 Paula Vergara |
taking photos at a theater performance I recently had an assignment to take photos at a theater performance, I was using 1600 speed color film, without using a flash. I was sitting in the 6th row, thinking that I had a great seat and was close enough to get good shots. I had the film developed, and requested only a digital CD, no prints, to allow for easier online access, and less work for me in the end. As you can see by some of the samples given, even though the lighting is good in some, the photos are blurry. How do I prevent this blurriness? Because the performers were constantly moving, I am assuming that this played a role in the blurry results. I was afraid to go any higher than 1600 speed, as I worried about too much grain. Would I have been better off with a digital camera? I have a very basic Canon powershot, 3MP. I may have to do this again in a few months, so I'd like to learn from my mistakes from the experts before then! Thanks so much,
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robert G. Fately |
Hi, Paula - I looked at your gallery but didn't see any shots that fit the description you gave - not that it matters for this conversation. Indeed, the problem was, no doubt, that you're shutter speed was too slow to freeze the motion of the actors. And even with a DSLR - if you set one to 1600 or 3200 ISO there's the noise issue, which is much like grain. Remember that a properly exposed image is the end result of 4 factors: Obviously, you can't control the light on the stage. Even if you have a ginormous flash unit, the management woudl frown upon you're using it as it would distract mightily both audience and thesbia. You also went as far as possible on the sensitivity route - 1600 is up there for sure. That leaves shutter and f-stop. You don't mention what shutter speed you were able to use, but obviously it was not fast enough. To speed up the shutter, you need to get "faster glass" - that is, a lens with a bigger aperture (or, equivalently, a smaller f-stop number). So, if you shot this event with a 70-300 f4-f5.6 lens, at 300MM you're at f5.6 maximum. If you happened to have a 180MM f2.8, or 85MM f1.8 or f1.4, then you would have gained two or three or four f-stops of speed. Meaning that, if the shutter speed you were stuck with was, say, 1/15th of a second, with that 85MM f1.4 lens you could have brought it up to 1/125th second, which would probably have been fast enough ro freeze the action. Of course, fast glass ain't cheap, but in circumstances like this there simply is no alternative.
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John P. Sandstedt |
Can't get into your gallery. In any event, I don't think you need ISO 1600 film; stage lighting is generally pretty good. You said you were in the sixth row. That's probably close enough to fill the frame effectively. I think your problem may be the camera's meter, which may not have been fast enough to effect exposure and focus changes as the action progressed. You should try to attend reheasals and plan where you will shoot so that you can pre-focus. If you use too wide a lens opening you'll also have very little depth of field and, therefore, your shots can be fuzzy. You didn't tell us the camera you used. If it's shutter priority, at ISO-1600 I'd think the shutter speed would be slow - this might also contribute to the lack of sharpness. Finally, and I hate to suggest this - were you too focused on the show, therby not paying proper attention to the photo taking? I don't think a digital camera will provide any unique solution to the problem. In fact, because of the time a digital [I assume the 3 MP unit you mention is a point and shoot] needs to process and save the image.
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Dale Mickelsen |
I was asked to photograph a friends child in a Junior Miss Pagent. I went to the rehersals and got much better shots than in the actual performance. I was able to get still poses, shots from right up front with a tripod and the event procucer was very helpful especially when I promise them a cd. I do not know how it would hold up in court but I had the person in charge sign a model release.
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Mark Feldstein |
Howdy Dale. To answer your question: Unless the pagent itself had a model release built into their entry form or participation agreement and signed by the kid's parents, the release you obtained from the person in charge is essentially meaningless. :<( Mark
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