Any tips appreciated

[Sally]

I will have pass for a weekend music festival. Done other types of events and venues, but not bands. Any tips for how to shoot this kind of event appreciated. There will be the usual shots of people enjoying themselves, too, of course.

[Colblimp]

7 minutes ago, Sally said:

I will have pass for a weekend music festival. Done other types of events and venues, but not bands. Any tips for how to shoot this kind of event appreciated. There will be the usual shots of people enjoying themselves, too, of course.

Minimum shutter speed of 1/250th, use 70-200, don't rush your shots - 3 songs is longer than you think.  Any specific questions, give me a shout.

[Sally]

14 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

Minimum shutter speed of 1/250th, use 70-200, don't rush your shots - 3 songs is longer than you think.  Any specific questions, give me a shout.

Many thanks Andy. The main difficulty i think is going to be knowing how to best use my time as there are several venues. 

[RedSnapper]

crowd / reaction / 'colour' photos sell better than pix of the bands....

 

km

[Colblimp]

1 minute ago, Sally said:

Many thanks Andy. The main difficulty i think is going to be knowing how to best use my time and there are several venues. 

Concentrate on the main stage, any big names have the biggest chance of selling.  That said, I shot The Stranglers, The Darkness, Kate Nash and that chick from X Factor at Coventry Godiva Festival last year and didn't make one sale...

[Sally]

4 minutes ago, RedSnapper said:

crowd / reaction / 'colour' photos sell better than pix of the bands....

 

km

Ok, ta. All good advice, thanks.

[Lisa]

Try to get a photo with the name of the event (or band) in it.

 

Best sellers from Coachella Music Festival:

Image ID : S0CCGD (repeat sales)

Image ID : D6MNCJ (repeat sales)

Image ID : D6MA2K (repeat sales)

Image ID : D6MA2N

Image ID : D6MA32

Image ID : D6MNP6

 

[Avpics]

If the singer uses a mic in the stand, don't shoot from directly in front as it'll block their face. If a guitarist is right handed they'll often look towards their left hand on the fret which is a nice shot if you're on that side - and left/right if applicable.

[Avpics]

48 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

.... don't rush your shots - 3 songs is longer than you think...

But take plenty. Be prepared for the best lit and focused shot to look as if the subject is gurning/constipated/fitting

[Colblimp]

1 minute ago, Avpics said:

But take plenty. Be prepared for the best lit and focused shot to look as if the subject is gurning/constipated/fitting

Absolutely - take a ton of shots

[Sally]

11 minutes ago, Lisa said:

Try to get a photo with the name of the event (or band) in it.

 

Best sellers from Coachella Music Festival:

Image ID : S0CCGD (repeat sales)

Image ID : D6MNCJ (repeat sales)

Image ID : D6MA2K (repeat sales)

Image ID : D6MA2N

Image ID : D6MA32

Image ID : D6MNP6

 

November in Scotland might look a little different... but yes, good advice thanks.

[Starsphinx]

Look out for interplay between band members - they may be sharing a private joke, or just bouncing their playing off one another.  Also, watch for band members watching their mate solo, the enjoyment of a musician watching another musician.

I don't know what time/position/access you will have -  but shots of motion blur on guitarists/drummers hands can be awesome.  Although obviously, that does mean slow shutter with a tripod or very solid resting point for the camera.

I do not have any photos of musicians/bands up here as low light means my shots are noisy - but those are the shots I get the best feedback on away from Alamy.

[Avpics]

1 hour ago, Starsphinx said:

I do not have any photos of musicians/bands up here as low light means my shots are noisy - but those are the shots I get the best feedback on away from Alamy.

As you say, the lighting is another factor to play with especially if you're continuing into the dark hours. You can use the lighting to improve the ISO while creating silhouettes and all sorts of fun.

 

[Sally]

Great! So many helpful tips. Just what I need.

[Regis]

Hi Sally,

 

Over ten years ago, I used to cover a lot of rock concert for a big American agency.

The favourite tool in my camera bag for this type of event was, earplugs...

If you are at the front in the photographers pit, you will still ear what is going on with them, but you won't be deaf at the end of the festival.

And personally I found that it allowed me to be more focused on the image taking process.

 

Have a good day.

[Sally]

11 hours ago, Regis said:

Hi Sally,

 

Over ten years ago, I used to cover a lot of rock concert for a big American agency.

The favourite tool in my camera bag for this type of event was, earplugs...

If you are at the front in the photographers pit, you will still ear what is going on with them, but you won't be deaf at the end of the festival.

And personally I found that it allowed me to be more focused on the image taking process.

 

Have a good day.

Yes, that’s the first thing I thought of, especially if up front and close to speakers. Thanks 

[MDM]

12 hours ago, Regis said:

Hi Sally,

 

Over ten years ago, I used to cover a lot of rock concert for a big American agency.

The favourite tool in my camera bag for this type of event was, earplugs...

If you are at the front in the photographers pit, you will still ear what is going on with them, but you won't be deaf at the end of the festival.

And personally I found that it allowed me to be more focused on the image taking process.

