Tips for shooting a music festival please

[rflower]

Hi all,
There is a Christian Gospel Music festival being held down here (south of the Border in Mexico ) on Easter Sunday / Monday. They were after volunteers, so I did. I mentioned that I was into photography, and they have asked me to be one of the photographers for the event (on Monday).

I will have access all areas, and they are after shots that they can use to try and get sponsors for next year etc, including crowd shots (including the overall crowd and smaller groups), some of the activities going on around the place, plus some of the bands playing as well (who'd have thought huh ) I may be able to get close to the stage.

The bands will be playing in a biggish circus tent (with a blue roof).

Anyone got any tips or tricks to think of?
Will the complement of lenses in my collection below be adequate to get the job done.

Thanks
______
Russell
Nikon D80 // 50 1.4 // 18-200 VR // Tamron 90 // SB-800 // 70-300G
I'm on Redbubble too ... http://www.redbubble.com/people/rflower
If you can make one of my photos look better and you have the inclination ... please do so.

[Pehpsi]

I'd be taking the SB-800, 50mm and probably also the 18-200VR. You can mix it up, and take some shots with flash and others in natural lighting.

Chances are high that lighting will suck, so the 50 1.4 will be super-handy.

[shakey]

I think that you should be able to get a great selection of photos with those lenses. You just have to really look at composition and distractions in the frame when you shoot concerts. There are mike stands, electrical cords and other random musician objects cluttered on stage. Try and take shots where these dont get in the way. If there is a lot of stuff cluttered near the musos face the AF may focus on those high contrast objects rather than the face...well that's what I found with my D70. Some musos spend a lot of time on stage with their eyes closed or only half open..(my only experience is folk concerts..gospel may be different. )

Must admit I love the 70-200 VR for concerts...shallow DOF is great for isolating the subject and the VR is great for the shakiness.

I'm only a beginner with the odd concert shot, but hopefully some other more experienced will chime in.

Best of luck

[mickeyjuice]

I shot a church conference last year (lighting was woeful) and the thing I found was to try lots of different stuff. I used everything from 10mm (Sigma 10-20) to 280 (Sigma 70-200/2.8 with a 1.4xTC attached). Shoot a LOT of images - it improves the number of keepers you'll get. (I only had the 10D then - the 40D would have rocked. Wish I'd had it then, because the high ISO is MUCH cleaner.)

Here's what I got. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickeyjuice/sets/72157600204075670/ You might want to sample a few @ random out of that lot. I used a flash for some, but I often had the flash in manual and wound back. Also don't be afraid to experiment with some slower shutter speeds, can be interesting.

[gstark]

Hi Russell,

Tips? #3 in the 8th at Randwick?

Tricks? Wrong part of town, I'm afraid: Try St Kilda or Kings Cross.

You say this is going to be in a tent? With a blue roof? Can you say "colour casts" ?

Colour casts may, or may not, be an issue. Shoot raw (why would you shoot anything else?) and your two best friends will be the 50, the Tammy, and the 18-200. Yep, that's two. A very large value of two.

Start by using the metering in the camera (use spot), and see what that gives you. If the stage lighting is predominantly red, then metered -2EV will be needed to avoid blowing out everything. Remember that you're not simply fighting camera shake with slowish shutter speeds, but you will also be battling with subject movement. While 1/30 or 1/60 might address camera shake, somebody on stage might be moving their head, and even at 1/125 that will show. Look for stops in their movement; listen to the beat of the music for clues about the timing of this.

Note your meter reading, then switch to M and impose those values.

Don't be scared to use flash - at least as fill. After you've set your meter, turn your flash on, but pull it back by about 1.3 - 2 EV.

And don't forget that you're also there to enjoy yourself. Join in the festivities too. Then grab some more images. Use the 18-200 @ 18, hold it above your head and point it back down at the people. or shoot from a low angle.

[rflower]

Thanks for your comments guys.

I know what the tent looks like, cause I was there yesterday helping to set it up. My mate asked if I could help put up a marquee. I tell you, it's no marquee, it a circus tent


It looked big yesterday when we were lacing the 9 sections that make up the roof. I wasn't there when the roof went up, but took the camera along today when we finished putting on the sides. The walls are as tall as a semi trailer - so much so that we used a scissor lift to hoist the wall panels and attach them.

Tips? #3 in the 8th at Randwick?

Gottit thanks I was thinking #7 in the 3rd but anyway.

Hi Russell,
You say this is going to be in a tent? With a blue roof? Can you say "colour casts" ?

Yep Tent with a blue roof.

Colour casts may, or may not, be an issue. Shoot raw (why would you shoot anything else?) and your two best friends will be the 50, the Tammy, and the 18-200. Yep, that's two. A very large value of two.

