how do you shoot live music indoors?

[AndrewCCM]

Originally Posted by Abel

ive wanted to try flash for some smaller concerts but i would use them on camera. id mount a couple here and there on the speaker racks or lighting rails etc and have them gel'ed... that setup requires some pocketwizards... maybe one day ill try it..

I have shot that way before. My problem turned out that the color from the gel ended up dominating the rest of the lighting. It's really a balancing act.

For the record, I shoot at very high ISO. I sometimes will put on camera flash, but turn it down by -2 stops and expose for ambient light. The flash will pretty much just puff.

[AndrewCCM]

For the record, Firewater has some pretty strong lighting...so you may be able to get away with lower ISOs... I can't remember my settings as it's been quite awhile since I have shot there... So long, I was still using a D70 at the time I think.. LOL

[doctahjones]

i'm still talking about using the flash at the lowest setting, probably even set to rear curtain so i get the most amount of ambient light. but i probably won't be able to use it...

i just don't know that f/2.8 would be low enough at 400 iso. like i said, 800/1600 is too much grain for me with the d50.

it will probably end up that i'll just use my 50mm f/1.8 @ iso400, but i've tried that before taking shots of friends while at the bar (milos off greenville ave), and i could only get about 1/50 for shutter, and still ended up with a little camera shake.

[Daniel Bates]

I've shot some live music (you can see exactly what on my blog) with a Canon Mark IIN and either a 35mm f/1.4L or a 135mm f/2L. My ISO is usually at 1250 or 1600 with my aperture at f/2; I try to keep my shutter speed above 1/30 for the 35L and above 1/200 for the 135, in general. Lighting in my usual venue is dim to say the least, and mostly consists of solid colour washes. (Ugh.)

[crackhead]

use fast lenses f-stop between 1.4 and 2.2

28 1.8
35L
50 1.4
85 1.8

if the club has a white ceiling, bounce the flash

[Jake]

I agree with what's been said already. My favorite concert photos that I have shot were without flash.
But you can get decent shots using your flash.

Here's a boring one, but it came out OK for on camera flash.
1/60, f/2.8, ISO1600 @200mm


Or some extreme shutter dragging at low ISO.....

[AndrewCCM]

Jake,

I didn't know you were into shooting classical music.

[AndrewCCM]

Originally Posted by carlyerin

with my fingers crossed and a high ISO. ;)

Gotta love those plastic Danoelectro's. I have one.. LOL

[Jake]

Originally Posted by AndrewCCM

Jake,

I didn't know you were into shooting classical music.

Oh yes my fine lad!
I believe that last shot I posted was during a magnificent rendition of Joseph Haydn's opus 76....in D minor.

[AndrewCCM]

Originally Posted by thejakestir

Oh yes my fine lad!
I believe that last shot I posted was during a magnificent rendition of Joseph Haydn's opus 76....in D minor.

Ah yes.. "D Minor... The saddest of all keys...I call this particular piece, Lick my Love Pump" - Nigel Tufnal (This is Spinal Tap)