Dance Recitals

[pointandshoot]

I have shot dance (jazz and ballet) for my goddaughter. Stage lighting with no flash allowed.

The 70-200 f/2.8 combined with ISO 800-1600 works well. I have done that from my seat. Some recitals had area on sides where I could stand and shoot when she was on stage. I found the primes such as 85mm f/1.8 or 50mm f/1.2 also worked well.

Your exposure can change as you zoom or the dancers move to different places on the stage. Stage lighting can be inconsistent. I would try to pick a spot where lighting was best and wait for the action to happen at that location.

Also, I tend to pick a focus point instead of having the camera select it. It could choose to focus on a dancer in the background instead of your intended target.

You need a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action unless you intend for blur style image.

To me, shooting NHL hockey players, martial arts, air shows, birds in flight, dancers, etc. have very similar techniques for good, sharp images. I use single focus point, apertures in the 2.0 range for inside lights, AI focus for tracking motion, and practice on tracking subjects as they move. Also, learning to fire the shutter quickly after focus is established helps. It takes practice to shoot motion.

I will post a dance shot later. This is arena light, shot through smudge glass, no flash, 100mm, f3.2, 1/2000, ISO 1600 on 5DMKII.

Chuck

 

[atsolomon]

It depends a great deal on the lighting and how close you can get. I shot this with my T1i's kit lens at a dance recital.

I think the key bit is using manual mode. The automatic modes tend to get confused by the dark background and brightly light subject.

You don't necessarily need to purchase a specialized lens for this.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atsolo/4554261757/


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4554261757_0105ae2413.jpg


--Adam

 

[photo_chick]

Thank you one and all for the tips!

I will have to give a look at the 70-200 f/4 as another choice as well.

If you want a tele zoom with an f/4 constant on the cheap you can also consider the 70-210 f/4. It's an older Canon build and has the old style push/pull zoom, but it's a constant f/4 and sharper than the entry level tele zooms out now. The best part.. it goes for around $150 in excellent condition used. No, it's not L series, but it's a great lens for under $200.

 

[pointandshoot]

It depends a great deal on the lighting and how close you can get. I shot this with my T1i's kit lens at a dance recital.

I think the key bit is using manual mode. The automatic modes tend to get confused by the dark background and brightly light subject.
--Adam

Completely agree. I shoot mostly manual at a well lit area on stage.

This is from 70-200 F/2.8 shot at 200mm, ISO 1600, +2/3 stop, 1/1000, f/2.8. Cropped with some sharpening.

Funny, I got a dance recital this weekend I am attending and will likely shoot for the parents. Next day is soccer game for a friend. Funny how you can become the community photographer when the price is free.

 

[mom2rtk]

So do you guys use spot or center-weighted metering for stage stuff?

I'm thinking I'll need something like that for graduation.

Thankfully with a last name starting with "S", I'll have plenty of kids to practice on before it gets to us! I'm assuming I should practice with the settings, then switch to manual.

I'm not trying to hijack. I just think the issues are fairly similar.

 

[pointandshoot]

Just checked the exif on the photo I posted. I did not realize I shot Auto Mode. It was Spot Metered with +2/3 compensation. I guess that is why I added the exposure compensation since the Auto likely darken the exposure.

Thinking back, I did not shoot manual since the lights were so uneven. Auto allowed me to shoot anywhere on stage. Since it was likely darker than I wanted, I compensated.

Chuck