Another new job: rock/party band gig... advice please...

theMusicMan

theMusicMan

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Hey All

Another booking out of the blue cometh!! I have been asked if I'd be the official photographer at a concert coming up this Saturday by a rock/party band. I've never done any shots of a band at a concert before, but will be allowed on stage during their performance, and backstage before and after.

Now then... I remember seeing some band shots on here before now, and need to seek them out, but I'd love some advice please as to what to look for, what setup I should use... should I use flash (FL-50) or nothing. What composition works well etc..

Any advice as ever, greatly appreciated.
 
i would use stage lighting as much as possible flash looks a bit dodgey and loses the atmosphere a bit... just my thoughts ...
 
Watch your shutter speed in low light....

Wide open = shallow DOF so watch where you focus....

Try not to use flash if you can get away with it, or reduce the power, or bounce if there's anything to bounce off....

Get the drummer without a cymbal in his face and you win brownie points.....

Watch for flare from lights..though this can add atmosphere....

Have fun!
 
Awesome stuff folks, spot on. Thanks.
 
Fast (2.8 or better) glass is the way to go.
Flash will kill the effects of the lights and create a nightmare with WB, avoid at all costs.
Watch out for bits of instruments, esp. headstocks and mics ruining the composition.
Knowing the music helps you anticipate when someone is likely to make a nice pose, etc. If you can get along to a rehearsal to watch how they perform.
Use the lights to frame the members and as part of the composition.
Make good use of backlighting and rim lighting.
Suss out when the lights play across the surface of the instruments and give a nice sheen/glow effect.
Get out of the portrait mindset and remember the instrument is just as important as the person - don't cut off the headstock for example.
 
^^well said^^
use your imagination when you need the loo too.:lol:
 
Dont trip over the leads on stage and send the high stack over.....:D
Seriously tho, get to the front of the stage and watch things unfold, shoot from below the stage if at all possible to give stature and interest, useful for getting lights in the background too. I found watching the performers 'hard', at times, as in an 'impress me pal, i'm here every week' pose, and acknowledgement of the craft itself, can produce interesting aspects too. Particularly with a singer with an ego. Hope that makes sense, but you can develop a rapour to produce truly unique images.
Go and meet them before the gig, take them outside for photos, be a little nonchalent. Hang out pre-gig with them, have a beer, and shoot away so they aren't threatened by you during the gig. Most of all enjoy.:thumbs:
 
Often overlooked, in spite of their efforts to get noticed: the band's 'companions'! Nod, nod, wink, wink!
Can be a colorful lot, that!
 
Thanks all - great advice here.

In addition to my 14-54mm 2.8, I am also taking the 11-22mm 2.8 - anyone think I should not? I am thinking of close up wide shots...? would those work...?
 
Wide angle is always worth a punt, esp. shots from the back showing the crowd with their arms in the air, etc. but you'll need to get up above them so it might not be possible.
 
Thanks pxl8. So, what about settings...? manual...? A-Priority...? Never having dome this before I have no idea how the E-510 will perform in low light indoors.

I have two moderately fast lenses @f2.8 but not anything faster. I guess I should set the ISO to 800 or 1600 even, and as I know the E-510 has a tendency to slightly under-expose when shooting indoors I will compensate and perhaps add +1 to +1.3 to the EV.
 
Really depends on how much the light is changing and how much there is. I tend to use manual when I can, take a reading from a face and leave it there but if the lights are constantly changing you may find Av is better with some - EC to compensate for the dark background. I doubt you'll need to add any +EC unless the background is very bright.

I'm afraid it's all a bit tricky and it really just comes down to adjusting on the fly to match what's happening at the time but if you can get a base reading and shift up or down as the lights change you shouldn't be too far off.
 
Here's a couple of shots I managed to get last night... rest of the images are with the client - I will make them public in a few days and post a link here.

Untitled-1.jpg


Untitled-2.jpg
 
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