Touched By Fire

New artwork : “The Color Muse”

artistjanebush — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:48:08 +0000

An ocean of color for your eyes: Sketched in graphite, drawn/painted with watercolor pencils.

All artwork is Copyright 2010 Artist Jane Bush | Touched By Fire | Artist Jane Bush.com. Stealing, reproduction, or reposting anywhere on the web is strictly prohibited and illegal. If you are interested in a print of my work, please visit my portfolio on redbubble.com

It’s been a while since I’ve completed a full illustration. As an artist, lots of ideas come to mind, and the trick is knowing which ones are worth executing. As artists, when a creative block hits us, it’s called a creative block for a reason: You cannot force the creation to fruition, and you have the choice to walk away and allow time to empty your head and come back to your craft, or simply move on with other projects until the creative inspiration comes back with the piece you’re stuck on.

As the great Tori Amos once said, “My songs are already there, I’m just the messenger for them.” I’m sure it sounds intangible and crazy to the non artistic individual. I’m sure many artists whether they be musicians, illustrators, photographers, painters, or whatever they do, can identify with this statement. Your creations have already been planted in your soul and in your head, it’s just a matter of channeling them with your talent. Your truest art always has some statement to make, and you’re the vessel for it to show the world. I started this piece last year, and “The Color Muse” was the first and only title that fit. She was there within hours of sketching on my bristol board. She wanted to come through, but I wasn’t sure what it was she wanted to be.

I wanted to experiment for the first time with something different: watercolor pencils. I am by no means a watercolor artist, but I highly respect the skill it takes now having dabbled in it. I felt as the months went on and the place she was at (see the third photo below) she had something very elaborate to say. I realized as I finally picked up my pencils and paintbrushes that it wasn’t a message of emotion so much as it was an intellectual statement. She represents the childlike, creative curiosity in all of us as artists to see if our ideas will work. She represents hope of creating something beautiful and different. She became what I was feeling as an artist at this point in my life. She wants to make many grandiose, beautiful works of art that speaks for themselves. She is proud, and she is sexy. She is what she is. She’s a mermaid, a muse, and is channel of things to come. I had to cross her bridge and create her in order to move on as artist.

“The Color Muse” will be available as a greeting card, canvas print, photo print, and more as soon as it is uploaded to my portfolio on redbubble.com.

Here below: The evolution of “The Color Muse”. Each time a new piece is fully created and I post here, you’ll be able to see each piece of artwork in stages. I apologize for the first two are awful photographs (my scanner was not working on the time).

The beginning stages of "The Color Muse". Experimenting for the first time with watercolor pencils. Sketched in graphite.

"The Color Muse": The point at which she sat in this state for months as my creative block hit. (Fall/Winter 2009)

For some reason, I’ve never been a fan of negatives/inverted photos or art, but I saw what she looked like this way, I almost like her more in negative.

T-Pain live @ Scottrade Center

artistjanebush — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:19:30 +0000

Rapper/record producer T-Pain opened for Black Eyed Peas saturday night at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center complete with his animated back up dancers, as well as acknowledging that he’d “heard a rumor that St. Louis has one crazy crowd!”, to which the audience responded with positive and energetic ferver. I was able to catch T-Pain busting a few moves of his own and he was quite fun to shoot following his active and enthusiastic performance despite confessing to have a cold. Photos were taken with both my mid-range 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom and telephoto 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom. All shots taken from T-Pain’s set can be viewed here.

All photos are copyright © 2010 Artist Jane Bush. Reposting, stealing, reproduction, manipulating, etc. are completely prohibited. Photos are not to be taken and reposted on ANY fan site or blog including but not limited to flickr, tumblr, live journal, facebook, myspace, etc. Violations will be handled in a legal manner.

Black Eyed Peas live @ Scottrade Center in St. Louis

artistjanebush — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:20:20 +0000

Multi-platinum, Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas performed at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis last night, bringing with them all the light-infused stage set ups, mutli-colored lasers, and fun filled energy that only a band like them can provide to a pop show. In the 2 and a half songs I was able to shoot, it wasn’t hard to capture how the band was able to get the screaming fans pumped up for an energetic performance in the arena. Both my 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 were used in these photos taken. View the rest of the photos from last night’s show here.

All Photos © Artist Jane Bush | artistjanebush.com

Adam Lambert live @ The Pageant – St. Louis

artistjanebush — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:14:52 +0000

The fabulous, glamtacular Adam Lambert was in St. Louis at The Pageant for his Glam Nation 2010 tour, and my 70-200mm was there to capture all the glam action! Be sure to attend the show when he’s in your town. You won’t want to miss it! Here are a few photo highlights. You can view the rest of the set of photos here.

