Photo Question

[Hulud]

ok you people (yes thats right i said YOU PEOPLE)

i have a nikon 8700, i want to take some pics of my friends band live

anyone know what i need to do to the settings so i dont need flash?

i mean cause when i adjust the shutter speed there is no way in hell i can keep my hands still enough to make it not blur.

any ideas?

[Danny]

Well if you cant ramp up the shutter speed, and a flash is out of the question, open the aperature all the way up (lowest F stop number) then if thats not enough, start bumping up the ISO untill you have a decent shot.

Usually you have to use a flash when shooting bands, its just such a low light situation, theres no getting around it.

[A.P. Photography]

Talk to George, I had an 8700 for about 2 months but can't remember how to set the thing up. George bought mine and had it for a bit and I know he took some killer night shots with it so he should be able to help you out in this area.





Usually you have to use a flash when shooting bands, its just such a low light situation, theres no getting around it.
Umm I hardly ever use a flash when shooting bands.

[Danny]

Talk to George, I had an 8700 for about 2 months but can't remember how to set the thing up. George bought mine and had it for a bit and I know he took some killer night shots with it so he should be able to help you out in this area.




Umm I hardly ever use a flash when shooting bands.

what kind of music? The hand full of bands i have shot were hard core, barley any lighting. maybe I shouldnt have generalized that statment so much. And what lense do you shoot with?

[Hulud]

what kind of music? The hand full of bands i have shot were hard core, barley any lighting. maybe I shouldnt have generalized that statment so much. And what lense do you shoot with?
thats exactly the type of bands i am gonna shoot pic of

[Hulud]

Talk to George, I had an 8700 for about 2 months but can't remember how to set the thing up. George bought mine and had it for a bit and I know he took some killer night shots with it so he should be able to help you out in this area.




Umm I hardly ever use a flash when shooting bands.
yea i posted this hping he would see it, and for others who might have used it too

[Danny]

I hope AP posts again, because he has alot more experience than me.

But if you do shoot hard core, then I will be interested to see how AP proposes to get around using a flash. always up for learning :D

[A.P. Photography]

Most of the time it depends on where I am at shooting. If I can work it out I use the 50mm F1.8 or if forced I will use the 28-75 F2.8. Most of the ones I have shot have had some decent lighting but there have been a couple that were low light. The lowest I have shot was with a 50mm F1.2 but if the lighting is real real bad then yes I will pull out the 580ex but I hate doing it.

[Hulud]

I hope AP posts again, because he has alot more experience than me.

But if you do shoot hard core, then I will be interested to see how AP proposes to get around using a flash. always up for learning :D
have you ever shot any at swayzes? or the 7 venue?

[uproot]

dude to get some cool looking shots, use the flash as well as a long shutter speed, meter for the background and find out how long of an exposure you need to take, and use the flash as well

this way your background in your photo will be properly exposed, the flash will allow you to "freeze" your subjects, but also, since you're using a longer exposure, there will be trails off the band members

depending on your camera and settings, the flash can either flash at the beginning (front curtain), end (rear curtain), or twice during the exposure

[Hulud]

dude to get some cool looking shots, use the flash as well as a long shutter speed, meter for the background and find out how long of an exposure you need to take, and use the flash as well

this way your background in your photo will be properly exposed, the flash will allow you to "freeze" your subjects, but also, since you're using a longer exposure, there will be trails off the band members

depending on your camera and settings, the flash can either flash at the beginning (front curtain), end (rear curtain), or twice during the exposure
but since im not using a tripod the flash will keep the people in focus?

is that what you are sayin?

[A.P. Photography]

No flash
http://www.importatlanta.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104059

[Hulud]

oh yea i know thats no flash but the enviroment i will be shooting in will have less lighting. but how does he do that? cause i cant figure how to. i mean when i try stuff it will blur the pic because the shutter is so long

[A.P. Photography]

Step the F stop down, up the ISO and then play with the shutter speed till you get the shot you are looking for. Try and play off the lighting that is available, this means you might have to move around till you find the spot you need to be in but it can be done.

