Concert pictures?

[ChairShot]

I'm pretty much all over the Montreal region covering rock/metal concerts... and I felt like sharing some of my work around here.

Been doing this for the past year only, so bear with me as it aint perfect just yet lol!

here are a couple of shots from various shows I attended:

The Scorpions

Megadeth - Hellfest Open Air 2007 (France)

Epica - Hellfest Open Air 2007 (France)

The White Stripes

I got a lot more on my deviant art page HERE

comments, questions, criticism all welcome

 

[davestar]

awesome stuff. beats the hell out of the cell phone pics i've taken at metal shows over the years. :thumbsup:

 

[Jawo]

Most shows I've been to, they so no cameras allowed....how'd you get you (probably dSLR) camera in?

 

[DrPizza]

I wouldn't dare take a camera I valued to a concert. That's never stopped me from the disposable 35mm cameras though.

 

[ChairShot]

I use a Nikon D80 and I am media accredited, so I take pictures from the photopit in front of the crowd.

I work for a french webzine called metaluniverse.net

 

[Jawo]

Originally posted by: ChairShotMyU
I use a Nikon D80 and I am media accredited, so I take pictures from the photopit in front of the crowd.

I work for a french webzine called metaluniverse.net

Dang that must be nice to have media accrediation!!!

 

[troytime]

do you call ahead to get on the list? or do you just show up with a ticket and a press pass?

i ask because i'm going to attempt to use my NYIP photog pass to see if i can get in some places (i go to a lot of shows)

 

[ChairShot]

I ask before showing up. For the smaller shows, pretty much all the promoters know me so we can arrange it on the fly at the venue, but for bigger shows, you got to ask. Ultimatly, it's the tour manager's decision to let the cameras in or not.

 

[The Stigenator]

I've shot concert photographs for 2 years.. over 10000 shots, i stick to the ratio, 10% good, 1% keepers. But then most of my pictures were when i was at college with the concerts that that put up, lighting varied and a big stage meant concert photographs requirements changed each time and plus it wasnt just one time of concert, it was events ranging from out door to indoor, from rap to rock to funk to dance. So in all i had a lot of experience.. I need to put it to good use.

I did take a lot of good acts, and i am going to shoot one tonight. Primary Kit is a S3IS (used to use an S1IS at one time). It does fine for what i need. Considering at low lights, you need IS and the lighting at the school wasnt perfect for photography.. it was 'darker' than needed.

Anyway i'll see how i do in a professional place tonight.. I need to get media accredited again.. i was when i was at school but that was because i worked for the school. Now that is 'kinda' expired though i can use it.

Maybe we can chat about concert photography and stuff. I can show you some of my work too.

Edit: i am shooting Epica and another band tonight!

 

[soydios]

I do a lot of theatre photography, which is similar. Same technical difficulties, though I usually focus on capturing the scene, rather than individual performers. As a nice bonus, the lenses to do that (35/2 and 50/1.8) are cheaper than say, a telephoto/2.8 for headshots.

 

[ChairShot]

Originally posted by: TheGoodGuy

Edit: i am shooting Epica and another band tonight!

I shot epica last summer in france, great band to shoot. lots of action on stage, and a beautiful singer.

Recently, I took pictures of:

Unmercyful (death metal) last saturday
Finntroll (folk metal) last sunday

and coming soon:

Sonata Arctica, Nightwish, Van Halen (cross fingers), Ozzy (cross fingers), Machine Head, Arch Enemy and a bunch of smaller bands. Keeps me busy

You're right that the telephoto lense is much more expensive but when you start taking pictures at bigger venue with big stages, you'll see that it's not a luxury.

 

[The Stigenator]

I didnt shoot Epica (though i could have) partly because the lighting in the place sucked (whiskey ago go) .. they had good lighting for the first song but then after that it sucked.. and with no barriers or anything you either have to take from the back (with zoom) or get crushed up front and have a bad angle.

 

[herm0016]

i am a lighting designer and do a lot of classical and folk concerts, along with some other things. http://ajherman.deviantart.com/ i take pictures when i can, i should take more. check them out.

 

[corkyg]

Taking pictures at music events has long been one of my principal photographic objectives. I regularly attend trad jazz/dixieland festival, and go on jazz cruises. As a result, I have thousands of shots of musicians, most of whome are now friends. These samples were taken at the Arizona Classic Jazz Festival last November, in Chandler, AZ. Will be doing this year's as well. Jazz festival venues can be tents, auditoriums, ball rooms, and expanded bars, indoors or out. I typically shoot indovidual musicians with a 70-300mm DO IS lens mated to a Canon 5D, and the ISO is set to 3200.

This is a shot of Jerry Krahn, super jazz guitarist with the Titan Hot Seven band:

Jazz1

This is a shot of Danny Coots, drummer with the Titan Hots and Ivory & Gold. Danny is out of Nashville, TN:

Jazz2

This next one is of Bob Draga, out of Florida. Bob plays as an all-star with many bands in festivals from coast to coast.

Jazz3

Here is Bria Skonberg of Britsh Columbia, Canada - she is the leader of two outstanding young bands from B.C. - Mighty Aphrodite and 51st Eight.

Jazz4

And, last, but not least - the ever popular Miss Ruby Wilson, the Queen of Beale Street (Memphis.)

Jazz5

I just got back from a nice little festival in Sisters, OR. Every spring we hit Three Rivers, CA. Others I get to are Mammoth Lakes, CA; Spokane, WA; Kalispell, MT; and Sun Valley, ID.

I've really been impressed with the young talent coming out of Canada these days in the jazz scene. E.g., Diana Krall and Renee Rosnes. I already mentioned Mighty Aphrodite and 51st Eight.

51st-8

Mighty