I just got my first job!

Hacker

Hacker

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Colin
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I took my son for his guitar lesson (the same place I have mine) which is a sort of teaching school behind a music shop and I was talking to the owner who I've got to know over the last few months. They run a big event in the summer in Ware, Herts called Rock the Priory, an open air concert featuring about 12 bands and crowds ranging from 2,000 last year in the rain to 4,000 the year before.

As we were chatting I mentioned my possible impending redundancy and the fact that I had set up a website which he promptly looked at and on the spot offered me the official photographer slot for the concert as well as for the winter concert at the Hertford Marquee where all the bands from the teaching school play over two days, mostly kids so hopefully I'll sell a few prints to doting parents! :D

Now to the hard part - I've never shot a concert before! I'd really appreciate any hints and tips for shooting and equipment, it's on during the day and finishes around 6-7pm so there shouldn't be any problems with the lighting, they've also asked me to photograph the setting up the stage and sound sytem etc.

Finally he also asked me to photograph the shop and the instruments for his new web site which is currently being built. Phew! I'm still on a high but I'm sure I'll come back down to earth soon. :help:
 
Congrats, although the thread title didn't make much sense at first. Thought you were a school leaver or something. :)
 
Congrats & well done. You must be feeling very pleased with yourself :D
 
Hacker said:
Now to the hard part - I've never shot a concert before! I'd really appreciate any hints and tips for shooting and equipment, it's on during the day and finishes around 6-7pm so there shouldn't be any problems with the lighting, they've also asked me to photograph the setting up the stage and sound sytem etc.

Finally he also asked me to photograph the shop and the instruments for his new web site which is currently being built. Phew! I'm still on a high but I'm sure I'll come back down to earth soon. :help:
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well done man!

might want to get yourself some widish primes for the concerts then, i use a 50mm lens for alot of concerts although something slightly wider or longer would fill up your armery. shoot in aperture priority and try to keep the shutterspeed upwards of about 1/100th to freeze the action and keep away from camera shake. the wide aperture allows you to loose the distracting backgrounds and the plethora of cables etc that exist on stage.
ive recently started using a 18-50mm f2.8 for concerts and the results have come out great
 
Thanks Whitewash, I'm looking at getting the Sigma 10-20mm so hopefully that will fit the bill.
 
Fantastic news, for some reason the song "the only way is up" by Yazz came straight into my head. With some of these; :woot: :woot:

I love it, sounds like he saw your work and suddenly realised he he'd hit gold.

So your a photographer are you...
Yeah..
Oh...
Got a web site if you want to see it..
I suppose...
Wow, holy cow...your hired.

Mucho Congrats Hacker. :D
 
Well done, matey!

You'll need a relatively fast lens. I used my f1.8 50mm wide open for the pictures in the 'As Spotted Down The Pub' pics - and there was very little light available for them. I shot at ISO 1600. You might want to try using spot metering in aperture priorty mode to expose off a skin tone.

Best advice would be to get out and go along to a local gig and ask the band if they mind you taking shots of them.

And leave the flash at home - as a gigging muso, it can be quite off-putting at times, let alone the light ruining the atmosphere of the shot...
 
Hacker said:
Thanks Whitewash, I'm looking at getting the Sigma 10-20mm so hopefully that will fit the bill.
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might be a bit too wide for the gigs unfortunately, the near fisheye effect might be cool for one or 2 shots but you'll end up missing alot of details with it

for the price it might be wise to get a 50mm f1.8 as thats just right for gigs, alot of gig photogs use a 50mm prime

i always use centre weighted metering on my canon, tends to prevent the lights taking over, if you have spot metering even better
 
Thanks Catdaddy, I appreciate the advice. Hopefully I won't need too fast a lens for the first concert as it is open air during daylight but I'll certainly bear your points in mind. Good idea about going to a local gig to practice, might have to try that.
 
whitewash said:
for the price it might be wise to get a 50mm f1.8 as thats just right for gigs, alot of gig photogs use a 50mm prime

i always use centre weighted metering on my canon, tends to prevent the lights taking over, if you have spot metering even better
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I've got the 18-70 Nikkor lens so hopefully that will cover most eventualities.
 
whitewash said:
you say one of the concerts is going to be inside in a marquee? you might benefit from a wider aperture of a prime when light is a premium
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It's not actually a marquee but called the Hertford Marquee, an established venue, luckily this is not until December so that gives me time to source a fast prime/wide angle.

Appreciate the advice. (y)
 
one two three and





ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!


looking at some of the gallerys on the site the venue isnt bad for lighting but it certainly aint good, but i would recommend somethihg like a 50mm f1.8 or something in the 30's if you want something wider. that way you have the ability to shoot with a wider aperture if you need to of the lighting guy does a particularly bad job (sick of venues with no brians when it comes to lighting - they think more is better and everything looks overdone and more importantly all the musicians do is sweat! - but apparently it costs money to sort the lights out... no it doesnt it just means tunring them down a notch or 2 and angling them so they are effective)
 
Well done (y)

A few sample pictures from last year so people can maybe refine their advice ;)

I would say you are looking for a pretty shallow DOF because of the poor backdrop.
 
Well Done!!!! :clap:

Even from up ere in the frozen north I know Ware and Hertford well, having spent some time in St Margarets Herts.

Good luck with the event, and as has been said get out and take lots of test shots - also see if you can get any "staged" shots before the gig during sound check.

Always wish now I'd been into photography when I was touring with bands - but saw enough journos taking crap shots to know the principles of what not to do

Have fun

Allan
 
Congrats m8, PeteMc is the guy you want to speak to I think he has done a fair bit of gig photography and can tell you what lenses etc. work best for him.
 
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