[Hulud]

do you remember how to change the ISO, cause i cant find the option on the camera and im searchin for the manual to no avail right now

[keevo54]

They rarely allow photographers to use flash during a concert, but I can't really give you advice on how they take the shots because I do not know

[A.P. Photography]

do you remember how to change the ISO, cause i cant find the option on the camera and im searchin for the manual to no avail right nowHonestly I don't. I only had that camera for 2 months before I changed up to an DSLR :(

[Hulud]

They rarely allow photographers to use flash during a concert, but I can't really give you advice on how they take the shots because I do not know
this is for a hardcore band, they play at small venues who dont have lame rules like that LOL

[Hulud]

Honestly I don't. I only had that camera for 2 months before I changed up to an DSLR :(
ok cool, now i will wait for jorje lol

[Hulud]

ok i found the manual online and dloaded it

[speedminded]

no flash ever, from my point & shoot to DSLR never once used one under those circumstances. I've even seen people pull off killer shots at a concert using the available ambient light and a disposable camera.

[Nemesis]

I love how folks say flash sucks, and they'd rather not use it. Flash can be your best friend in ANY situation from concert to vehicle shoots.


Most of the time it depends on where I am at shooting. If I can work it out I use the 50mm F1.8 or if forced I will use the 28-75 F2.8. Most of the ones I have shot have had some decent lighting but there have been a couple that were low light. The lowest I have shot was with a 50mm F1.2 but if the lighting is real real bad then yes I will pull out the 580ex but I hate doing it.

Shooting at an F stop of 1.2 and 2.8 is cool, but your photos will turn out a lot softer than if you were shooting at f5 or slightly higher. Something that if you enjoy processing, youll be using a lot of unsharp masks in your future. Flash technology has come a long way. With careful use of flash, you are more in control of light, and hence the way your photos will look - than if you had just accepted the existing ambient light. With the use of diffusers you can easily alter how the flash appears. I personally use a soft box with a lot of great success on events like that.

Many cameras have a built in flash which can be used in more creative ways than you may think. Much like your 8700, most general DSLRs and point and shoots have a pop up flash that comes up when the lighting level is determined to be too low by the cameras exposure meter and most cameras will automatically activate the flash when they think it is necessary. This is usually when the shutter speed falls below a safe speed to handhold the camera, which could result in camera shake. A shutter speed of 1/30sec or slower is usually the cut off point. Some of the more sophisticated models will also detect when a subject is surrounded by light - a person backlit, for example, and will fire flash when it would normally not be necessary. The flash light would then illuminate the darker areas by providing whats commonly known as fill-in flash. You can, however, be more creative and select from a range of flash modes to override the automated settings. These override modes include flash on, flash off, red-eye reduction and slow sync or night scene modes.
For some reason, flash photography is a topic that many people are deathly afraid of and many others do not fully understand. Flash units are tools that have been made to assist us in our picture taking and improve our photography, not handicap us from taking great photos. Practice using flash in your photos even when it is not necessarily needed and pay attention to your results. The best way to become better at flash photography is to analyze your photos and try to figure out what you could have done differently in order to create a better flash-filled exposure. So all im saying is to practice and see what works best for you.

[speedminded]

I love how folks say flash sucks, and they'd rather not use it. Flash can be your best friend in ANY situation from concert to vehicle shoots.



Shooting at an F stop of 1.2 and 2.8 is cool, but your photos will turn out a lot softer than if you were shooting at f5 or slightly higher. Something that if you enjoy processing, youll be using a lot of unsharp masks in your future. Flash technology has come a long way. With careful use of flash, you are more in control of light, and hence the way your photos will look - than if you had just accepted the existing ambient light. With the use of diffusers you can easily alter how the flash appears. I personally use a soft box with a lot of great success on events like that.

