Making the Best of It

[Reid]

Last week I took pictures of a friend playing a gig in a small coffee shop. However the context there was pretty awful for taking pictures:

-The fluorescent lights there buzzed too much and were all turned off, so the only lighting were a few incandescent lamps behind the stage
-This was her first time playing, and because she was nervous, requested that I didn't use a flash that might distract her

I tried to remove the noise in post and dropped the saturation to try and hide the poor coloring that came out. If this situation comes up again (I'm hoping next time we can get more light in there), what could be done to improve, or is this just a hopeless situation? Any other c/c is welcome as well.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2415/2244511468_7e3ce15519_o.jpg

EXIF:
TV: 1/30
AV: 4.5
ISO: 1600
No flash


Rest of the set here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/reidgeyer/

[geotography]

Reid,

I commend you on taking this shot; photographing musicians is really tough because they move (rightfully so) and they typically play in places with lighting that is unfriendly to camera exposures. The paradox is that you want a fast shutter but you need to compensate with large aperture setting. I found my 50mm f/1.4 (no flash) to be helpful. Here are a couple of ideas about your composition:

Try to stay away from high ISO settings if you can. The faster lens like the 50mm f/1.4 can help .
Encourage your friend to learn tunes without having to rely upon a music stand. It is not always possible but it would eliminate that distracting mass in the photo; plus it's better for public performances.
Film her without a microphone obstructing her face; she has a lovely face and once she gets to doing lyric interpretation with her songs, she will come to life on your exposure.
Check out the rule of thirds for composition.


Great effort at taking a challenging photo. Just last Sunday, I took a few shots at a dimly lit jazz club. I am only including it here so that you can see how the 50mm 1.4 can help you (Exif: 1/8 shutter spd, f/1.4, ISO 100). I am learning always, obviously have a long path ahead of me; but want to share this particular experience. Sidelight: I am a performing musician so I have those experiences to share as well.

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/g.rubaloff/Geotography/photo#5162962815398067394"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/g.rubaloff/R6aHU3haPMI/AAAAAAAACRw/0MOZUWlUfFw/s400/IMGP3425.jpg" /></a>

[wulf]

It is a situation where a fast lens really proves its worth, although you have to be far enough away that you get a usable depth of field.

If your friend is keen to get some good pictures but still keen to avoid flash, consider other kinds of lighting. For example, has somebody got a lamp or two they could set up on the stage. It will give a bit of a "ghetto" effect but will make it much easier to get good photos and probably make the performance more visually appealing to the audience to boot.

Wulf

ps. I can sympathise on the bad lighting - that is true of almost every gig I get to play!

[ding]

ps. I can sympathise on the bad lighting - that is true of almost every gig I get to play!

Ditto. I recently took some shots of a band for a friend's b-day party. They were playing a stereotypical basement gig, and the only source of light was a single bare light bulb above the guitarist's head. I tried to make the best of it, including the bulb in the shot to give it a grungy feel. I'm not sure if I pulled it off or not. :)

[Reid]

Hey thanks for all the help! Next time something like this happens, I'm bringing a light with me, even if it means dragging a lamp there. Thanks again!