ISO 320, f2.8, 1/60s Canon EFs 17-55mm at 17mm. Three images stitched into one.
Thanks goes to my friend Vitalij Kuprij for inviting me to shoot a live concert with TSO.
Introduction
Your limitations (or expectations)
Gear limitations
The Basics
Aperture
Shutter Speed
ISO Value (light sensitivity)
Initial Camera Settings
Technique
Body Language
Conclusion
So you want to learn about shooting event and stage photography, and I've bet that you've already been to the show with your shiny new pocket shooter, (you know the one that takes excellent shots on the beach), and found only disappointment.
Well then, you came to the right place... (well, lets hold on that one until the end).
Before we begin, there are few caveats:
First, is that no particular camera will make you a good photographer. Cameras are essentially dumb boxes and you are the brains behind it. However, what a good camera will do is improve your outcome if used correctly.
Second, you need to have a proper mind set and understanding of the limitations of you, your gear and venue. Don't expect much from a cell phone or point and shoot set to automatic. In fact, don't expect much even from a $7000 camera set to automatic either.
Third. If you're reading this article in hopes to improve your results with a cell phone, then I have no answer for you here. However, you will gain an understanding as to what it takes, and if you have an entry level DSLR, or a decent pocket shooter with manual controls, then there is some hope.
Lastly, I don't expect anyone to read this article and actually "get it" without first having some experience in shooting. I'm sure that some will disagree with me herein, and that's fine. After twenty-five years behind a lens I'm pretty much set in my methods which cannot be unlearned.
Let's break those limitations down further:
Understand that you've come to the venue as a spectator, with the mind set of being entertained. Thus you will never be ready to take the perfect shot. You might see one, and by the time your processed the thought to raise the gear, the lead guitarist moved on, or the lights went down, etc.
When I come to the venue, I am a photographer. The camera is always on the ready. I am not looking to be entertained, I am looking for the entertaining shot. The camera rarely goes lower than my chin. I am aware of the light show, but only with regards to availability. I am constantly adjusting the camera, both the iso and shutter speed. When the moment hits, I raise frame and fire a burst of 3 or more. Two are blurry, but one hits the target. By nights end I will have easily shot 1100 images.
My wife and those sitting next to me would rather that I not be the photographer. The "click, click, click..." sound can be rather annoying. Many times I will move to limit my presence, and increase my success. However, those irritations will be quickly forgotten in light of captured moments that will last a lifetime.
Features and settings. Cameras set to automatic will measure the amount of light that hits their sensors and will make adjustments in order to obtain proper exposure only, and at the risk of blurry and out-of-focus shots. Bright yes, but blurry due to too slow a shutter speed. (Ideally you want to keep the fastest shutter speed possible to freeze motion, and adjust your ISO/aperture to control the light levels).
Even when there is plenty of light, you risk many missed opportunity due to the precious seconds it takes for the camera to decide what settings are in need of adjustment before releasing the shutter. Like a fine wine, the F word flows freely from your mouth.
Hardware. If you have a cell phone. Then you might capture a few memories that matter to you. If you have a point and shoot with manual controls you'll get some cool stuff, but it will depend greatly on how much manual control you really have, and just how accessible those controls are. Second, a lot depends on the lens, and how accurate the focusing is. If your stuck with auto-focus, you'll be at the mercy of the onboard computer actually hitting target.
Which is why it's preferable to have an SLR. You simply have full manual control and physical access to the controls to make changes quickly. You won't have to wait for a slow autofocus system either, if you have good eye site, you'll be able focus much quicker. The drawback is the added bulk of extra gear, the need to bring extra lenses and bringing attention to yourself (which may or may not be an issue).
"No cameras allowed!" That pretty much sums it up. If your bringing a large SLR, at this point you can change your mind about being the photographer and switch to spectator mode. Realizing that you parked your car a good distance away, and make a mad dash to lock up your gear. So having a decent PS in your pocket as backup (I carry a canon G5), would be better than nothing.
It's way too dark, lights are flashing everywhere, and I have all these people standing up and waving their arms in front of me. These are obvious challenges to a cameras sensor in trying to find an optimal setting for taking the shot. Therefore, you need to learn how to set and use your camera in manual mode.
Have I lost you yet? No. Ok, maybe this next section will do the trick...
