Help with drumkit shoot please...

AlisonD

AlisonD

Suspended / Banned
Messages
103
Name
Alison Devlin
Edit My Images
Yes
I've been asked to photograph a drum kit. It will be on stage ready to go before the gig.

I'm using a Canon 400D, Flash gun and tripod, normal 18-55mm lens with ultra violet filter.

Has anyone got thoughts/inspiration on how to photograph it as I would really like to do something more than a point and shoot photo of the drum kit.

Any ideas/inspiration would be VERY gratefully received :)
 
Can I ask a few questions that might help us help you?!:)

What's your overall purpose for taking the photos?

Do you need a set of photos for the kit manufacturer of it in situ on the stage, or a few shots of the kit for the band/band's drummer, or photos of it in action for promo/advertising etc?

Will stage lighting be available, or is it natural light + your flash?

A bit more info about your goal might help people here to give you the best advice. ;)
 
Have you got a drummer?

Get a strobe and get him to go wild with the strobe set slowly on a long exposure.

If not then i'd just experiment and watch out for reflections of the flash and whatnot.
 
Soz !

The photo is, primarily, for the kit manufacturer.

We should be able to get use of the stage lites - no problem. However, I would like to prepare for all eventualities.

The drummer will be in situ for some of the shots - but, also, need shots of the drum kit on it's own.
 
Anything like this?

drums.jpg
 
Yup - that'll be the image !

Would there anything arty that you could do with the composition of the shot ? I am totally lost with ideas - apart from to use the lighting available. And, obviously the drummer - but I can't take a fab shot of the drummer as it's the drum kit the photo should all be about.
 
You need to ask the manufacturer how they see the drum kit, what their vision is for it, who it's aimed at etc. I would think.
 
What djbolf said. From tripod.
One image with the drummer going ape, multi-coloured spots, multiple exposures blended, or strobe flashes during longish shutter speed. So that the kit stays stark and focused, while the drummer 'ghosts'.
One image 'clean': without the drummer, or the multi-coloured spots, plain light (large softboxes or reflectors).
Both images with tiny starry highlights from the chrome (faked in editing if need be).
Repeat both shots/images from a different viewpoint.

Lose the wires, mikes, and everything else that may detract from the kit. Clean up the background as much as possible. More distance between kit and background darkens the latter.
 
Yeah - that's the job !

Getting rid of the wires, mikes etc will make for a much cleaner image. And sorting out the back drop - I'll ask the guys to sort out a plain background so that means asking what colour his drumkit is as I don't want to really shoot a black drum kit on a black background !

A good idea to ask what they're after too - you do it when photographing people, eh !

thank you - some great pointers there, many, many thanks.
 
Two or three strong spotlights directed up through the kit (especially if it's nicely polished) makes for a pretty powerful image - I used to use this effect in band lighting days of yore.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top