Live Event photography advice

Hi, First thing might be to ask here if there is a thread that is recommended by anyone on this subject.

I will be taking pics at a live event, just in a village hall, no scrum in a crowd, I can walk about. I would hope to get some good results from my 50mm 1.4 prime, by upping the ISO and opening the aperture, and setting shutter speed as fast as I can. Personally, on my K10D I have avoided 1600 ISO as its a bit too grainy, but some people might like that effect at a gig. I wonder what people think about what settings work well for them in such events. ISO/Aperture/Shutter/White Balance/Metering, what tends to work for you. This will be a folk gig BTW so some fast moving musicians, nothing major on the lighting I suspect other than standard stage lights. I can't wait to have a go at this, my first time snapping a gig.

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K10D - 18-55mm kit - Tamron 70-300mm - 1.4 50mm

There was a recent thread on this topic here

I would agree with max ISO of 800 on a K10D but if the light level is constant (rather than lights being turned on/off, changing colour, moving etc) then you may be able to come down to 400.
I would drive the exposure via aperture priority keeping it f2 on the 50mm (or 2.8 if there is LOTS of light) to avoid softening at max aperture. Shutter speed is then dependant on the ISO.

If lighting is all tungstan then use that for White balance (or follow the manual for custom WB) - if spot lights are changing colour then WB may be accademic anyway.

I would spot meter and centre point focus on the part of the picture I want to be best (eg performers face, hands on instrument etc) then recompose while half pressing the shutter release.

The 50mm should be good but if you are in pit then you may find it a bit on the long side so I wouldn't leave the 18-55 at home.

Good luck
Bob

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Pentax user since 1978, Digital since 1997. Kit includes ME, 2xLX, *istDS, K10D, K20D + various lenses

the 50mm, af 360fgz flash unit with cto gel, (bounced if low cieling with homeade silver reflector (Gwyn, knows what I use)), and set your camera to manual, second curtian synch, go with a shutter speed of about 1/30 sec, iso 4 or 800 and what ever aperture you need to get the stage lights right, flash set to fill about 2/3 stop less. indoor white balance, raw files.

forgot to mention...your camera will set the color balance back to flash regardless of your manual setting, resulting in all your images looking orange.... don't fret. when processing your raw files, your flash was balanced to incandecent, same as most stage/christmas/indoor lights..... just reset the whitebalance in your software/raw converter to indoor/incandescent/3200deg and boom colors right. (I adjust in aperture by sliding the color temp twards the blue most of the way to 3200 deg, leaving my images slightly warm.

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Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.

If you're ok with using it, I would use RAW as well as JPEG,....at least this way you can alter white ballance, and soften Noise in the editing stage.....at least this way, you can concern ya self about the subject instaed of the camera.....

Also, try some slow flash....second curtain sync stuff....this helps capture good movement, as well as getting the subject....

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MZ-S (brilliant film camera, still use it for B&W)
K10 (brilliant Digital)
k100D (just bough it, very impressed)

This behaviour is user selectable via the Custom Menu on the K10D. If you want to retain the ambiance (without RAW processing) you can tell the camera not to use a Flash White Balance but to use the white balence of the ambient light.

Personaly I would minimise use of flash as if you are taking lots then it could distract/annoy the performers/audience. With a f1.4 lens and ISO 800 I doubt if you would need it anyway, But as Duncan suggested trying some 2nd curtain sync flash would add another dimension

Good luck
Bob

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Pentax user since 1978, Digital since 1997. Kit includes ME, 2xLX, *istDS, K10D, K20D + various lenses

Thanx Bob, I'll look at that, it's so easy to fix in Aperture, I never bothered to look!
lol
and true about the flash, but alot of places don't mind a low powered pop to freeze action, and add fill (at f2.8-f4, iso 400-800, set as fill, we are talking small pop of flash). it's the full powered retina scorching, attempts to light the whole venue with your strobe that ticks 'em off.

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Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.

The noise at 1600 ISO is not bad IF you overexpose by about .5 EV. The worst thing you can do for noise is to underexpose. I often use 1600 on my K10D, and the noise becomes a problem only on shots that are underexposed.

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Yves (another one of those crazy Canucks)

I've also noticed that noise gets worse at those speeds..when ya use the Anti shake switch on the back.....ifact i notice it even when I use it at ANYTHING above 400asa... ?

So, I don't use it anymore.... use a tri-pod or mono-pod instead...

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MZ-S (brilliant film camera, still use it for B&W)
K10 (brilliant Digital)
k100D (just bough it, very impressed)

took pics at the gig tonight, thanks for the advice all. mostly stuck to 800 ISO, and for three or four 1600 when needed. took loads and had some gems come out of it. Very happy with one now on the gallery actually taken off stage before they went on for the second half. Will post another proper gig photo also on the gallery for comments. left the auto white balance on and stuck with manual, tried out some things.

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K10D - 18-55mm kit - Tamron 70-300mm - 1.4 50mm