Concert Photography 101: 6 essential tips for getting the best shots!

artistjanebush — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:52:57 +0000

Capturing the moment: Going from good shots to awesome shots.

What’s the secret formula to getting the ‘money shot’ of the night when it comes to concert photography? Well, there’s no specific equation since all concerts are different for each performer, yet somehow follow a rhythmic pattern universally. This segment of concert photography journals will give you pointers to enable you to tap into those specific moments where timing is everything and you can go home that night feeling accomplished.

William Beckett & the making of his signature backbends (live @ Dupage County Fair July ‘09) by yours truly

1. Research

Before any big show, it’s essential to do your research online of a band’s performance. This could be in the form of going to youtube and watching current concert tour videos, or browsing flickr for the latest tour shots. This will allow you to study their lighting in other photographer’s shots, see what backdrops they’re using, what stage antics are going on, and so on. Study close and while watching videos, be sure to allow your eyes to see the patterns in lighting and performance. Be prepared for the moments when the guitarist is jumping in the air, etc. The flickr concert photography forums are a great place to research other photographer’s experiences of shooting a specific artist as well (just don’t allow any negativity coming from specific photographers to affect your attitude towards a upcoming show. Use your own experience.)

In addition, listening to a band’s latest cd streaming online can help you gather an idea of what a performance will be like based on the patterns in the songs. If a chorus of a particular song you know will be performed is powerful and intense, expect to prepare yourself to get a good shot then, as lighting and stage performance follow the patterns of song structure. Make sense?

2. Timing Is Everything

An awareness of rhythmic patterns in his performance and timing allowed me to capture this photo of Dom Howard of Muse.

Through experience, you can gain a knowledge and awareness of the patterns in which the lighting and musicians play. Every band is different, however, lighting techniques follow a similar pattern in most concert performances. It takes some time to become savvy in this awareness, but if you notice how a musician performs in relation to the lighting patterns, you can start to anticipate making a great shot with your finger on the shutter. Please take into account that some musicians are more “photo/audience friendly” than others, and that’s just based on their personality and performance. Once you know what you’re looking for (see tip #1), you can anticipate it. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen perfectly at first, because sometimes it just won’t with the unpredictability of concert performances. In contrast, because of the unpredictability, there will be times when you have “happy accidents” or half happy accidents, where you’re anticipating a shot and it just so happens the performer looks right into your lens (see the photo of Dominic Howard of Muse I took above). Some may think that was signaled by a photographer, and sometimes it is. However, in that predicament, I was using a 300mm lens from the soundboard, I’m not sure how it happened, but it’s best to not question it and feel happy it did. During these happy accidents you shouldn’t feel dissapointed that it wasn’t entirely conducted by you, the photographer. Sometimes, magic just happens.

3. Take Note Of Rhythms & Patterns

Katy Perry at the Hollywood Palladium by Mark Oshiro. Noticing the lighting patterns in relation to the performer is essential.

As noted before, the subtle rhythms and patterns that take place in concert photography are essential in relations from music to lights to physical performance. As an example, if you’re shooting a metal band and the chorus is especially visceral, it’s almost expected that the lighting will be brighter and may even feature pyrotechnics or flare ups from the white lights. In addition, the singer may start head banging or the guitarist may do a jump/kick off of a platform. This tip directly relates to the number one tip of research. Watch for those signature moves in relation to the rhythms of the performance and lighting, and you can immediately become more aware of how the performance works and compose a compelling shot that will wow your viewers and potential publications.

4. Remember To Photograph The Drummer!

Dominic Howard – Muse live @ United Center in Chicago by yours truly

By the power of grayskull, take it and run with this one! I can’t emphasize this enough! Most of the time, photographers tend to forget the drummer because they’re too focused on the foreground band members and lead singers. While that is important (see tip #5), take the time during those first 3 songs to watch the patterns of the drummer. It’s not always easy to shoot the drummer and in fact, may be the hardest band member to shoot due to bad lighting, all the metal they’re surrounded by, and especially if they’re head and arms are all flailing about. However, with your fast lenses, get ready and frame your shot. There’s bound to be some backlighting you can at least frame your drummer with. Make sure that if he or she is in the midst of drum thrashing action, anticipate a good shot of his or her face as you watch the pattern of their drummer a few seconds before. I try to get at least one or two good drummer shots of each band I shoot. Don’t exclude them just because they’re towards the back of the stage.

