Photographing: Live Concert Indoors?!

[suzimar57]

Please help!

I have the Olympus SP-565UZ and will be going to an indoor theater concert soon (7th row center seats, Alice Cooper)

No matter what settings i've used, the photos never come out "right"

Either blurry or the shot i want never happens....

Any suggestions would be most appreciated - thank you!

 

[Frantasmic]

It is a 3 year old point and shoot camera that probably doesn't have the most advantageous sensor for indoor action shots.

Still, it can shoot raw and has image stabilization. You should shoot with your ISO as high as it can go and with your shutter speed as low as it will get but still capture motion. Still, your pictures are likely to be grainy due to noise, but a noise reduction program will help with that. If you shoot in raw, you can do some post-processing to help with your pictures.

With high iso and your shutter set to 1/100 to 1/125, you should get some decent shots, but some will most likely be blurry due to motion. Take a lot when the light is right and you should have some keepers, but that is part of the dilemma. Do you want to watch a concert or do you want to photograph a concert?

 

[atsolomon]

Concert lighting can be very strange and the automated metering that your camera does is unreliable. The performers are generally very brightly light against dark backgrounds.

Does your camera have a manual mode? You can shoot and increase your shutter speed until you get photos without the highlights blown out.

Last year I used my old/craptastic point and shoot to photograph a production of "Cabaret". I took the point and shoot because photography wasn't allowed (can we debate my unethical conduct some other time?).

Most of the photos are not entirely family friendly, but this one is OK to share here. Take a look at the exif data to get an idea of what kind of settings you might want to use on a brightly light subject with a dark background.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atsolo/5083519997/

You can see from other photos in the set that I had blown out highlights in any case. Compare the photos from "Cabaret" to this photo shot with my dSLR. Since I was able to look at the LCD panel during the performance I was able to refine my settings. http://www.flickr.com/photos/atsolo/5721222822/ As the poster above suggested, I used a high ISO and a high shutter speed to freeze motion.

Hope this was helpful.

Regards,

Adam

 

[YesDear]

I agree with the other posters as to what to do. I also want to remind you that many concerts today do not allow cameras. If this concert is one of them you do risk losing the camera or being asked to leave. I have seen both happen.

 

[photo_chick]

Ethical considerations aside, nice work with the p&s atsolomon. I love it when people push thier point and shoots to get shots like that.

 

[atsolomon]

Hey, Danielle, thanks! I'm glad you liked those photos. It was an amazingly well staged and light production. I wished they had allowed photography at the ART.

The poster who noted you risk losing your camera or getting harshed by security is absolutely right. If the venue doesn't allow photography, you might have to go guerrilla style: turn off the LCD if you can and cover up any LEDs on the camera. Umm, not to encourage unethical behavior or anything. ;-)

--Adam

 

[DPK400]

Concerts are kind of weird as far as rules go. Sometimes the bands (or their agents) do not want cameras. Sometimes, it is the venue that sets the rules. Definitely contact both to see what the official stance is.

As far as settings, there are some solid tipshere. I've only used DSLRs at concerts so I am not sure what kind of control you have with your camera. Most concerts that I've shot have had mixed results. Personally I've experienced the best luck shooting with long lenses and isolating people on the stage. That has typically been the best lighting overall since the musician is the person everyone wants to see. Wide angle shots tend to be more "artsy" with super wide ranges in exposure. Definitely follow the great advice given by others here with high ISO and wide apertures. Good luck and don't forget to enjoy the concert!

 

[suzimar57]

thank you all for the helpful suggestions - i don't mind watching the concert "thru" the lens of the camera, myself - and we recently saw alice in englewood without any problem using the camera (everyone else in the theater were using their cel phones to take photos) - will hopefully use the info above to get better photos this next time - again, thank you!

(it was all so much simpler back in the 70s, using a manual 35mm Minolta with interchangeable lenses....)