Archive 2013 · Artificial lighting for a concert?

Cableaddict
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Artificial lighting for a concert?

I recently shot a performance by my friend's rock band. It was at a decent, mid-level club, with a nice stage and full theatrical lighting. I figured the stage would be well lit, and of course you don't want to wash it out with "daylight" flashes, so I stupidly left all my lighting at home.

Unfortunately, the owner of the club must be a stingy SOB, because they only turned on about 1/3 of the lights. I only had a monopod with me, and even at F/2.8 I had a miserable time getting crisp shots. I think my shutter was around 1/30 - 1/50 the whole time. If I had used a faster prime, I would not have been able to get multiple band members at once. (F/4 would have been ideal)

So, next time I want to use a little supplemental lighting.

My question is, for this type of setting, what would be the best color gels to use?

May 24, 2013 at 02:38 PM

Josh Evilsizor
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Artificial lighting for a concert?

whatever color gels match the stage lights.... but it's just going to be more trouble than it's worth.

crank up the ISO, shoot for your needed SS, if you have to boost it a little in PP the noise is better than the blur (in some cases)

May 25, 2013 at 05:58 AM

Steve Wylie
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Artificial lighting for a concert?

crank up the ISO, shoot for your needed SS, if you have to boost it a little in PP the noise is better than the blur (in some cases)

Exactly.

May 25, 2013 at 10:27 AM

elluDe
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Artificial lighting for a concert?

Agree with the above. Set your lens to f2.8, shutter to 250sec (or 125sec as a minimum), and turn up ISO to suit. Make sure you expose for the brightest part of the picture, likely the singer's face, which might be brighter than you think if lighting is on the singer.

It's easy to think the whole scene is dark and end up overexposing the person in the spotlight.

Shoot from as close as you can, maybe with a 50mm or wider lens, for example, and you should get reasonable dof (and shouldn't need a monopod). A shutter speed of 250sec should get you sharp shots.

May 25, 2013 at 11:33 AM

Jim Rickards
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Artificial lighting for a concert?

Josh Evilsizor wrote:
whatever color gels match the stage lights.... but it's just going to be more trouble than it's worth.

crank up the ISO, shoot for your needed SS, if you have to boost it a little in PP the noise is better than the blur (in some cases)
Josh says "The noise is better than the blur in most cases. Gotta agree and here's an example.

http://www.pbase.com/image/150411001.jpg
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 85mm f1.8 lens
1/160s f/2.0 at 85.0mm iso6400

I was at a Jazz club in Rome last week. Dark place, no flash used. So I dialed up the ISO to 6400 and shot this, just to record what we enjoyed. Other shots I took at ISO 3200 had about 1/60th shutter speed and were soft. The higher ISO shots were better, IMO.

May 26, 2013 at 11:30 AM

Claude
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Artificial lighting for a concert?

If it is really so dark that I have to use the flash (on camera for a little fill or off camera if more light is needed) then I convert to BW

Claude

May 26, 2013 at 02:00 PM

Cableaddict
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Artificial lighting for a concert?

Hey, folks.

I'm just getting back to this thread now.

OK, so.... well I was already maxed out at 6400. So my original question holds. I was shooting f/2.8, and lost about 75% of my shots.

I wouldn't want to match the lights that were on, as they seemed to all be amber. (The lighting guy had no clue.) Adding more amber light would look like my white balance was off.

I couldn't use a tripod.

So?

Jun 25, 2013 at 11:17 PM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Artificial lighting for a concert?

You probably need to think about faster lenses. My favorite nightclub/concert lenses are all from 1.2 to 2.0 with a 200mm 1.8 being the preferred lens whenever possible. Back in the film days I rigged my Balcar studio strobes into the rafters at Gruene Hall in San Marcos, Tx. for a Robert Earl Keen show there. The shots were great and the biggest threat were drunken yahoos vomiting onto a strobe pack on their way to the bathroom. If you're there shooting for the band, you can often slip the lighting dude a twenty to crank the lights for you or maybe he'll just do it out of kindness. Whenever I have a quick chat with them, they're almost alway cooperative and want to help out. These days, with the newer LED systems in better clubs, you shouldn't have a problem. I shot the Saturday before last (Robert Keen again!) at the El Rey in L.A. and was getting around 1/250-1/400th @ 2.8 at 3200. That seems typical these days.

Jun 26, 2013 at 03:50 AM


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