Most bands really appreciate it when you include shots of their drummers because they so often are looked over. Make sure your path is clear to get a decent close up with a zoom lens and the bassist or any other band member isn’t in the way. Occasionally you can also get a great shot of the singer hanging out by the drumkit as well.

5. Follow The Leader(s)

My Chemical Romance by Ryan Russell (who not only captured the magic of a signature move by Gerard but the pyrotechnics as well to create a compelling, epic concert photo).

Now that you’ve learned in the last few journals how to properly use your camera’s settings and lenses, you can start to analyze the performance of the singer in order to capture some of the most amazing images of your portfolio. Develop an awareness of how they express their emotion during verses and choruses. Do they have certain facial expressions they use during certain lines of a song? Do they show animated facial expressions? Do they have signature moves? Are they particularly known for their showmanship and stage presence? Do they interact with the crowd and pull fans onstage or reach out to them? Whether it’s a backbend by William Beckett, a kiss to the audience or bum shake from Gerard Way, a leggy kick from Justin Tranter of Semi Precious Weapons, or a crowd surfing moment from Peaches, studying the stage performance behaviors from an artist/lead singer can capture their emotion and individuality in your concert photos.

6. Composition & Framing A Shot

AFI @ Santa Cruz 1.28.2010 by MiseryXChord displays a neatly framed photo as well as a study in working the right angles.

Composition of a photo is just as important in concert photography as in any other photography. Be aware of background and foreground clutter and see if you can make sure to exclude the extra speakers, platforms, cables, among other stage props. These can sometimes work to your advantage if they’re part of the backdrop or scenery, but most of the time it’s best to keep these out of the shot. As an artist, I try to compose for form in getting a clean, single shot of a performer whether it be the singer or the guitarist. It’s much like a form of art to me when I’m out there looking through my viewfinder. Take into account whether a singer stands particularly close to the microphone, and whether or not they hold it in their right or left hand. You want to try not to get their hand in the way of their mouth or nose or shadowed by their hand or front lighting, so positioning yourself in the pit just right is essential. This isn’t always easy, of course. It takes much practice to develop the ‘eye’ for getting clean shots. If there is a shot that’s particularly great that you love but there’s a speaker or a guitar neck in the way, use your best judgement in whether to crop it out or not with post production software. Work with the side lighting and backlighting as well, as they can be useful for creating some solid silhouette photos (publications may not like this especially but it will look very aesthetically pleasing).

In addition, try to look at the instruments as performers as well. Guitars and bass guitars can look great from a particular other and less than great in others. If you’re underneath a guitarist during one of their solos, you can work the angles to make the instruments look just as incredible as the person playing it. Framing a photo just right are subtle changes but can make the most impact in composition of your photography.

A Showcase Of My Favorite Epic Shots Taken By Buzznet Photographers

In addition to the shots used by other photographers in this journal, these are some of my favorite epic shots that fellow concert photographers have taken and are a perfect example of the principles taught that you’ve just read about.

Karen O’s fabulous stage presence captured by DerekX

The Academy Is… (there’s that backbend again!) by Emily

Blink182 in Irvine, CA by Bree

My Chemical Romance in Birmingham, AL by Ryan Russell

Jack’s Mannequin in Portland, Oregon by Sandra Razo

A fierce shot of Peaches amazing performance by DerekX

AFI at KROQ’s 2009 Almost Acoustic Christmas by Mark Oshiro

A fabulous photo of Justin of Semi Precious Weapons live @ HOB, Las Vegas, NV by Nick Leonard

I could probably add endless photos to my favorite concert photos but I wanted to show you a perfect example of how these tips can be executed properly to produce amazing shots! Until next time when we talk about the photo pass among other things, I appreciate your feedback. Have a great week!

Concert Photography 101: Metering & Preparing For the Photo Pit

artistjanebush — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:50:17 +0000

I realize this post was behind, and I apologize. Life has been pretty erratic lately. Let’s dive right into the topics were covering for this week.

Camera Setting for Metering In Concert Photography

In last week’s installment I realized that I had skipped over the metering in camera settings. There are 4 different types of metering in DSLR cameras, and you’re probably wondering which one is best for concert photos. Spot metering (see symbol) is generally the best metering setting for concert photography, where lighting is unpredictable and it’ll give a more consistent reading for better exposure due to backlighting and high contrast which is typical of concert photography.

Sonata Arctica @ House of Blues 09.18.2009 (by MiseryXChord)

Spot metering can help in concert photography when the contrast is drastic due to back lighting among other unpredictable lighting.

