Concert Shooters PLEASE HELP.

[SGPhoto]

Hey Guys and Gals,
I could definitly use anyone's help who shoots concerts on a half way decent basis that might be able to give me some pointers on this subject.

Here is the equipment I will be using this Saturday night at a very dark club here in Ft. Worth:
Canon 10D
Canon 24-80 2.8
Canon 85 1.8

I will not really know what kind of lighting I will be getting until Saturday night. I do know the Band is bringing in their own strobes and things of that nature bu tnot sure how well it will light up the band members/crowd.

The band wants shots of them performing as well as the crowd, they have given me pretty much all the stage access I can get on this very small stage in this small Sports Bar.

I would like to get some of your suggestions as far as settings: I.E. ISO, should I shoot Aperture Priority and set at 2.8 and 1.8 lens prospectively?

Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated as this will be the first time I have been to a NIGHT Sports Bar type venue, all the other concerts (2) have been outdoors during the day.

BTW I have posted this same question in the other areas of the forum to get help with this situation

Thanks for all the help and suggestions I really appreciate it.

Steve

[photoman]

I think I already missed helping you, but I just learned of this site today. I have done lots of concert photography for some big name artists, however I have also done lots of small club shows where lighting is continually a challenge.

For a small club you will want to use as HIGH of an ISO as possible. I have a Fuji S2 Pro and use ISO 1600 (800 if the lighting allows).

Shoot as fast a lens as possible. 2.8 if you have them or 1.4 even if possible

I tend to use the center weighted meter for most of my live events and I also shoot is Shutter priority and try to stay above 1/30 as much as possible. If the artists are moving a ton you will need to bump this up to accomodate.

RARELY will an event hall or promoter allow flash, which is fine by me as the images do not normally turn out nearly as good when you use flash as they do under ambient stage lighting.

I have been successful using the Auto White Balance, but take a few shots and make a determination if this will work for what you want.

The biggest recommendation is take a ton of shots. If the artists are moving a lot shoot continuous in hopes that you will capture the action.

I usually pack a small maglite as it is very dark and if you drop a lens cap or something else it can be difficult if not impossible to find.

Here are a few shots in a club from a couple years ago. Not nearly enough light, but this is the best I could do given the lighting in the club

http://www.pbase.com/dhenders/concert

Hope this helps!
Don

[SGPhoto]

Don,
Thanks for posting and giving me the advice, never too late even thought I have already shot the concert after getting some advice from others but it helps me keep this information for future stuff as well.

If you get the chance check out the shots I took on my website @ www.pbase.com/tx24eagle under the first gallery and let me know your thoughts on how I did for the first one at night.

I look forward to any and all feedback I can get so it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again and maybe we could hook up sometime and go shoot a concert together.

Steve

[engstrom]

Steve,

first off let me congratulate you on some very nice pictures! Now, having said that I'm going to give you my opinions which are exactly worth what you're paying for them.

Your shutter speeds very generally very high - while that is good I might have liked to see a couple with slightly longer shutter speeds (say 1/30 - 1/60) to get more blue in the hands to convey the sense of motion. I would suggest dropping the ISO as I LOVE that 85 1.8 bokeh at 1.8. Also, I would have liked to see a few pictures that didn't have quite such a tight crop (I'm guilty of too tight a crop on most of my pictures too!).

Finally I'm not a concert shooter and I don't really know the ins and outs of good concert shots so I'm just telling you what I personally like - take it for what it's worth. You did a great job and I look forward to seeing more of your shots.

[SGPhoto]

John,
Thanks for the comments I totally appreciate it, I know what ya mean about the bokeh on the 85 1.8 that is the next lens that will be in my bag for sure, this was the first time I had ever shot with that lens as well as the 24-70 2.8, I love the weight of them both but can not yet afford either but with time I will be getting the 85 for sure. I did try a few at 800 ISO but they were not even near salvagable because of how dark the sports bar was, to give you an idea, this bar even had Black on the inside for insulation which made it even darker, the band had some pretty decent lights that lit up the stage from time to time but I still had to use 1600 to get those to come out weel enough as well. Being the first time at this type of venue as I was told by another photographer here I would really be able to test the metering system on the 10D, and I know I put her through her paces so to speak and will try to use centerweighted metering maybe the next time out.

I did use flash on some of the shots as you can see and it seemed to help out when I needed it and wanted to get those "Special Interaction" moments. But overall I am very pleased with what I got and I am still editing the last of the series and hope to have those finished and posted by next week.

Thanks again I truly appreciate the feedback.

Steve