I have a question about concert photography...

[Angel]

To be honestly with you I always have used this point and Shoot elf camera my mother in law bought me. It uses Advantix film. I noticed that some of my shots at the concerts came out great, but a few were grainy. I had talked with my friend that is a professional photographer and he said I needed a different type of camera if I wanted to get rid of that problem and get serious with my concert photography.

Well now I do work at some websites where the photography will come in handy.
I an just learning about photography, and have a love for concerts. Since I do work at the websites which promotes new releases and bands, I have this one band in particular that wants me to shoot them and do an interview. One of the members of the band has been grammy nominated and of course I wanna make sure I take good enough pictures for the show and review for the website.

I have a few questions. Since I spoke with my friend who is a professional photographer he recommended that I get a camera with a zoom lens. For some reason my husband bought me a digital Kodakdx6490. It's so different from the simple point and shoot camera that I have been using. I wanted to know is this camera good for band shots? Obviously this will be in a club setting and not at a huge concert hall. I believe the one club holds about 500 people so I am sure that they will allow flash photography.

IF the Kodak Digital is good for band shots, then what should I set it at? Night photography or Sport or General Use? I haven't quite learned how to manually change the speed so what do I do?

I should show you a few shots that I took from the Cannon Elf. I do believe in prayer...I think God answered them cause these shots came out incredible. I can't explain why my pictures did so well with the cannon elf other than except for it's a miracle. Does the Elf always take such good shots? It's advantix film and only goes up to 400 speed?

Anyway please help...the band will be here the end of April and I have to know how to use my new camera...either that or do you have any suggestions on another camera? I would prefer to use the Kodak seeing we just spend 500 bucks but I don't want the pictures to come out dark? What do I do?

Here is a few of the shots I took with the point and shoot elf camera....I still think it's amazing cause I saw some of the other peoples pictures and honestly these came out good considering I just had a point and shoot camera with 400 speed.



Below is the link to another picture I took with the Elf but it's time to move on so please help~!

[Photo-John]

Welcome to PhotographyREVIEW.com. I think we can help. I can tell from the photos you posted that you have a good eye. That's the most important thing. The next step for you is learning to understand your camera and the principles of photography. Then you'll really be able to blossom. I've seen it before.

The photos you posted are very nice. Most current point-and-shoots are very powerful little cameras. The biggest problem with cameras like your ELPH is the APS film format. It's just too small. Your new Kodak will have all of the capabilities and features of the ELPH, and then some.

I would recommend doing some testing. You say the band will be here at the end of April. Read your new camera's manual and go to some clubs to do some practice photos. In fact, go to the actual club where you plan to shoot. And go more than once. Try different exposure settings and review your results to find out how to improve the photos. Don't rely on the camera like you did with the ELPH. One of the great things about digital cameras is that you can review all of your settings later. That allows you to really analyze the technical aspects of your images to make them better next time. The important thing is that you shoot at lest a couple of times before the show, in similar conditions and then figure out how you need to shoot for the real deal.

That's all I've got for now. You can do it. I recommend that you get started as soon as possible. Go shoot at a club this week, if you can. The sooner the better. And you can post photos here or on the Photo Critique forum to ask for help. That's why we're here. We'll do our best to make sure you're prepared.

[Angel]

Thank you so much Photo John

I live 3 hrs from the first club the other club is 5 hrs where the concerts will be but I do know of clubs down here where I live that I can take some pictures to test out the camera. I am going to do this tonight. And I can practice the whole month going to different clubs in the area.

The good news is that I know the day of the shows they will let me in early to at least test out the camera before the shows so I thank God for that. In the meantime I will be getting out to the clubs this weekend and in two weekends from now to test out the camera and post my pictures once I am done....

thanks so much for the tips. You reply was very helpful and professional!

[Photo-John]

I'm glad you're going to do some testing. That's the right way to do it. Make all your mistakes ahead of time so you have a chance to figure out what went wrong and tune up your technique. Post some of your tests here. I'd like to see them.

