photography for concerts and landscapes

[alkresna]

Hi..i'm new to photography; I always find it interesting but just recently decided to seriously explore it . After reading, browsing, and consulting with friends I decided to buy a Nikon D90, which is excellent....still learning a lot with it but overall it's pretty user friendly and produces excellent quality pictures (at least for a beginner like me)

the thing is i'm planning to attend my favorite band concert which is scheduled in 2 months time, and as I think that maybe this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me (they dont usually perform in my side of the world) I want to fully document it with my camera so I can have the best pictures for an unforgettable experience. Based on my friend's recommendation, i bought a Tamron 17-50 mm F2.8 lens which he said is pretty good all-around lens and especially good in low light conditions. Would appreciate any inputs on what lens to bring, camera settings, equipments, things to look out for and learn, and any other tips would be most welcome.

Other than that i like to travel a lot and capture landscape pictures so should i buy another lens, please share on what kind of lens that would accomodate my needs. Thanks

[ericw]

Depending on the venue/mainstream-ness of the band you probably won't be allowed to take your d90. Definately find out beforehand.

Also depending on the venue (lighting) f/2.8 might still be too slow. I know it would be for the smaller venues I get to shoot concerts at (I use the fast primes in my sig).

17-50mm focal length would probably work well for your other uses.

[ckodonne]

I would have to agree with Eric; f2.8 may be a bit too slow. If you can't get a faster lens, you'll need to bump up the ISO to 400 or so. Although I wouldn't go too high because low light + high ISO = a pretty noisy photo that even noise removal software may have a problem fixing.

Depending on where you're sitting, the 50mm may be not enough reach to get those up-close shots. This is up to you to decide; just look through your lens and ask yourself if this is enough. Just something you may want to consider beforehand.

Another tip would be to pack light...one camera, one lens if possible...and keep an EYE ON YOUR GEAR. Concerts are a notorious place to get ripped off.

And yes, like Eric said, check the venue first before bringing your camera. Chances are they won't let it in. The last concert I went to had security padding down people and taking their cellphones, let alone cameras.

If all else fails, don't worry about it. You're there for the concert, not for the photos. Get a small compact point-and-shoot with a good zoom (optical, not digital!) and slip it in your boot if they won't let you take in the SLR. Just make sure to shut off your flash...1. you don't need it for concerts and 2. you'll stand out like a sore thumb to security.

Hope this info helps and enjoy the concert.

[Shokinen]

I would check first if you can get in with your gear. It will stress you if you wait till the entrance and you will not enjoy the show as much if you have to leave your equipment behind. Preparation is the key for successfull shooting session (who am I to say such a thing... hehehe).

Lets asume you CAN get in. I think your gear is enough to bring some awsome souvenirs. 1st, it's your favorite band. 2nd, as you said, your an amateur so you don't have to be stressed about the framing/sharpness/quality of your shots. Just shoot, shoot, shoot and have fun while listening to the music. Take as much as you can, bring them home and keep only your favorites.

As for the noise/choice of lens, I can't find it anymore but there was a post recently about High ISO vs. lower exposure than fix with software. I would go for the right exposure. Even if it mean cranking up the ISO (D90 can go up to 1600 and still produce some nice results). Of course if you shoot in automatic mode, you don't have to care about these things. Just have fun and enjoy the experience.

I recently shooted an amateur show with my D60 and my 70-300 4.5f lens. Some of the shot at ISO 1600 came out very good. Of course, I would not use them in a commercial for the group but the purpose was the same as yours. It's all about the background. Keep in mind noise apprear more with darker colors so wait for a flashy lightshow. Another thing to consider is shooting in RAW. You will have some latitude to correct the exposure and maybe save some shots. Again, if you are using the scene modes, don't care about what I said and just have fun.

I'm still new at this (purchased my first DSLR in January but I'm really into photography since then) but in my opinion, your biggest mistake will be to leave your equipment at home asuming you can get it in.

Cheers !

[OeterB]

Tips For Shooting A Concert

How to get a Photog Pass

[ericw]

Originally Posted by Shokinen

As for the noise/choice of lens, I can't find it anymore but there was a post recently about High ISO vs. lower exposure than fix with software. I would go for the right exposure. Even if it mean cranking up the ISO (D90 can go up to 1600 and still produce some nice results).

This has absolutely been my experience. A properly exposed photo with high iso is much easier to produce nice results with in post processing than an underexposed photo with low iso. Another HUGE part of this for concerts is WB. Getting the white balance right in camera will A. greatly reduce your time tweaking things afterwards B. greatly reduce the introduction of noise from fixing the wb in the raw converter. Of course this is always a challenge when light colors are changing at a concert.