Re: concert photos

[Ian <istanley@quartz.nbnet.nb.ca>]

>Date:  Fri, 27 Jun 1997 Emily Schiff wrote:
>Subject: Concert photo's
>
>I have tickets to the Who concert in Montreal this summer, 4th row, I am 
>extreemly interested in taking pictures at the concert. I know that a 
>lot of you who fans out there have taken pictures at concerts, and I am 
>interested in learning the best way to do this, ie: what kind of film to 
>use, if I should use a flash, what speed film what kind of camera, 
>please tell me any suggestions that you have

 I used to take a lot of photos at concerts years ago,before they started
printing "No cameras or recorders" on the ticket of every show I
attended.After trial and error at several shows,I perfected my "concert
photographer" technique to the point where I was getting some very
professional results.Here's what you do:

1.Equipment: 35mm SLR (single lens reflex) camera,with as "fast" a lens as
possible (this means that the lens works well with as little light as
possible).A regular 1.4 or 1.8 lens is ideal if you're close enough,or a
small telephoto is fine too.The camera should have a built in light meter
that can be read through your viewfinder.
***DO NOT USE FLASH***!!!Generally,you won't be close enough to illuminate
anything but the backs of the heads of people in the ten rows in front of
you.If you are close enough to the band to use flash,they will not
appreciate it,as it is distracting to them onstage.Some performers even have
security come out into the crowd and make you stop,and sometimes even
confiscate your film!

2.Film-color or black and white,prints or slides,it's your choice.But you
should use a fast film that will work under "available light".I used to use
400ASA film and "push it" to 600 or 650ASA.This means that you set the dial
on your camera as if the film actually were 650ASA.Consequently,your light
meter will react as if the film were 650ASA,rather than 400ASA.JUST
REMEMBER:When you take the film in to be processed,YOU MUST TELL THEM TO
*PUSH-PROCESS* THE FILM TO THE SPEED THAT YOU HAVE SHOT IT AT.In this
case,it would be push processed to 650.Your camera's settings may not have a
650 setting,and it may go (something like)
400,425,475,525,575,625,675,etc.In this case just set it for 625 or 600 or
whatever.Anywhere around there is fine.
 
3.Shooting the concert:Use your light meter as a *guide*,but don't follow it
exactly.Remember,that it will be brighter on stage than where you are in the
audience,so the camera will "read" the darkness in front of you,rather than
the actual light in front of Pete or Roger's face.Adjust your shutter speed
and lens aperture so that your meter is showing the correct reading,then
adjust your settings so that the meter is reading that there is slightly
less light than it needs(a notch ot two-experiment).This should compensate
for the increased light on stage,as opposed to where you're shooting
from.You should try and shoot with your shutter speed at at least 125,and
your lens aperture will probably be open most of the way.You can shoot with
a shutter speed of 60,but only if you're VERY steady,and the performers are
very still (fine for shooting John,but generally not recommended).Try and
shoot when the lights are at their brightest
(reds,whites,yellow,etc.).Dimmer colors like green and blue may look good to
the human eye,but they don't give off a lot of illumination for the
camera.Also,avoid shooting scenes with heavy backlighting and minimal
frontlighting.Again,it looks great to the human eye,but the camera's light
meter will read this light rather than the light in front of the
performer,and you'll end up with pictures of silhouettes.Consequently,the
more pictures you can shoot without any backlights shining directly into
your camera's lens,the better off you'll be.Try different settings too.Don't
stay with just one shutter speed and one aperture setting.try slight
variations on each.Better to do this and have some pictures not turn out
than to shoot everything at one setting and find out that it was wrong,only
after you get your pictures back.Finally,shoot *Lots* of film.Don't shoot
one roll of 36 pictures and then be disappointed if only a few shots turn
out really well.Shoot as much as you can afford.When I saw The Who in 1980,I
took pictures both nights back-to-back,and shot at least 3 rolls of 36
exposure film each night.Mostly I shot black and white,and I was then able
to select only the best pictures to print up for myself.
 I hope this helps you out.Good luck!

                           Long Live Rock,

                                I.S.

 BEER...It's not just for breakfast anymore!