 

Have a good day.

 

18 minutes ago, Sally said:

Yes, that’s the first thing I thought of, especially if up front and close to speakers. Thanks 

 

Excellent advice but I would add that your bog standard ear plugs from the high street store are basically useless. Check out the Snore Store - a little plug for them  . They have an amazing range of earplugs for all sorts of uses. They are based in England but seem to import a lot of their stuff from the USA. I am very noise sensitive and I would be even crazier than I am already if it was not for the earplugs I have been getting from them for years. I have a few favourite types chosen for comfort and for noise-blocking ability. They do sample packs as well. 

[spacecadet]

35 minutes ago, Sally said:

Yes, that’s the first thing I thought of, especially if up front and close to speakers. Thanks 

In a pinch a tightly rolled wad of tissue paper will serve. Just don't lose it.

[MDM]

1 hour ago, spacecadet said:

In a pinch a tightly rolled wad of tissue paper will serve. Just don't lose it.

 

I would think that tissue paper is very likely to shed a lot of fine debris into the ear which I would think is not ideal healthwise as well as not being terribly effective in cutting out noise. High quality earplugs are not expensive and well worth the cost.

[spacecadet]

11 minutes ago, MDM said:

 

I would think that tissue paper is very likely to shed a lot of fine debris into the ear which I would think is not ideal healthwise as well as not being terribly effective in cutting out noise. High quality earplugs are not expensive and well worth the cost.

Well, I'm no audiologist but we've been doing it for years without ill effect and from experience I find it quite effective. OP asked for tips and I did say "in a pinch".

When I worked at a weapons range we were of course provided with proper ear defenders, but as the photographic section were responsible for sending the gun-firing signal we needed to hear the command, a finger in the ear not covered by the defender was the order of the day. No hearing loss from four years of that either, as verified by hearing tests before and after.

[Sally]

2 hours ago, MDM said:

 

 

Excellent advice but I would add that your bog standard ear plugs from the high street store are basically useless. Check out the Snore Store - a little plug for them  . They have an amazing range of earplugs for all sorts of uses. They are based in England but seem to import a lot of their stuff from the USA. I am very noise sensitive and I would be even crazier than I am already if it was not for the earplugs I have been getting from them for years. I have a few favourite types chosen for comfort and for noise-blocking ability. They do sample packs as well. 

Very helpful, thanks. I have never got on with the usual foam earplugs, can’t seem to get them in. Just ordered from that suggested website.

[Avpics]

3 minutes ago, Sally said:

... can’t seem to get them in...

Best method is to roll them in your fingers into a long narrow sausage before fitting them, then they expand back to their previous shape filling your ear.

[Starsphinx]

I have to say I have only recently discovered earplugs for a completely different problem and my family are breathing collective sighs of relief.   Part of the problem I suffer can manifest in hypersensitivity to stuff - and I would be woken by ordinary conversation elsewhere in the house and tend to go mental at people (up to the point one night of kicking my then partner and his mates out to go be social somewhere else)  Earplugs have solved that issue.  I love earplugs lol.

Like Avpics says the best way with the foam ones is roll and insert like you would a cotton bud (yes I know you are not supposed to insert cotton buds but people do).  Also important to realize that ear canals are do not run horizontally straight into the head - they will be at an angle possibly upwards and forwards.  Play around until you find how your canals run and insertion of rolled narrow sausage becomes easy.

 

[MDM]

48 minutes ago, Sally said:

Very helpful, thanks. I have never got on with the usual foam earplugs, can’t seem to get them in. Just ordered from that suggested website.

 

Don't mention it. Zenfolio, the Snore Store - what next  ? 

 

26 minutes ago, funkyworm said:

Earplugs are a good idea. But cutting out too much noise may not be helpful. For the World Cup in South Africa I bought some industrial strength ear protectors to cut out the sound of the vuvuzela's. As it turns out not the great idea I thought it was. I'd not allowed that sound is a sense within photography, without the sound of the players and crowd I found myself reacting to actions slower. Similarely taking photos of table tennis I soon realised that if I pressed the shutter when I heard the ping of the ball behind me that I would get a shot of the pong of the ball in front of me.

 

I used to turn the TV way down during the 2010 World Cup. Between the vuvuzelas and some of the commentators - aaaaaah! And the Dutch team in that final were such naughty boys, not helped by Howard Webb ignoring or not seeing what was happening. I celebrated Iniesta's goal as if I was a true blood Spaniard. One of the great moments of sporting justice.

[wiskerke]

35 minutes ago, Starsphinx said:

Like Avpics says the best way with the foam ones is roll and insert like you would a cotton bud (yes I know you are not supposed to insert cotton buds but people do).  Also important to realize that ear canals are do not run horizontally straight into the head - they will be at an angle possibly upwards and forwards.  Play around until you find how your canals run and insertion of rolled narrow sausage becomes easy.

 

 

Keeping them at body temperature until needed helps as well. Like in one's breast pocket or in case of the ones with a cord, under one's collar.

The purple Flents Quiet Time are my favorite, but they don't come with a cord.

 

wim