In the pit: What to expect when shooting a show

Shooting a show can be about as unpredictable as the lighting when it comes to your environment, but there are a few key patterns that you can expect as well as some of these predicaments that could arise while shooting a show.

3 songs, no flash

This is the standard in modern concert photography. Unless you are shooting in a small club, most venues in coordination with the band management require that you only shoot the first 3 songs without using flash. There are number of reasons for this: the security of the show and the photographers, as you don’t want a crowd surfer knocking you in the head and busting your camera up at the same time. Another reason for this is the performance quality of the show; overall shooting a show the entire time can be a distraction to the artist and especially if you’re using flash. I don’t entirely like or agree with these reasons in the industry seeing as there are a ton of fans that go to shows shooting with flash the entire time from their compact cameras or phones, but those are the rules. Occasionally you may even find yourself shooting a show where the security tells you to shoot only one or two songs, which I personally encountered when shooting Marilyn Manson at Mayhem festival last year. Honestly how can a photographer get a lot of great shots within the first song when the show is just warming up? A lot of the time the first part of the show is obscured in darkness or partial lighting when the performer comes out for dramatic effect. However, those are the rules, and sometimes the rules are ridiculous, but you have to follow them. Thankfully, most artists/bands allow the first 3 songs. The alternative to this is if you’re in a small or mid-sized venue such as The Metro in Chicago and you have a decent spot after leaving the photo pit, you can shoot with no flash from behind the barricade or at a decent distance and not be bothered given you’re not in a mosh pit. Most large venues or arenas will ask you to leave your equipment at their guest service desk after the first 3 songs if you’re staying for the entire show.

Below: Special thanks to John Ortega for helping me get this shot of Peaches despite a rude photographer at the show.

Rude Photographers

In my experience of shooting shows for the last year and a half, most of the photographers I’ve met in the pit either won’t bother you while shooting as they are courteous enough and know the ropes of working around you and vice versa, you should do the same. Occasionally you will run into photographers though that are either rude by stealing your shots or just basically think they’re the rock star and their ego is the size of Mount Everest. If the situation is the latter of the two, don’t let them bring you down or affect your own performance by intimidation. Nine times out of ten they don’t have the talent to justify the size of their ego, and when they do, it still doesn’t justify a snobby attitude. While this field can be extremely cut throat and competitive, it’s not a competition. You’re there because you have a passion for music and love to photograph the moment of it in action. If a photographer is stealing your shots deliberately and being physically aggressive about it, notify security as soon as possible. You should never be physically shoved while photographing a show just so some asshole can get an epic shot. Let security handle it. I had a similar situation at a Peaches show that I shot in Chicago last year, and looking back on it I should’ve practiced what I’m preaching here. He was shooting in live view mode, holding up the camera in front of others and myself so we couldn’t get our shots and physically pushing and shoving others to get those shots. When I approached him after the opening act and politely told him I would appreciate that he wouldn’t do such things, he responded with “You gotta do what you gotta do to get the shot.” Mind you, this was a man in his 40’s, not some young adult with an attitude. I always say treat others with courtesy and how you’d like to be treated, and if you need to get past someone and they’re in your way, tap them on the shoulder before squeezing past them. You should never have to put up with physically aggressive photographers. It’s never a professional way to behave in a photo pit.

Overzealous Fans

Most of the time fans at the show are really great. In fact, if you’re photographing a band you’re a fan of yourself, it’s a great opportunity to talk to them before the show and get to know them. You can’t really blame them if they accidentally hit you over the head while their arms are flailing (it’s happened to me…twice), they’re having fun and getting into the moment. Just be sure you be aware that they’re there and you have expensive equipment on your hands. While getting hit over the head and having open bottles of water spilled on your equipment bag from a crowd surfer (yes, this happened to me) is really annoying while you’re trying to shoot, try to remain calm and realize they’re there to enjoy the show too and they paid good money to be there. I’m specifically addressing the fans that are behind the barricade here and some of the things that can happen while photographing the show. It’s unpredictable, but be aware it does happen; just don’t let it get to you too badly if it does.

An unfortunate series of events: The occasional rabid fan can cause you to have photographic mishaps such as this.

As for the fans that are photographing the show with a photo pass, they may have a point n’ shoot camera (or they may not). This doesn’t automatically make them target for the butt of your jokes. Be respectful whether they have an SLR or not. When the situation is one of a rabid fanboy or fangirl in the pit dancing to the songs while you’re shooting and holding up their camera in front of yours continuously, this can be extremely irritating. You are there for professional reasons, and if they don’t respond with a polite request from you, notify security. Another thing they shouldn’t be doing is taking photos with their camera phone inside the photo pit. You shouldn’t have to deal with your shots being compromised or your equipment damaged by a dancing fan with flailing arms inside the photo pit trying to get a shot of the band member they’re drooling over. That kind of behavior is not suitable to shoot a show or professional and should be reserved for fans behind the barricade. That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth.