There are three key settings in determining the outcome of a properly exposed shot, and they are:
1. The aperture value. This setting controls the opening size of the lens' iris. The larger the opening, the more light you let in. What is confusing to newbies about the aperture is that the scale or numbering system is backwards. That is, the physically widest opening is noted as the smallest numerical setting. That is at "F2" the aperture is wide open, while "f16" the aperture is almost closed.
Aperture blades of a lens. These control the amount of light that passed through the lens to the film or sensor. Here this lenses aperture goes from f4 to f16, and the iris is set to the mid point of f8. Clear as mud?
Put it another way. When you enter a dark room the iris or pupil of you eye opens wide to let in more light, but turn on the lights and it closes down. To see this, go into the bathroom, face the mirror and while looking at your pupils, flip the light switch and see what happens.
Many of the better compact cameras, and pro lenses for DSLRs will have an aperture the opens to at a value of f2 to 2.8. Many consumer lenses will only go to f3.5 Which is fine as I have many good shots that worked at f4 and f5.6 with good stage lighting. However, at f5.6 I might have to use and ISO value of 1200 or more. Sometimes 1600 and we start getting in noisy images.
The other feature the aperture controls is known as the depth of field or DOF for short. This refers to the zone or area where things are in focus. Opening up the aperture decreases or creates a shallow DOF, while closing down the aperture will create a deeper one. Portraits are typically shot at f2.8 as the shallow DOF blurs the background and helps to isolate the subject in focus. While landscapes are typically shot at f8 or higher to ensure that everything in the shot is in focus.
ISO 500, f2, 1/160s, EF 135mm f2L
In the above example it was so dark with the single orange spot that f2 was used and so Jay Pierce's face is in focus, but Chris Caffery, not more than two feet behind him is blurry.
ISO 800, 1/200s, f5.6, EF 28-135mm at 130mm.
The above example with Jeff Plate crossing sticks was done at f5.6, so both he and his kit are in the zone of focus., (and note that I was using the center AF point and thus focused on the kit and not him directly, yet he is still in focus).
2. The shutter speed. While the aperture controls the amount of light that hits the sensor, the shutter speed controls the duration of the light. What matters with shutter speed is being able to freeze motion. Fast objects like hands running across strings will require fast shutter speeds, while stationary or slow objects such a motionless singer behind the mic, can use slower shutter speeds.
In regards to indoor or stage lighting, you want both a wide aperture to let in ample light, and a fast shutter speed to freeze motion.
There is also another fact that contributes to blurry images and that is you, in the form of camera shake resulting from unsteady hands.
To counter this, some cameras and lenses are equipped with anti-shake features. Usually it's a micro motor or gyro that locks onto an bright object in the view and physically moves the glass fractions of an inch to compensate and in a sense, stay locked onto the target for that critical brief moment when the shutter is released.
ISO 800, f5.6, 1/40s, EF 28-135 at 112mm (IS turned on).
In the example above JLM went into this pose. Had he moved, and with 1/40s shutter, he would have been blurry. However, at 1/40s, the act of pressing down on the shutter would have introduced motion and the shot would have blurred. Image stabilization works.
However, image stabilization will not compensate for a fast moving item in the scene. It will only subtract, to a certain degree, any additional movement you add into the equation. Also, in order to be effective, there must be enough light to allow the sensor to see something that it needs to lock on to in the first place, otherwise it fails and does nothing. What's the chances of that happening in a dark concert hall?
Before image stabilization, there was a rule of thumb that the slowest shutter speed one can use without introducing hand shake is equal to the numerical length of the lens. So, for a 50mm lens, you should go no lower than 1/50th of a second and for a 100mm, you should not go lower than 1/100th or 1/125th. Anything less and it's all you.
ISO1000, f2.8, 1/80s EF 135mm f2L Image a little blurry due to slow shutter for lens.
The shot of Chris Caffery above so demonstrates. At ISO 1000 it's plenty of light, (in fact its too hot), and at 1/80th it's too slow for a lens of 135mm and the motion is blurred. If I had shot this at 1/160th I could have froze the image, (and maybe underexposed it a little to avoid that hot spot on the right side of his face).
The same issue also applies for zooming. Zoom the lens way out, up goes the need for speed.
ISO500, f2.8, 1/160s, EF 135mm f/2L. Proper shutter speed to freeze motion of Anna and Chris.
The shot above demonstrates proper shutter speed. The ISO is also correct at 500, (but light levels have nothing to do with freezing motion). At 1/160s the shutter is faster than the focal length of the lens and the image is properly frozen.
