Concert photography

[RadioNate]

I'm hoping a few of you seasoned photographers (read Ducklite, lol) can give me a few cheat sheet tips on concert photographs.

I'm going to try to take my S2IS to the Aerosmith show tonight. I don't know what Aerosmith's photography guidelines are so I may not be able to take that big of a camera in anyway. It does fit the arena's guidelines.

I will be in our box which for basketball is center court and about 25 rows up. That makes it to the side of the stage for concerts about 1/2 way back maybe 10 rows up. In any case I'll need to use the zoom and the flash is out.

I'm not looking to sell to Rolling Stone just a few 1/2way decent shots for the scrapbook.

I actually don't think Aerosmith will allow camera's which is cool. I'm having DH check at work. Even though I'm sure I could get it in, I don't want to if it's against the rules.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Sometimes the venue will allow point and shoot. S2 is one of them. The ones the consider "big" are dSLR/35mm SLR or larger.

 

[RadioNate]

I actually could get in pretty much any camera I wanted as DH has an office in the arena. All I really would have to do is bring it there now and then get it out of his office during the show. The S2IS is within arena guidelines, I'm just not sure if the band is asking for no cameras.

Any idea on what settings to use. I'll guess I'll just have to play with it if I do bring it along.

 

[fiffy]

The flash will acomplish nothing but to help under expose your photographs. Turn it off. I wouldn't use the zoom either if useing a point and shoot camera as the lenses are so small as it is they allow very little light into them. And your in a situation which has very little light availible. Plus, the more you zoom out the more room the light has to travel which also can lend twords an underexposed photo. If you have the availibility to put the camera into an Aperature Priority mode then set it as low as possible and let the camera figure out what shutter speed to use. If you can set the ISO bump it up to 800. But, it really depends on how close you can get to the subject. The closer the better.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

IIRC, S2IS can only go up to ISO400. But yeah, set it to ISO 400, aperture as wide as possible (the smallest number possible) and let the camera be your guide. You have IS anyway (oh yeah, make sure the IS option is in ON position)

 

[Deedee]

Hi dturner i love your pic of Con and Bo my DD and i think Constantine is soooo hot. Wish we were able to see American idol tour.

 

[ducklite]

Sorry I missed this the other day, I've been busy getting a backlog of concert pics up on my web site.

I am a professional concert photographer--I get photopasses and bring my DSLR or I don't bother to bring a camera and just go to enjoy the show.

The advice you got was good, use at least a 400 ISO and open that aperture up. If you've got a sports mode that will sometimes work well, and putting your camera on multiframe also helps.

If I were shooting Aerosmith I would probably try ISO 400 to get the least noise--they should have enough stage lighting to make that quite possible. (I take that back, I KNOW they will, an old friend of DH & I is the LD and I've seen the plot) Other groups I've had to go into the 800+ range, and that's using f/1.8 glass!

As far as bringing in the camera to begin with, most arenas will allow cameras with non-detachable lenses, but often won't allow their use in the first ten rows. The concert clubs are the ones that are stricter, House of Blues venues are about the strictest, they generally won't allow ANY camera except the one built into your cell phone, and required the pros to sign a pretty restrictive release prior to getting the photopass.

So, did your photo's come out? Will you be posting them?

Anne (Who's now off to Philly to shoot Nonpoint and Sevendust tomorrow night, and Theory of a Deadman and Staind Sunday night.)

 

[FergieTCat]

I've set both my Rebel SLR and A520 like this to get concert photos. It might depend how close you are to the stage, but here goes:

Turn off red eye reduction and the flash (in fact, turn off anything on your camera that could possibly cause a flash)
Set ISO to 400
Put camera setting on TV
Set the shutter speed at 1/125
Let the F stop bounce (it usually settles at 4.5 or 5.6)

I took amazing photos of Barry Manilow in Las Vegas in November on those settings. I did have a close seat, but I have taken stage photos from farther back on those setting with my SLR and a zoom lens.

Donna

 

[RadioNate]

I gave up and didn't bring it. What I'm totally sad about now is that the catwalk, stage extension was about 20ft in front of my face and I would have gotten some good shots. I was really just too lazy to bring it down before the show...of course now I'm kicking myself.