The Dreaded Red

An example of good use of red lighting: Mastodon performs at the Hollywood Palladiu m by Mark Oshiro.

Yes, it happens, and when it happens in full flood lighting on the performer, it can be a real hassle to shoot. Red lighting is the devil when it comes to concert photography, as it washes out the skin tones to a ridiculous degree when it comes to the photos. Sometimes, however, you can manipulate your photos and compensate for the awful red lights. Here are few fast fixes for red lighting:

Separation of the tone in the photo is key. What does that mean? Trying underexposure in red lighting, as it’ll help separate the mid tones, shadows, and highlights. Your red, green, and blue RGB channels are typically read by your camera’s settings in how you shoot the photo and naturally, since red is dominant here, the green and blue will be compromised and washed out entirely here. Overexposure in red lighting will cause your photos to look “blown out” and extremely unnatural, and being red lighting, it’s already hard to have natural looking photos. As we discussed in an earlier journal, manual settings will give you complete control over this.
If you’re allowed to use flash at a particular show that has a lot of red lighting, it’ll definitely help in giving your photos a more natural look and equalize the skin tones.
If you’re aware that an artist has an over abundance of red lighting in their live show, you can purchase a blue filter to put over your lens for a relatively inexpensive price. This will help give it a cooler tone.
A manual white balance setting in your camera (custom settings) can help give it a cooler tone, a recommendation of 2000K to 2700K should do the trick.
Shooting in monochrome or using a monochrome filter in post production can sometimes help in giving the photo a more natural look. However, the downside is that depending on how much red lighting is used, what direction its coming from, and how close the artist is to the light at the time the shot is taken will depend on how natural and even the separation will be. I’ve used this trick with red lighting from the sides of the stage and it’s worked out fairly well. Other shots though, it hasn’t. Use your best judgement. An example of this is below of William Beckett of The Academy Is….Unfortunately I don’t have the original red shot as my external hard drive decided to malfunction and I lost a lot of the original and unused photos from last year and early this year. You can see that the shot works well though as a black n’ white photo.

S ometimes monochrome can instantly fix a red shot such as this one of William Beckett of The Academy Is…

Simple but important tips to keep yourself in check before a show

Charge your batteries several hours before a show. This is a no brainer. You don’t want to be out there and have your camera on a low battery. Bring extra batteries just in case.

Clean your lenses and make sure they’re dust and fingerprint free before shooting.

Buy multiple flash cards and bring them. You can buy a card case for about $4, and you don’t want to be shooting with just one card on you in case anything were to malfunction with the card.

Dress appropriately: again, this is a no brainer. I hate to sound like I’m patronizing, but honestly you want to wear loose, cool, comfortable clothing. Even if its freezing in the middle of winter outside, chances are it’ll be warm or even hot without much air circulation coming from the front of the venue, and sweating on your camera and others in the pit isn’t exactly fun for you or them.

Be respectful of other photographers: In other words, don’t be a douche, even if others are. If someone’s giving you trouble, notify security. There’s no need to resort to aggression or even physical violence because 1.That’s never the answer, 2. It makes you look extremely unprofessional, and 3. chances are if you do let your temper get the best of you and you are the initiator, you will be escorted out of the venue and possibly asked never to shoot at that venue again. Not only does that look bad on your part but to the publication/website/etc. you are shooting for as well, which could lead to termination of photo opportunities.

If you’re a woman, leave your purse in your car. You won’t need it in the pit.

In addition to the last, whether you’re male or female, keep your ID/credit cards/debit cards/wallet in your pocket or your camera bag and keep them well hidden. You don’t want to leave these things even in a locked up car since chances are you’re shooting in the city, and I don’t care what city it is, people are more likely to break in your car before stealing your wallet out of a well hidden bag in the photo pit.

Bring business cards with you and hand them out. Chances are those fans want to see your photos of the show and you never know who you’ll run into. Sometimes the tour manager will speak to the photographers about the “3 songs, no flash”. If you politely introduce yourself and pass on your card with your website address on them and introduce yourself, there’s a good chance the band or their tour manager will see your photos from the show.

Okay, the bases are covered, and most importantly, have fun while shooting! Don’t be so nervous that it compromises your shots, even when it’s your absolute favorite band and you get momentarily awestruck. Just breathe and have a great time shooting! Next time: tips to getting the best and epic shots!