[Angel]

I just gave you the link where all my pictures are posted. The password is Blissed.
I didn't have time to go out and take too many test shots because I was so busy with the interview for the band. But I did go and take plenty pictures of the show. I realized that the camera I have is a good one, but it needs faster focus for a rock show like that. I mean when a person is taking pictures of Robert Sweet it's like taking pictures of Keith Moon. Drums and symbols were flying right by me as I was up on stage taking the pictures. It was really wild and crazy. The focus on that camera is kinda slow for a show like that. I went to the camera shop today and I saw a Cannon camera that just came out that's 8 megapixels. That one had a much faster focus than the camera I have now...so I realize I better get something else if I go to shows to take pictures like that.

The band looked over the pictures on the LCD display and found one picture in particular that they are going to use for publication. Actually there are more but this one picture of Robert leaning backwards with a flame shirt on playing the drums really sparked much excitement by the whole band. Anyway I left you the link to go review my pictures of the band and you can see the special picture that is in there they are going to use for publications.

The first club actually had great lighting...the second club had terrible lighting...you can kinda notice the difference in each picture of what club had good lighting and which one had bad. Perhaps you can recommend good editing software that is easy to understand...and also if that new Cannon 8 megapixel camera that goes for 1000 dollars is good too? I have to have something with a faster focus for shows like that....

Anyway thanks for your help...hopefully you can get into the link I sent you and tell me what you think of the pictures....thanks so much.

[Gregour]

It shouldn't prove all that bad to get the drift of using various shutter speed / aperture combinations, your experimentation will uncover basic principles that apply to all digital or film photography ...
One of which is: zoom lenses never tend to grab as crisp a shot as a fixed focus lens, however unless they will let you roam a bit and get shots at edge of stage or the wings, you pretty much are stuck needing one to help limit your capture so it's already cropped in to the story just so you can keep most all your pixles through the processing to come.
By the way I joined a local camera club, a conservative venerable one filled with mostly older film photography people &c but, the added interactions, and deciding to actually compete in our salons was surprisingly effective, made a big difference in my work real fast, well okay it took time to learn a notable mass of stuff but it really starts to feed on itself. I do not plan to quit that club yet, but add joining a digital imaging club as well, I really need more intensive help now that I halfway know what I am doing with the digital realm ... I joined a couple forums too but I have to say, there's nothing like getting involved with a few people who can interact, sometimes mention things you wouldn't have thought to ask yet &c ...
I shoot ALL subjects but ... in my own concert photos, which tend to be far smaller more intimate settings, I can get away with using flash but I just hate to disturb everyone by way too much, so I make a lot of them with no flash and a few of them with the flash. A rock band jumping around on stage would maybe cause far too much motion blur unless the light is strong (if they have big lights that might go okay) but in the acoustic events ... if the subject is holding just still enough for the shot, only their hands will blur - your success in identifying the critical moment when you ought to have clicked the shot will have more influence on its resulting quality than you might presume ... since music is also about time rythm and motion, the result is quite apropos and rather atmospheric and artisitc and will succeed ...
The thing is of course, those artificial lamps are more likely to give too much warm colour to the shot and it tends to be a little bit sickly yellow hue, so one might use a blue filter - if I am shooting film I would usually use a blue filter. (On a digital that allows this, using manual settings and the daylight white balance will let you use filters as you would on a film camera, and usually there are adapters that would let you add filters regardless of how the lens barrel was designed.) A blue filter will slow your shot even more but, I find it isn't totally drastic.
When I DO use the flash, I want to get rid of the filter, the light from flashes is more serviceable and would come out too blue if it's left on there. At that point, if the flash still makes things a bit too blue, I might use an 81a filter, or just use an auto white balance. The shots that do use the flash tend to be more defined and sharp, the colours are almost too clinical, but it almost always lets you pretty well stop the action without motion blur.
I have a few examples I posted on the 'net for somebody, I'm sorry that page doesn't have very much of technical details typed onto it, but you can see a half dozen examples of such shots, with flash or with no flash, to compare and contrast:

http://home.comcast.net/~gregour/Pho...cadiaJazz.html

(if you wish, see also www.gregour.com)

I wish I had more of that material processed already, because - note that if you want to get shots where the people look alive and people will respond to the pictures much more strongly, you absolutely want to go after the shots where you can SEE the EYES and they are in focus.

Just a few thoughts ...   You are going to love doing this stuff.