They had pleanty of lighting. I'll get DH to send me the pathetic ones we took with his camera phone! lol

Anyway, thanks for everyone's advice. We go to a lot of shows and I'll be braver next time.

I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten in trouble as I was sitting with 4 employees of the arena.

 

[dturner]

Anne (Who's now off to Philly to shoot Nonpoint and Sevendust tomorrow night, and Theory of a Deadman and Staind Sunday night.)

Your my hero!!!!

I always wanted to be a professional concert photographer.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

not too many people in the US will know him (yet) but here are some of the shots I took last night during his concert at the Toronto Opera Company. I'll becovering the same show, but the more formal version at Roy Thomson Hall tomorrow.

Brian Roman

His band and backup singers

 

[bsbkmacgowan]

Hey Kelly, was that concert at their Front Street theatre?

Up to almost 3 years ago, we owned a condo unit at the Gooderham & Worts district right across Parliament St. from the Opera Company's building. (I love old architecture... not enough of it left, unfortunately!) No longer living in Toronto, though...

Great pictures, too!

Sandy (et al)

 

[Kelly Grannell]

It was at a church at Queen St E and Carlaw, 2 blocks north of Lake Shore Blvd. Parking was hellish and expensive too!

 

[makinorlando]

Hey Kelly - the photos are awesome.

What kind of music do they perform. I especially like the first close up and the one of the guy playing the trombone!

 

[KingdomHeartsFan]

Hi... I have a Kodak EasyShare DX4530 Digital Camera and I have trouble taking pictures of nighttime parades and any shows or concerts. I try using the flash sometimes (not very often) and the pictures come out semi-clear but very dark... I try without the flash and the pictures come out quite brite but usually pretty blurry (especially if the subject is moving at all). Can anyone help me get some bright and clear pics of these subjects... thanks.

 

[Anewman]

The reason FlashLESS pictures look brighter is because the Shutter stays open longer, and since the shutter is open longer any movement(camer or subject) translates into BLUR.

The reason images WITH flash look darker is because the Camera figures the subject will be illuminated by the flash and speeds up the shutter speed, BUT you must be too far away for the subject to be FULLY illuminated by the small in camera flash.

Tips(with current camera)
1. Get a Tripod and shoot without flash.
2. Shoot with flash but get well within 15 feet of the subject.

 

[JR6ooo4]

I looked at some of your cameras specs:
it has an aperture of f2.8 when shooting wide and f4.8 when zoomed in. f2.8 is pretty fast so leave the camera wide and zoom with your feet whenever posible.
As Anewman said onboard flash is mediocre at best when compared to good sunlight. Almost every cam is very limited in onboard flash range. Your specs are 2-11 feet. If your subject is much farther then save your batteries. The cam does support exposure compensation. So you can take one pic and if it is close then tweak the exposure and shoot again. remember to go back to neutral when the scene or lighting changes.
The real problem is movement of the subject. If the scene is still you can expose exactly correct. Like a night time castle shot. But the camera must be perfectly still. When the subject is moving (like spectro magic) and the shutter stays open long enough for proper exposure then everything moving is blurry. Believe me it is the struggle of the ages. One reason Pro SLR folks spend $100's to $1000s on "fast glass" lenses.
If you post a link to some of the problem pics and the shooting info is included (exif) it will help to see what can be done.
Mikeeee

 

[tigger795]

I'ts been a while since I have tried night shots with a Point-N-Shoot but you might get less blurry results if you use less zoom and crop/enlarge on your PC. When you zoom far in, any movement is spread across more pixels on your sensor. Zoom out and fewer pixels are involved which should result in a sharper picture. I'ts worth a shot.

--
Randy

 

[Kelly Grannell]

for concert:

use highest ISO possible,
use shutter speed of at least 1/250
use spot metering and AE lock

my usual settings:

1. ISO 1600 (or 3200) depending on the venue
2. constant f 2.8 lens with IS
3. shutter speed from 1/250 to 1/800 depending on the type of concert.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

oh, no monopod, no tripod, no flash.