Concert Photography 101: Tweaking Your Camera’s Settings For Great Shots

artistjanebush — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:47:46 +0000

Now that I have the camera, how do I set it up for concert photography?

There are a number of different ways to shoot a concert based on your camera and its available settings. However, some settings are standard in concert photography in order to make the most out of a shot. Here are some following tips that will help you evaluate what you find will work best for you. [cut=Read more...] In the end, it’s up to you to decide what works best for you. If these terms are perplexing you, don’t worry, the more you shoot and come to understand them (yes, you SHOULD read your camera’s manual), the more they’ll be intuitive and become second nature.

Exposure Modes: Shutter priority, aperture priority, Auto, or Manual?

First off, auto mode is not recommended in my opinion for concert photography at all seeing as the constantly changing lights can make it difficult for the camera to constantly gauge what the settings should be. Don’t use it for your concert photography, it’s as simple as that.

AP (Aperture Priority)

In aperture priority, or AP on your camera setting, you as a the photographer can control what the aperture should be set at and the camera controls the shutter. With most indoor concerts, you’ll find that you’ll be dealing with apertures anywhere from f/1.8 to f/4 depending on the lighting. The constant battle of the camera slowing down for shutter speed to compensate the aperture setting you’re in control of can get frustrating, as you’ll have some success with AP and then other shots the band members or artist may be out of focus. When I began shooting in clubs I used AP before I started to fully understand how to properly operate my camera. It wasn’t bad to use AP in the beginning since I was shooting in tiny venues with some successful artists, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend continually using AP for large venues with major label artists in order to get a portfolio of clearly shot photos.

Artist Vs. Poet (first show I ever shot, and in Aperture Priority…and you can definitely tell the difference in AP setting….

…and manual settings) Chris Cornell live @ Pop’s 4.21.09 (first show in manual mode)

SP (Shutter Priority)

In shutter priority, or SP, the camera is operating the opposite of AP: You control the shutter speed while the camera controls the aperture. The shutter in concert photography is integral to knowing how to operate properly because its outcome will be whether or not your artist/band is in focus and the motion of the show is “stopped”. It is arguable to some photographers as to whether or not you want to minimize the amount of “camera shake” in photos. Most print and online publications (as well as fans) prefer to see clearly shot photos with no camera shake or motion involved when in comes to concert photos. The exception of this would be maybe a small, sweaty venue with a hardcore punk band playing and you want to capture the visceral performance with slowing down the shutter speed. Basically, if you’re shooting in SP for concert photography, you generally want to set your shutter speed to fall no less than 1/125. Shutter priority tends to be more successful than AP due to the clear shots you’ll get, but again, your camera is controlling the aperture and with constantly changing lights and the band’s movement onstage, this can lead to underexposed photos. This setting can be either a blessing or a curse, or both.

Manual

I highly recommend that once you are comfortable with your camera to shoot concerts in manual mode, do it. Manual allows you the creativity and control that you’ll need to get the most out of concert photography and create successful shots. It merges both the creative side of your brain to the technical in thinking about what your exposure and aperture settings need to be. The more you shoot in manual, the more creative you can get and faster you’ll be able to gauge whether or not your settings need to be adjusted (with experience you’ll find it only takes a second to open up your aperture if needed or drop your shutter speed so you won’t compromise your time in the photo pit). Personally, I always shoot in manual now. This allows full creative control of the success of a photo vs. the camera deciding what the iso/exposure/aperture should be.

Other Camera Settings For Concert Photography

The AF mode

Always shoot your shows in Auto Focus, so set your lens to the AF setting, and then go to your camera’s internal AF mode setting and set it to the following mode: In Canon models, the preferred concert photography AF mode would be AF Servo and in Nikon models, it’s called “continuous focus”. This setting is used to track your subject when its moving and depending on your camera model, you’ll be able to track the energetic band members movement and keep it in focus up to a certain number of frames per second. In some circumstances where a band member is close to the edge of the stage and staying stable, you may be able to get away with the one shot mode, but AF Servo/Continuous Focus is what you’ll need to capture successful images.

ISO Settings

Iso settings can be tricky, but I wouldn’t recommend going below ISO 800 for concert photography since you’re dealing with low lighting a lot. Depending on your camera model, you can set your ISO anywhere from 1600 to 25,000+. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive to light your camera will be in the venue as well as it’ll be sensitive to noise. The highest end models we discussed in the last journal, such as the Nikon D3 or Canon 1Ds Mark III, are some of the best at managing noise in concert photography. Bottom line: you’ll need high ISO and a wide aperture in most concerts, which brings us to our next setting.

