Gig Photography

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chris-red

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Chris
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Shooting a gig tonight with a friends band, it's in a bar in London. So it will be DARK and I'll be up close.

Kit I'm taking with me.


50d
35mm f2
11-16 f2.8
18-135 f3.5-.56
EX568II
ST-E2

I'm fairly certain I'm not gonna be able to use the flash, I ain't asked yet but I can't image the band or punters will be happy with my blinding everyone.

I bought the ST-E2 Wireless Flash Transmitter as I have read it acts as an AF assist? I'm hoping it will help with the focus lock, any comments on this?

Any suggestions for good angles or ideas for interesting shots?

Any ideas for making use of the 11-16? I was thinking getting behind the band and having the crowd in focus looking excited through the band

I'm most concerned about getting the shutter speed high enough, I'm gonna be shooting a 3200iso I was gonna stop down 1 maybe even 2 stops and bring the detail back in processing.

Any general tips?
 
3200 sounds like a good ISO to go. Flash would more than likely be a no. I've shot a few gigs and never been able to use a flash. But really it wasn't to big of a deal with a wide aperture. I was shooting film though and I shot pretty much at F1.8 and ISO 1000 all night and the shots where fine.

Not sure what the lighting is like there but I saw some photography a while ago from a gig where the shots where the shadows on the wall of the band, taken from the right hand side. It was quite clever.
 
I wouldn't be too afraid to use flash on a band. In fact I have done; often.
(Rather amusing, to see flash's popping off in the middle of the crowd at big-gig's... yeah.. like a little 3GN flash is going to illuminate a stage!)
Small stage? little flash for fill in can work well.

ISO3200.... yes, no, maybe.

I used to shoot a lot on 400 slide push-processed to 1600, or 1600 print, in the SLR's; but would back up with 400 in the 35mm compact. (meter only went to 800, so gave me a stop of compensation to play with)

As always... its down to the ambient lighting.....

Pub-Gig? dont presume it is going to be THAT dark. And even if it is.... meter likely to presume 18% grey and try and lighten it up.

Very easy to get shots so brightened you loose atmosphere.

You want to catch the stage-lighting, and might actually have to under-expose to get the 'mood'...

Under stage-spots, you can get some pretty severe contrast, but you can also get some very subtle shading....

I have got some pretty moody shots on the old 35mm compact on just 200 or 400ASA, and some nice detail shots using a smatter of fill-in from it. and done likewise with Digi-Compact that only has 200 or 400ISO settings.

Subject & situations can be so diverse, you have to a certain degree just wing it, and go with what you think might work in any situation.

Likewise getting the angles.... some venues you can take liberties, standing on tables and such, others you have to be a 'bit' more err... inconspicuous.


These were taken at the Tic-Toc in Coventry...

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I noticed there was a disused balcony next to the stage, and seem to recall sort of scaling up to it, to get some high angle shots!

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But yeah... be wary about presuming to get good shots of the audience... they can be rather err... unpredictable..... fickle..... or just non existant!
 
Dont use flash its f***ing irritating in a small venue.

Its like going to a garage and watching someone welding.

I often see girlfriends of band members turn up at one of the venues I work with their DSLR in hand and proceed to flash away for the full 40 minute set and by the end you can see people are really really hacked off with it.

To experience what its like as an audience member, sit in a darkened room watching the television and then get a friend to fire the flash on your camera every 30 seconds or so and just see how long you can stand it.

And remember, at most gigs the audience have paid to see the performance NOT your photographic prowess or flash, so respect the audience and dont stand directly in front of people blocking their view or push them out the way to get 'the shot'

Respect the venue, so dont go climbing on speaker stacks or clambering back stage without permission from the promoter / venue / sound man whoever seems to be running the night.

Respect the promoter, no one seems to these days, but make a point of speaking to him/her after the gig and offering a few shots from the night for their facebook page or whatever, a couple of free shots here and there can go along way.


Dont bother with the 18-135, its just not fast enough, start with the 11-16 F2.8 and see how you get on, in a small venue when its really tight even the 35mm on a crop sensor will be like a 50mm, so yeah, ideal for head and shoulder shots but not what you want if you want to capture more than one band member in a shot.

Start at ISO 1600 and see how you go, you can always wind it up should you need it, you'll know within the first few minutes if thats enough.


In gig photography there seem to be two camps, those who produce technically perfect images with beautiful colours and those who capture the moment and their images convey the energy and the personality of the band.

Good luck and most of all enjoy it !!
 
Thanks for the advise all,

The 18-135 didn't even come out of the bag, the 11-16 and the 35mm were perfect for it.

