up each other with the advice.

Hey guys thanks for your input. Here in Canada, at least the town I live in doesn't mind parents taking pictures. I know that we have assigned seating so I will be shooting from my seat unless I get up to move around (not sure if that's allowed). So you don't think I will need a flash with that lens...that's good cause I'm not sure yet how to set my flash controls yet...need to read up on that.

Thanks again!

A monopod might be a good idea...It would allow more mobility if thats what you need...
But 70-200f2.8 is the goods....

Isn't it sad that due to a few {freaks} many of us are now restricted from photographing at places like school concerts.....Not to mention it's now ilegal to take shots at some beaches at all here .....

Thanks rooeey i will bring my monopod just in case. It is sad that some of us can't take pictures of our kids in concerts and beaches anymore fortunately we can still do that here in Calgary. It's really sad that there are people (freaks) like that in the world...just ruins it for everyone!

I do a lot of shooting of my 8 and 10 year old boys at their school gym for concerts, etc. I obviously don't know what the lighting is going to be like at yours, but I always go to my 70-200 (non-IS) mounted on my monopod and ISO set to either 800 or 1600. I hardly ever use flash even when allowed just so that I don't get nasty stares from others in the audience. There are lot of parents, relatives, friends, and school staff who come strictly to enjoy the program, and I don't like to blind them with constant flashing going off. Photographing at my kids' school has never been an issue, by the way, especially when the school likes to use some of my photos for their PR!!

Definitely go with the 70-200mm f/2.8 and tripod.. Get behind the other parents and you'll be fine. Being a musician, I find it rather silly that young kids (elementary-high school aged) 'can't' be photographed during a performance. Unless it's an honor youth orchestra, semi-professional or summer arts festival performance, photography should be allowed because of its purpose: a chance to show what the kids have been learning (musically) and to be able to show off to their parents. Along these lines, the parents should have every right to photograph their child in these great moments. Unless your kid's playing at a union house, you should be fine.

mattgray wrote in post #4536968
Definitely go with the 70-200mm f/2.8 and tripod.. Get behind the other parents and you'll be fine. Being a musician, I find it rather silly that young kids (elementary-high school aged) 'can't' be photographed during a performance. Unless it's an honor youth orchestra, semi-professional or summer arts festival performance, photography should be allowed because of its purpose: a chance to show what the kids have been learning (musically) and to be able to show off to their parents. Along these lines, the parents should have every right to photograph their child in these great moments. Unless your kid's playing at a union house, you should be fine.

Pretty sure its because of the perverts that photographing is prohibited in those places, at least in what they are talking about here.

I used my 200 2.8 for the shots here, on my monopod, for my nieces Christmas program. Was great lighting until they turned of 3/4 of the lights right before the show! The lights cycle, so I didn't bother to set a CWB.
F/3.5 1/200 ISO1600 on all. No flash.

Gallery (Nothing really going on until the 6th page, just the kids filing in):
http://derekcecil.smug​mug.com/gallery/395105​1#229555880

Thanks for your input guys. Shot some tonight without a monopod and flash they seemed to have turned out ok. I will post pictures tomorrow night as I need to process the ones I took tonight and will be taking more pictures of my daughters concert tomorrow night.

Lighting for the concert is a big lights on stand on one side only...???