Aperture Settings

Assuming you already have a lens with an aperture of f/1.8 or f/2.8 and planning to shoot in manual, you can set the aperture wide open as it will go or down a few f stops, but it shouldn’t go any lower than f/3.5. Some may argue that you can get away with f/5 or lower but I wouldn’t personally push it. You need as much light as your lens will gather when it comes to concerts and the unpredictable lighting.

Shutter Speed Settings

When it comes to shutter speed, aperture, and concert lighting, there’s a mathematical relationship between all 3. The challenge in the lighting in most concerts is the varied and rapidly changing color. Basically, the faster the shutter speed, the more light is gathered from the aperture and the more you can “stop” and “freeze” the action of the photo you’re taking. Typically I’ll start somewhere with 1/125 or 1/180 depending on the venue and band. If you have knowledge the band has poor lighting on a current tour then obviously you’ll go for a faster shutter speed and wide open aperture. Sometimes you can get really lucky when a band’s production is top notch and their lighting is impeccable for concert photos, such as Mark’s photos of Nine Inch Nails last summer on their NINJA tour, which he shot at 1/500 to 1/1000 because of the great lighting (see below). It can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. There are also light meters you can purchase as well to assist you.

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails in Irvine, CA (photo by Mark Oshiro; his photos were shot at 1/500 to 1/1000)

30 Seconds To Mars @ Not So Silent Night (shot by MiseryXChord)

Making the most of your camera with stage lights and white balance is pertinent to getting an awesome concert shot)

White Balance Settings

For concert photography, I’ve personally had much success with auto white balance setting while shooting in manual and RAW. Shooting in RAW and auto white balance will also help aide in correcting some of the horrors of the dreaded red lighting that occasionally pops up in concerts. Making the most of your histogram will also help aide in white balance and unpredictable red lights. I usually like to take a few test shots before the show and locate where the lights are and what colors they’ll be using if possible. Arrive early and you’ll have plenty of time to get these settings in order before shooting.

In closing, I felt the first installment in this series of concert photography tips was a bit lengthy and a lot of information overload, so I felt it was best to stop here this time. Next time we’ll get into the ins and outs of the photo pit and what to expect while shooting (the good and the bad). I hope you continue to find it useful to furthering your talents as a concert photographer whether you’re an expert or a novice.

Concert Photography 101: Getting The Gear You Need To Take Amazing Photos

artistjanebush — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:44:57 +0000

The Academy Is…”Almost Here” 5th Anniversary Show @ The Metro

So you want to shoot concerts? Each week for as long as there are topics surrounding concert photography, I’ll be posting them here to give the best advice I can to you. Whether seasoned or novice, you may find some of this information useful to sharpening your skills as a photographer in live music. I’ve had an increasing number of people approach me about what lenses I use, how to get into concert photography, and so on. So I figured I’d lay it out in a weekly column and you can use it to go back to as a reference.

First and foremost, it doesn’t matter how much equipment you have if you don’t have the motivation and inspiration to shoot live concerts. Keep in mind when you’re starting out, you’ll more than likely have to shoot in small clubs locally. That’s how a lot of concert photographers start out, and that’s how I did. It’s not the most exciting place to shoot at first, and can sometimes be challenging due to poor lighting and lack of space (most clubs don’t have a photo barricade for photographers), but you work with what you have and learn to conserve, making the most of what you have to work with. The bottom line is you have to keep up the motivation to keep shooting local (and sometimes national) bands in small places until you can advance to theaters and arenas for high profile and popular bands. Just don’t give up easily. More on that later. Right now what we need to focus on is what you’ll need once you make the commitment to shoot concerts.

Choosing Camera Bodies

This can be tricky, especially if you’re on a budget, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Many different high quality brands of cameras have both their pros and cons, so what you choose to work with in the end is entirely your decision alone. Nikon and Canon, two of the leading camera companies, have affordable options in midgrade/”pro-amateur” camera. There’s also Sony, Fuji, and Olympus among others. I wouldn’t recommend spending thousands of dollars on the highest end DSLR they have at first unless you magically start off your career as a concert photographer shooting for magazines. I’d like to break down the levels of DSLR so you’ll know what best suits your needs and your wallet.