ISO800, f5.6, 1/400s, EF 28-135mm at 112mm
Above is another example with a zoom lens, the relatively cheap EF28-135mm kit lens. ISO 800 is proper for this 'slow' lens, as it's range is from f3.5 to 5.6 and that is regulated by zooming, (the more I zoom, the more the aperture closes down). So when I stick this lens on, I set the ISO to 800. Anyway, here Alex Skolnick is shredding and head banging, and at 1/400th of second, I was able to freeze his hair perfectly.
It would be easier to get physically closer with a shorter lens than stand way back with a long zoom. Which is why many good shots are taken within the first ten rows from the stage. Furthermore, it's also a good idea to stick with short primes as they are generally faster and sharper than zooms.
One last item regarding point and shoot cameras. These typically have much smaller sensors, and so the zoom range marked on their lenses might not be given in 35mm equivalents. That is, you'll need to know the actual 35mm equivalent zoom range of your camera, to then know you actual minimum shutter speed. This might be listed in your users manual, or just google it.
3. The ISO value. Ok, with indoor photography, I need a wide aperture, and I also need a fast shutter to freeze motion. However, it's very hard to have both work together as each one can cancel the other out. What if you have to really crank up the shutter speed to freeze a jumping rocker, and don't have enough light to expose the shot? Something's gotta give, and that's where the ISO value comes in.
The ISO value refers to the sensitivity of your sensor (or the film speed). If you ever shot with film, then you may remember having to purchase 400 or higher ISO rated film speed. The term "speed" is not really applicable. It would be better to say "sensitivity".
Higher IS0 films are more sensitive to light, but a cost of larger grain and loss of resolution. The same can be said for digital sensors. Turning up a sensor to increase its light gathering ability, heats it up and introduces noise into the image, and thus, a loss of resolution (meaning details).
Not all is lost however, as a noisy or large grained image will have more "perceived sharpness" than a noise free or tightly grained blurry image. It's all in the details. Therefore, in regards to using ISO 400, you increase your light gathering ability four-fold, and that allows you to maintain the motion stopping shutter speeds you need without being left in the dark.
Another issue is using too low an ISO value, underexposing the image, and still creating a noisy result when you have to increase the exposure via software in post. Actually, it's not real noise, just missing data or gaps in the shot and the software tries it's best to fill that in.
ISO400, f5.6, 1/110s, EF 28-135mm at 90mm.
The above example with Steve Broderick illustrates too low an ISO value. Here I was switching lenses from a 50mm prime to the 28-135, and he did this. Having no time to up the ISO, I turned down the shutter speed dial to the lowest I could go for the lens, 1/100s at 90mm and just fired. In post I had to crank up the exposure to the point of noise and had to kill the color channels to preserve contrast. Still a cool shot.
In short, expect a little noise in your shots. The only way to avoid the issue is to use flash, and that is a whole other discussion, and something you need avoid in these cases. Using flash will draw unwanted attention. What you should more concerned with is gaining enough light in order to use a fast shutter speed to stop motion. Do that, and noise will take a back seat in your cool shots.
Class dismissed. Time for application. So you're still here? Ok. lets get busy.
Ok, let's sum this up into some real numbers for you. You want to start with the following:
Turn the flash off.
ISO speed of 400 or more.
Aperture at it's widest (numerically smallest) setting. f2.8 or 3.5.
Shutter speed of at least 1/80 to 1/125 of a second, or a step faster than the focal length of your lens.
Turn on image stabilization.
Set your camera to fast burst or continuous shooting. Pixels are cheaper than film. The first shot will like pick up movement from your finger pressing the button, with the second shot hitting target, and a third or fourth might be just work better.
If using autofocus, then set your camera to use the center focus point only. Otherwise it focus on the brightest item in the frame, and that's not always your subject. If the object is even a few feet behind, the subject will fall out of the DOF (depth of field or things in that will be focus range).
Set your sensors sampling to point spot mode. You only want to be concerned with the exposure of you subjects skin, and by using the only the center focus point, you can force the camera to only sample that zone.
Shoot RAW. This cannot be overstated. If your serious and your camera is capable of shooting in RAW format, then avoid jpeg captures. RAW is the digital equivalent of film negative. By capturing jpegs your throwing away valuable information and letting your camera decide the final result.
RAW, like a negative needs to be post processed. If your camera shoots RAW, it most likely came with RAW conversion software. Use it. Here you will decide how to process the data into the final jpeg, (I use lightroom, others use Capture One or Apples Aperture).