Many cameras have a built in flash which can be used in more creative ways than you may think. Much like your 8700, most general DSLRs and point and shoots have a pop up flash that comes up when the lighting level is determined to be too low by the cameras exposure meter and most cameras will automatically activate the flash when they think it is necessary. This is usually when the shutter speed falls below a safe speed to handhold the camera, which could result in camera shake. A shutter speed of 1/30sec or slower is usually the cut off point. Some of the more sophisticated models will also detect when a subject is surrounded by light - a person backlit, for example, and will fire flash when it would normally not be necessary. The flash light would then illuminate the darker areas by providing whats commonly known as fill-in flash. You can, however, be more creative and select from a range of flash modes to override the automated settings. These override modes include flash on, flash off, red-eye reduction and slow sync or night scene modes.
For some reason, flash photography is a topic that many people are deathly afraid of and many others do not fully understand. Flash units are tools that have been made to assist us in our picture taking and improve our photography, not handicap us from taking great photos. Practice using flash in your photos even when it is not necessarily needed and pay attention to your results. The best way to become better at flash photography is to analyze your photos and try to figure out what you could have done differently in order to create a better flash-filled exposure. So all im saying is to practice and see what works best for you.Alot of places, from wedding ceremony's to events, don't allow flashes so you have to learn to be able to live without it at times....but that's the worst feeling when you know you can't get the shots you want without it! I'm learning to like it but only in moderation, i can't stand the blown out look that blackens the background completely. My goal 99% of the time is to reproduce the conditions exactly how i see it, to properly expose both the background and foreground a flash or alternate lightsource is needed at times.


Zach's Incubus photos are a prime examples of not using a flash at a concert :goodjob:

[uproot]

Alot of places, from wedding ceremony's to events, don't allow flashes so you have to learn to be able to live without it at times....but that's the worst feeling when you know you can't get the shots you want without it! I'm learning to like it but only in moderation, i can't stand the blown out look that blackens the background completely. My goal 99% of the time is to reproduce the conditions exactly how i see it, to properly expose both the background and foreground a flash or alternate lightsource is needed at times.


Zach's Incubus photos are a prime examples of not using a flash at a concert :goodjob:

you could always meter for the background and use the flash for filling in your subject

[Nemesis]

Alot of places, from wedding ceremony's to events, don't allow flashes so you have to learn to be able to live without it at times....but that's the worst feeling when you know you can't get the shots you want without it! I'm learning to like it but only in moderation, i can't stand the blown out look that blackens the background completely. My goal 99% of the time is to reproduce the conditions exactly how i see it, to properly expose both the background and foreground a flash or alternate lightsource is needed at times.


Zach's Incubus photos are a prime examples of not using a flash at a concert :goodjob:


Im strictly talking about times when flash is allowed. Of course when flash isnt allowed, you have to make best of your situation. All the great photographers in the world do. However, when you can use it and it can improve your photos then why not?

If your goal of reproducing 99 percent of the time the actual conditions of how you see it, you better learn how to use a flash lol.

[speedminded]

Im strictly talking about times when flash is allowed. Of course when flash isnt allowed, you have to make best of your situation. All the great photographers in the world do. However, when you can use it and it can improve your photos then why not?

If your goal of reproducing 99 percent of the time the actual conditions of how you see it, you better learn how to use a flash lol.exactly, that's why it's growing on me...there's no way around it! Got the battery pack in for the lights too, maybe one day soon we'll get around to using them with a remote setup :)

[uproot]

its pretty easy actually to have a properly exposed background and foreground with using a flash and not necessarily having that blown out look with the black void in the background

try it... just meter for the background, and try a shot without a flash, your subject should be a silouette, then try using the flash with the same shot, they subject and background should both be exposed correctly

[speedminded]

its pretty easy actually to have a properly exposed background and foreground with using a flash and not necessarily having that blown out look with the black void in the background

try it... just meter for the background, and try a shot without a flash, your subject should be a silouette, then try using the flash with the same shot, they subject and background should both be exposed correctlyoh, doing it not the issue...i just can't stand seeing photo's like that from people with equipment far better than mine :tongue:

[Dablaze11]

I have shot many concerts, but all of the lighting has been excellent and I have been very close to the band. I have never used flash at a concert, because, like Nemesis said, I am afraid of using. Also keep in mind I just have the pop-up flash on my DSLR. I just use lenses with a very high aperture. I will one day begin to experiment with flash at concerts, but like Speedminded said, move around and find that spot that gives you the best ambient lighting.