Need help with the following pics

[envy me]

I've been playing around with my dslr and am fairly comfortable with it. I went to an outdoor concert to try and take some pictures but they didn't turn out very well.


Picture 1 here i used iso 1600 f2.8 @ 1/8

Picture 2 here i used iso 200 f2.8 @ 1/30

The first picture the crowd is exposed nicely but the stage and singer are way too overexposed, the second is the opposite, the singer is exposed nicely but the crowd is underexposed.


For this type of photography, what can I do to improve the quality of the pictures being taken? Should I just just use 2 exposures and post process in photoshop or is there a better way of taking these kind of pictures?


thx.

 

[soydios]

I would use a flash to expose the crowd. Set your DSLR to ISO800, f/2.8, 1/125s. Even the built-in flash should be fine. Maybe turn down the flash metering by -1 flash exposure compensation so that it doesn't distract too much from the stage. Use the flash exposure compensation to change the exposure of the crowd, and the shutter speed to change the exposure of the stage.

Or, just don't focus on the crowd. If you're using a telephoto lens, zoom in on the stage.

 

[xchangx]

Couple of things, you'll need to get closer. There's not much you can do, but to choose whether to expose for the crowd and blow out the stage, or to expose for the stage and under expose for the crowd.

picture 1: Shutter speed is way too slow, which is why everything is blurred. I wouldn't say that the crowd is properly exposed as well as you can only see an outline.

picture 2: better, but if you are taking a picture with a shutter speed of 1/30 you are going to get motion blur on the action.

Best thing to do is get closer and expose only for the stage.

What lens were you using?

These were done with a 24-70 2.8L on a Canon 30D, while some are still underexposed, you get a basic understanding of what I am talking about.

http://www.michaelchangphotogr..._syAr4#399198964_uqXJg

 

[envy me]

I was using a 17-55 2.8 on a d300. It never occurred to me to use the flash either I will definitely try this technique next time. Thanks a bunch for your help.

This is the type of photo I would like to be taking. I wish there was some exif data available for it

 

[xchangx]

Originally posted by: envy me
I was using a 17-55 2.8 on a d300. It never occurred to me to use the flash either I will definitely try this technique next time. Thanks a bunch for your help.

This is the type of photo I would like to be taking. I wish there was some exif data available for it

Yeah, Smugmug does things a little different, there's a link to show the exif data.

Here it is though for that image

Camera: Canon EOS 30D
Exposure Time: 0.008s (1/125)
Aperature: f/2.8
ISO: 3200
Focal Length: 54mm (86.4mm in 35mm)



I think the other thing is lighting. This festival had lights in the top front lighting them up as well as spot lights. I also am friends with the festival director and had VIP access to certain areas. The one you like is from the sound booth area.

That shot was also on AV (aperature priority) with the full matrix metering.

 

[corkyg]

As has been mentioned, you really need to get in close at concerts and festivals. A flash is not good - many places don't allow it and it is an annoyance to many.

I regularly cover jazz festivals - and this is a sample of what I mean - this is a reduced pixel size (for email, etc.) of a shot of jazz trumpeter Bria Skonberg (Canadian) doing a solo riff. I was using a Canon 5D, and the exposure was at 240mm, f6.3, 1/200th sec at ISO 3200. The lens was the EOS 70-300mm, DO IS.

Bria

Point is, get in close and shoot the lighted subject.

 

[spikespiegal]

For this type of photography, what can I do to improve the quality of the pictures being taken?

You aren't going to improve the quality of concert shots unless you can either get much closer to the stage, or use a +200mm lens to frame it better. Chances are the 100 people in the front row with cell phones cams are getting way better shots than you are with your dSLR 30 rows back.

Even assuming you get front row seats this usually results in angles shooting 'up' the performer's nostrils. This is often why using a tele and being back a bit works better because you don't get as much distortion with the performers hovering over you.

The flash-fill suggestions are almost laughable. Ever see all those strobes going off in the crowd on TV at professional sporting events? You really want to be one of those?

Much easier to get good shots being back a bit if the seats slope up quickly. Then your 105mm can do a somewhat decent job. However, most stages are significantly above the audience unless you are so far back you'd need a 300mm 2.8 to frame it without absurd cropping

Then sometimes you get lucky with good seats *and* a good venue. It also helps when the band walks into your bar the night before and hands you premium tickets. I shot this with a simple Fuji FinePix, and admit it was just circumstances that made it a cool shot