I used the flash for a little bit, about 3/4 of the way through the show, as half the audience had cameras out flashing away. Put I prefered the results I was getting without.

the camera didn't come off 3200, it was just too dark. For the most but I had it on the widest apperture, and set the shutter speed at 1/100-250 depending on the shot. Usually this was reading as more than 2 stops down but it was the only was not to get blur and I think I got some good results.

Some of my Favs

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Interesting post, I will be taking some photos at an indoor Gig later in the year.

I have:

Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Canon EF 40mm f2.8 STM

I'm guessing ISO 3200 will be best bet for me too, just not sure what lens I should use.

Guess it depends how close I can get.
 
Phew! You had an obliging audience for your 'through the band' shot then!

The Super-soaker shot..... I think I like..... but it's sending shivers down my spine, envoking memory of the house band at uni after they fired the drummer... he was also door-staff at the SU bar... and got his revenge opening up a fire hose on the band the next time they played!

OM10's DONT like water. They really don't. Jessops Camera bags, though? They are remarkeably water-proof.... at least as far as keeping the stuff 'in'!
 
NEVER use direct flash for gig photography. No serious gig photographer ever does. If you really must, then bounce or diffuse it much as possible. I have done a couple of times because I was grabbing shots to promote a charity, not the band, but wanted them included in the atmosphere - using mixed light flash, bounced, with the ambient.

Not only will you pish the band off and half the crowd around you, using full on direct flash, but you'll just kill the ambient lighting too. You'll never get the same effect.

Don't be afraid to crank the ISO, to 6400 if needed. A little bit of grain never hurt a good rock'n'roll shot.

B&W is also your friend if the lighting is really bad, if you're getting nothing but blue + red over saturated faces.


ISO 2000:

Brother Shabo & the Soul rebels by Cagey75, on Flickr

ISO 3200

Pearl Jem @ Swan lane, Navan, Co. Meath by Cagey75, on Flickr


ISO 4000:

Y&T by Cagey75, on Flickr


Depends on the lighting, but very rarely will you ever find you must use flash for gigs. Use the ambient lighting, good timing, good positioning ... good processing on top if needed ;)
 
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What lenses do pro's tend to use for gigs? More interested in the focal length obv f2.8 in most cases I bet.
 
A big favorite amongst those I know who shoot gigs regularly is a 24-70mm f2.8. Obviously the make is personal preference, but this is a great lens on a full frame camera for gigs. If you shoot with a cropped sensor, then 17-50mm f2.8 is another good lens. Never forget the 50mm f1.8 but it's often too long.
It often depends on where you are positioned......in the pit or in the crowd? When in the pit (no flash, 3 songs and out) it's quite difficult to get "clean" wide shots (there's always a mike stand or cymbal in the way!) so often togs will concentrate on closer, more intimate shots. If quite a way back, a 70-200mm comes into its own.

Never forget one VITAL piece of equipment though..........earplugs!! They are vital if you are going to be up close to the speakers. Many venues now have a decibel monitoring system, so further back, things are much better, but you can still get damage when close up.
Have fun.
 
The supersoakers were filled with a mixture of cider and whiskey, I stayed well out of the way!
And you can thank the band for the obliging crowd, that was how it was for most of the gig!

On my 50D 6400 is H1 and looks terrible I did find myself eyeing up 5d MK3's afterwards to make my life easier ;-P

Earplugs were borrowed half way through as it was ****ING LOUD!

My advice for dark gigs.
If you can speak to the band, see what they are going to do, if there is any shots they'd like etc.
Plan your shots, I found I was switching lenses too often.
Earplugs.
Decent lenses are needed f2.8 and wider.
Set the ISO really high!.
Manual all the way. I usually stick to Av for most things. Manual really helps here throw out the light meter too, these shots are supposed to look dark, the light meter is looking for a balanced shot.
I set max ISO widest aperture and then tried to keep the shutter at 1/160+
See out dark it looks, you can always up the exposure in lightroom, although as the ISO is high not loads!
 
I shoot alot of gigs and every venue is very different for light so you do need to have the variety of lens in the bag i am fortunate to shoot with a Nikon D3s so can push the iso to very high levels. In all the gigs I have shot, in only one was I allowed to used flash but declined as for me it just kills the atmosphere in gig photography. my favored combination is the nikon D3s with the 24-70 2.8 on the front and depending on the size of venue will used the 70-200 for at least one of the 3 songs that you allowed to stay for in the pit. I find that alot of it is down to timing the lights will have a patten to them so you can pretty much work out when the stage is going to have lots of light and when it will have none, then you just to make the light moments count.
 
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