Concert photos thread!

casey wrote:

Did anyone notice that Ed is wearing a Plamatics shirt at Astoria, Albany and Chicago? I don't know if he was wearing it in Hartford because he has a shirt over it.

elnino wrote:

What kind of camera do you have and how close were you?? Those pictures were EXCELLENT!! Any tips on what settings to have on the camera and stuff?

dpphoto wrote:

Pointers for a taking photos at a concert:

- Turn off the flash: you dont need it to get a good shot and it bugs the artists

- Turn off focusing lasers/grids: some cameras have them to assist in focusing in the dark. You don't want that hitting the artist in the face. The stage should be bright enough that the assist lamp would not engage but it would be a good idea to turn it off (if you can).

- Use manual mode or a priority mode (aperture or shutter): This will force the camera to hold its settings or, in a priority mode, will set one and allow the other to adjust itself given lighting conditions etc. If you go priority mode, I suggest aperture and setting it to the smallest number (which lets in more light). Most will have f2.8 at the widest zoom but force to a different aperture if you zoom in. Check your manual to see how yours works.

- Shutter speed: it's very difficult to handhold a shot at anything slower than 1/60 of a second. Usually anything slower and you will see "hand shake" - meaning your own movement of the camera while the shutter is open. A slow shutter speed will also blur the action on stage if people are moving. You may be going for that look. Depending on your distance from the stage and how bright the lights are at particular times, you should probably be able to get away with f2.8 1/100 or 1/125. This faster shutter speed will help stop the action while still having some bluriness of artist movement and help eliminate hand shake.

- Crank up the ISO as needed: most digital camera have at least 800 or maybe 1600 or something in between. It will cause some noise but you can clean that later. The point is to trade noise for a clearer shot. Bumping it up will allow you to achieve the settings mentioned above. So do this if you cant get the desired settings in order to get a clear shot.

- Shoot RAW mode: If your camera has a RAW mode, USE IT! Raw allows a lot of room for editing with no image degridation (unlike jpg) If you are taking the time to lug a camera and take photos during the show then take them with the best option available to you, which is RAW if you have the option. Note: you will need something to edit RAW files with. Your camera likely came with software or if you have Photoshop CS, CS2, Elements, or any other product that can read/edit RAW files. If you dont, set your camera to the highest quality jpg and bring enough storage cards for the night.

- When focusing....WAIT!: Most digital cameras have a focus lag, particularly noticeable in dark settings. Most also focus and take the shot with the same button. So, you press the button "halfway", let it focus (usually something alerts you the focus is achieved), then you press the button down the rest of the way to take the shot. Because of the dark setting the camera may "hunt" a bit so take the time to let the focus happen then ...click!

- Steadyyyyy... steady...: You may be shooting with slow shutter speeds so to keep movement to a minimum you may want to use the actual viewfinder when taking your shots which will allow you to rest the camera against your face to help support it. If you use the screen on the back that will require you to hover the camera in the air which allows more movement. And take photos when you are finishing your "out" breath. This will help you to relax plus you will have less body movement than when your chest is expanding on the "in" breath. Keeping your elbows into your body will also help with support.

- Review your images: After you get your settings straight and take a few pictures, be sure to review them. Use any histograms or overexposure meters to help decide if your settings are correct. If things are "blown out" (too much light), increase your shutter speed and/or decrease your ISO. If things are really dark, do the opposite.

-Position: Usually a small movement in any direction can create a better photo. Get in the right spot to remove those heads in front of you, etc.

Hope this helps.

- http://www.pbase.com/dimages/music

sharptoe wrote:

Anyone have Chicago pics?