I finally worked it out

P

petemc

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Pete
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Theres been a style of gig photography that I've loved but I've been unable to master. On Thursday I finally figured out how to do it.

The night started out like any other night at a gig.

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The usual 50mm and 10mm shots. But then when the 3rd band came on and I was playing around with the flash @ 1/10th and the fast moving singer I spotted the style I love.

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All this time I had been thinking the key was 2nd curtain flash. It wasn't.

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The next band came on and while very good they didn't appear to be rocking it enough for me to get the shots I wanted.

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Then the final band came on. The club emptied and I was a bit worried I wouldn't get to play. However, they turned out to be a great band.

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I finally figured out how to do it. It wasn't 2nd curtain. It wasn't holding the camera as still as possible hoping the people move around. It was quite simply the flash goes off, shutter stays open for x amount of time and you move to create the effect. I'm really happy now. There seem to be 2 main styles of gig photography, that I've seen. The style from the top using the gig lighting to create stylish atmospheric images, and the style with the flash to sorta capture the energy of the performers. I'm really happy that I'm starting to master the flash.
 
Good for you Pete. I'm sure you'll go through the overuse stage of this effect for a while until you calm down ;) What % of shots do you think use this effect in the field ?
 
Pete, I really love that style of shot (well, pretty much all of your photos really). Did you acheive these with the cameras' inbuilt flash or an external flash fitted in the hotshoe?
Simply excellent work, thanks for sharing.
Rich
 
good shots Pete, i like your gig shots, any Blues bands playing? Might make a good entry for the monthly eh!

about #6 though...can you not smell the pot-noodle tinged sweat from those students??? and is that girl on her own in #6 the minger off the sugababes??
 
DJW said:
Good for you Pete. I'm sure you'll go through the overuse stage of this effect for a while until you calm down ;) What % of shots do you think use this effect in the field ?
Click to expand...

I couldn't say. Its not an effect that suits every band. Its not exactly the kind of thing I used on say the chelloist :) For me its a rock band effect. It seems to capture the motion, the energy, the power of their sound as if its become a tangeble thing you can see and touch. So its all down to the band :)

RickMezza said:
Pete, I really love that style of shot (well, pretty much all of your photos really). Did you acheive these with the cameras' inbuilt flash or an external flash fitted in the hotshoe?
Simply excellent work, thanks for sharing.
Rich
Click to expand...

External flash. Sigma DG500 mounted on my hotshoe.

Matty said:
good shots Pete, i like your gig shots, any Blues bands playing? Might make a good entry for the monthly eh!

about #6 though...can you not smell the pot-noodle tinged sweat from those students??? and is that girl on her own in #6 the minger off the sugababes??
Click to expand...

Good idea. I do know a band called Blue Demon, kinda swing / rock style. Dunno any blues though. And no, she wasn't from the Sugababes :)
 
Some cracking shots there! The crowd in #6 look like they're almost asleep!
 
getting better and better Pete :thumb:
 
Some great effects, makes me think of Jimi Hendrix - really like eight and ten, think the appearance of a ghost in ten makes it for me though:thumb:
 
you seem to have a great knack for these shots pete, im suitably impressed
 
Great shots Pete,
did the band not mind the flash?
took some flash shots of a gig once, the lead singer said if i didnt stop he would poke the camera in a place that would be diffecult to explain to the E&A!!
 
Madpup said:
Great shots Pete,
did the band not mind the flash?
took some flash shots of a gig once, the lead singer said if i didnt stop he would poke the camera in a place that would be diffecult to explain to the E&A!!
Click to expand...
They didn't seem to mind. There is always the issue of the flash, especially at 10mm where you have to get close. I try and go easy, but I can get carried away :)
 
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