BetterPhoto Q&A
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shooting bands in low light situations no flash /

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June 05, 2005

I found this website to really informative. I haven't gotten to try any of it yet as I only found it yesterday. So fill me in, how do you get to shoot the bands up close. First 3 songs is generally what you get with a press pass. This is the direction I would like to go. Any helpful hints?

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June 05, 2005

RE - "images dark and very red"
Are you setting the White Balance for tungsten/incandescent light? If not that would account for the overly red cast. Using film, especially Superia, gives good results because it has much wider exposure latitude than most digital sensors, and the "4th color layer" technology of the Fuji film allows better correction of color from non-daylight sources like tungsten and fluorescent lights.

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June 06, 2005

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June 06, 2005

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June 06, 2005

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June 06, 2005

I'm going to give some film recommendations:
I've done it using high speed B&W (which you may find suitable for the bands, venue and music and eliminates "crappy color"): TMax P3200 and Delta 3200 at EI 1600, in a very small club with modest "stage" lighting that isn't all that bright. At EI 1600, both films have granularity similar to Tri-X at its rated ISO 400 and it opens up the latitude some. Both these B&W films are multi-speed and their true rating is about ISO 800 (which I don't recommend using them at). They were made to be pushed. At EI 1600, it's Push 1 and must be developed for Push 1 by a pro lab (consumer labs won't know what you're talking about).

If you want color, try Fuji Press 1600 . . . similar to the Fuji 800 you tried, but one stop faster.

Lens of choice (for my working distance) is a fast 85mm f/2 prime opened up to f/2.8 and it gets me shutter speeds of 1/60th to 1/125th second. It's a real challenge avoiding camera shake and the extremely shallow depth of field (often 6 inches or so) . . . but with a little work to gain some experience at the edge of what can be done hand held, it is possible to get some good photographs.

I watch performers' behaviors on stage . . . nearly all repeat them periodically . . . pre-focus for a composition I want . . . compose it . . . and wait until the performer moves into the shot when he/she repeats the behavior.

It's very, very difficult to get an entire band . . . they're usually quite dynamic and someone is either blocking someone else, or the drummer is behind part of his trap set, or one of them is in a less than desirable "pose." It requires great patience to get a good one! I try to do most of my shots of the individual band members . . . if you need the whole band, and it proves impossible to get, a collage can be made from individual shots.

-- John Lind

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June 06, 2005