The Steve Broderick example in the ISO section above was done in RAW, and as a jpeg, I would have not been able to "push process" the image and recover a useable shot.
When making adjustments on the fly, you want to set the ISO to a baseline of 400. You set the aperture to it's widest. You then control the exposure by cranking the shutter speed up or down, but watch your lower limit, when you have to get into too slow of shutter speed, you then crank up the ISO. Simple? (Yeah right).
Then try this cheat. If your ok with noisy images and don't want large prints, or intend to post online (which can be very forgiving), then set for an ISO of 800 or 1000 and leave it, and then ride that shutter speed dial. In this business content is king and getting the shot is what matters. This method also works for cameras that require you to cycle through a menu to change the ISO.
Side note: cameras are getting better, and sensors are improving. My 40D produces useable images at ISO800. However, the new 7D goes to ISO6400, and that camera at ISO1600 has images that compare to my 40D at 800. Therefore, it's twice as bright.
My son Korey in a test shot of the new Canon 7D at ISO 1600. Looks pretty clean to me.
Ok back to the tutorial...
Get close. That is, you want your talent or subject matter to fill at least 3/4 of the frame. Having more pixels covering your subject will ensure you have a sharper and more detailed image that will not be significantly degraded by ISO robbing noise.
ISO 1600, f5.6, 1/60s EF 28-135mm at 135mm.
The above shot with Vk so illustrates. Here I was unable to move closer, and so I zoomed, which closed down the aperture to 5.6, so I cranked the ISO up to a max of 1600 and it works. I would have rather physically moved closer with a 50mm.
In regards to focal length, avoid the use of wide lenses at very short distances. It creates unflattering wide faces, stringy legs and barrel distortion. Unless that's what your after. Typically I would shoot with some fans in the foreground. You want to put the viewer into the action as if they were in the venue. Even so, you can always crop the image in post if you want something closer.
ISO 1600, f5.6, 1/125s, EF 28-135mm at 105mm.
Take a few sample shots and check your result, and adjust accordingly. If the shot is too dark, then open up the aperture If it's at it's widest, then adjust the shutter speed, and if your already too slow to risk motion blur, then bump up the iso. You want to quickly find the average exposure for the room before the real action happens.
When shooting your subject, if he or she is stationary, then you lower the iso and and slow down the shutter speed to just above hand shake to create a noise free image. If the subject is moving about, then you need to crank the shutter speed up to freeze that motion, and will have to crank up the ISO in order to get proper exposure.
ISO 400, f5.6, 1/40s, EF 28-135mm at 80mm.
Above, Jay Pierce pauses, an example of when it's ok to use a slow shutter to avoid high ISO noise.
You always wonder why pros post such professional results. Well, we have to wack through a ton of shots to get a good one, and only post just that one. My current hit ration is about 3 to 1, (I get one keeper for every three). My long time average is about 10 to 1. I only know that because in the last year and half I've run over 90,000 actuations on my 40D, and have about 10,500 keepers in the database. Like Babe Ruth is a prolific hitter, I am a prolific shooter, and only pay attention to the home runs.
Keep your camera at the ready and shoot anything that moves with good light. Check your shots. Many pros call it "chimping", and a sign of amateurish behavior. I say BS. If the feature is there to review the shot, I'm gonna use it. Many times I will shoot, check and re shoot until I get one that covers a particular move. That's the real beauty of the digital revolution. You can't check your film on site.
Just getting a good focused shot is only par for the course. Getting a shot with emotion is the hammer that rings peoples bells.
Chris in a moment when he feels the music.
Bryan Hicks on his air guitar, (not sure if it's a Gibson or Fender...) with Alex Skolnick.
Sometimes I swear I think that the performers find me, or when they see me, we are instantly drawn into a co-operative objective: that ultimate selling media shot. It may freak you out when you first see them starring right at you and that's a good thing. A big lens, vest, and badge usually means a cover in the local paper or a rag. Get ready, cause they'll sometimes toss you a bone:
Here Anna say's "Hi there."
Things that sell an image to the audience: Horseplay and performers reacting with each other. Grandstanding. Making a point. The grand finale. Creative use of pyrotechnics, shadows and silhouettes.
I know this has been a long read, and that the only real way to get good is simply go out and learn from your own mistakes. Hopefully I've given you some ground work and food for thought. At the very least you understand the nature of the beast. Above all else, have fun and enjoy the show.
About the author, Pete Ferling. He's this guy who holds expensive cameras and brags about his photos to anyone who will listen...