I will take into account all of the things raised and give them a whirl. Once again, thanks

[threesongs]

that tent looks like one i helped setup @ Falls festival in lorne.
if its a music festival - you are unlikely to be able to use flash on the artists
I tend to shoot raw, because sometimes its impossible to get the exposure spot on with soo many lights flicking on and off.

[gstark]

that tent looks like one i helped setup @ Falls festival in lorne.

Looks kinda like fake grass to me.

[surenj]

Cud use a blue filter on your flash if needed..

[Thommo]

when i shoot gigs i generally start off with iso 800. f2.8 - 2/3 exposure comp. on ap priority. if there is enough (ie im getting shutterspeeds in the 1/250-500 i will then use f4, the sharpness is so much clearer at F4.

if there is alot of red in the lights you will need to underexpose a great deal, like about 2 stops.

that tent also looks like the one silverchair and powderfinger used on their tour last year, and they had an AWESOME lighting rig.

[gstark]

if there is alot of red in the lights you will need to underexpose a great deal, like about 2 stops.

I was at a friend's place yesterday, looking through some old vinyl. I couldn't help but notice on the cover of one LP - we're talking late 60s, btw, this was filum - there was a shot of the bass player and a guitar. I think it may have been the Easy Rider LP by Les Byrds (it was a French pressing).

This seemed to have been shot under red stage lights, and ... yep, it too looked blown in parts. That took me by surprise.

And for those who may be interested, in looking through this record collection, we found an LP, one side of which I will be using to open my Sunday night radio show this coming weekend. I do classic (60-70s) rock on the last Sunday of the month. Who's up for guessing what this opening track will be?

[BullcreekBob]

I do classic (60-70s) rock on the last Sunday of the month....

Do you stream the show for those of us silly enough to not live in Sid-a-knee?

[gstark]

I do classic (60-70s) rock on the last Sunday of the month....

Do you stream the show for those of us silly enough to not live in Sid-a-knee?

The station is setting up some streaming facilities as we speak. Sadly, this takes forever and then some. We should have broadband by the end of April; my expectation for streaming is mid year, as we need to have an internal server connected to the transmitter input (or thereabouts) to provide a feed.

[Pehpsi]

I'm interested to know how people choose their settings and it what order?

I usually go for 2.8 first, then start at 1/80s, then set ISO to whatever's needed. Usually 800+.

Although, I sometimes can't decide if I'd rather a higher shutter/ISO, or, a lower shutter/ISO combo.. First option will be less noisy, but run the risk of blurry pics with option 2. Guess it's up to me to figure out in time as I find the limits.

Seeing as band members are are usually in different lighting, I'm trialing a method where I concentrate on one person for a whole song, then each song I change members. It means I don't have to fiddle with the ISO, which is a little less straight-forward on the D70, as you have to press a button and check the top LCD screen and sometimes even press the LCD light to see it.

[seeto.centric]

phepsi, i actually like where the ISO button is on the D70 series. i guess im still getting used to the ISO button position on higher end bodies & no, i wont trade
but youre right, unlike the later models, you need to eitehr memorise and count the jogs on the wheel or use the light sometimes.

-j

[rflower]

Well I went and did it ... (last week almost now but who's counting ...)

Can I say bloody 2 finger reset Aagh! I normally don't reset like this, but decided to before going. It changed from spot to matrix metering mode and I didn't realise until the second band started. No wonder all the shots taken outside in the afternoon's festival were too bright - I was metering as if using spot meter (like I normally do). I know I know ... RTFM!

I ended up shooting in JPEG a) cause I had limited space (3gb in total), and b) cause I had to give all my photos over that night to the organisers, and they did not have anything to convert from raw.

I see now, why people say that shooting in red light is crap. Some of my photos make people look like cartoons. It was concert style lighting with automated (controlled) light machines, so the colours cycled through red, blue, yellow, green, rainbow effects, hard spot light etc.

I shot in Manual at ISO 400 for most of the night, most of the time with my 18-200. Aperture as big as I could get (3.5-5.6), shutter between 1/20 and 1/100

It was good fun though, and definitely enjoyed myself. Thanks for everyone who gave tips on shooting etc.

I had an access all areas pass, which got me into the area between the crowd and the bottom of the stage.


I was even able to go up onto the sides of the stage to get closeup shots of the bands + crowd shots looking out. Here are a couple of my favourite shots from the night. (I will start a post for some band shots soon).
Jars Of Clay - Stage Shot


The Lightning started in the 3rd band. I took this photo outside the tent, camera on my little tripod (the size of a pen) and caught some of that lightning
The Rezfest Tent with Lightning overhead

[mickeyjuice]

Nice Jars of Clay shot - I played some of them this morning onair. Good colours on the crowd for sure.

[gstark]

Russell,

You've done well with these.

[Pehpsi]

Cool shots, looking good! #2 is a beauty

[rflower]

Thanks for the comments guys.

I have added a gallery with links to flickr HERE