Level one: Starter DLSRs

Cameras like the Nikon D3000, or the Canon 400D (Digital Rebel XTi) are good DSLR’s to start out with. They’ll get you what you need to start taking great photos in the photo pit at concerts and quite user friendly, and retail around $600-$1000. You can save even more money by just buying the camera body (in concert photography, you won’t need your kit lens, which I’ll explain in a bit) if you’re working with a tight budget. Most of these have high ISO ranges up to 1600, which will be fine for most venues and situations, and if you’re just starting out in DSLR photography or have no experience in DSLRs and how they function, go for one of these and practice practice practice. You don’t want to get caught in the photo pit not knowing what you’re doing, because chances are you won’t have time to figure out what you’re doing and won’t be able to get the shots you need (happened to a someone my photographer/friend knew when she went to photograph MCR on their 2008 tour-only one of her photos came out). You don’t want to be that person. This is also a great option if you’ve been working with a specific brand of camera for a while and want to add a different brand to your concert photographer gear as a second camera body. Another note: You’ll probably outgrow your starter dslr within a year or so, so take good care of it so you can resell it on places like amazon or ebay.

Level two: midgrade, “pro-amateur” DSLRs

This level of DLSRs can have a wide range, and if you have a good familiar feel to them and are comfortable with taking it to the next level, this is where you need to start looking. Several examples of mid-range, “pro-amateur” DSLRs are Canon’s 50D (I would’ve recommended the 7d, but it’s been known to have a ghosting glitch in continuous shoot, and that’s not something you want to happen to you while shooting concerts), Nikon D300, Olympus E-30, and so on. These cameras have better sensors, higher ISO’s (usually up to 3200-which also increases shutter speed), more frames per second, more AF points, and more advanced settings. You can take some seriously stunning concert photos even with starter cameras, but you’ve outgrown your first DSLR or expand your knowledge in DSLR capabilities, this is the route to go. These are an amazing range of cameras that don’t cost thousands of dollars but will give you amazing images. Retail these cameras will usually range between $800 (for camera body only) to $2,000). Be sure to shop for the best price through nextag, read reviews on amazon and photography forums, etc. before picking which one is for you.

Davey Havok of AFI performs at The Pageant in St. Louis, Missouri (photo by Mark taken with a Canon 50D & 50mm f/1.4)

Level three: the holy grail of DSLRs

If you’re ready to shoot some serious images, and you have a great extensive knowledge of how DSLRs work in concert photography (and the major money to spend or great credit), it’s time to move to the holy grail of DSLRs. Nikon d3 and Canon MarkIV are some great choices; if I had to pick between the two I’d pick Nikon for concerts and the Canon MarkIV for portraiture work, but both have been known to take some epic quality shots. They can battle against noise in low light settings like no other line of DSLRs, and have incredible megapixels (up to 25 mp), highest of ISO ranges up to 16000, which allows the best photo quality in low light situations like concerts. The price is hefty (anywhere from $2,500 to $8,000 depending on what model you get), but you do get what you pay for. I highly recommend renting one of the models before purchasing and doing extensive research on the web before selecting a professional level DSLR, which brings us to our next option.

What if you can’t afford to purchase any DSLR right now?

The answer is simply, my friend. That’s what camera/lens rental websites are for. Many sites like lensrental.com (who have an extensive stock and selection), cameralensrentals.com, lensprotogo.com offer 4-30 day rental prices with insurance available, and yes, you will want to pay a little extra for insurance considering the unpredictable conditions of concert photography. This will give you flexibility to work with a few bodies before making the major decision of picking out a DSLR and bide some time before making your purchase.

Choosing Lenses for concert photography

Prime lenses

These lenses are at a fixed focal length, and I recommend either the 50mm 1.4 (or if you’re working with a tight budget, go for the 50mm 1.8 though sometimes a 1.8 struggles to keep focused in serious low light), or if you don’t want something quite as close and are willing to spend more money, I’d go for a 35mm 1.4. These will produce some of the sharpest images of all lenses, with the exception of the 1.2 f stop lenses. They’re also some of the most affordable of lenses. When I started shooting shows, I bought a canon 50mm 1.8 and I still occasionally use it, although I’m looking to get a 50mm 1.4 or 35mm 1.4 sometime in the near future. Below is an example of the sharp images you can get from a prime lens:

Sing It Loud live @ The Metro (taken by yours truly, with a Canon 50mm f/1.8)

Mid-Range: Standard Zooms

These are the concert photography standards, with a range of zoom anywhere from 24-70mm to 24-120 (pictured at the left is a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8). You don’t want anything slower on the f stop than a 2.8 because this will allow maximum light into the camera while enabling the camera to work at the best shutter speed. These standard zooms look great in just about any concert venue, anywhere from small clubs to ampitheatres, and will allow the most flexibility (getting a wide angle with 24mm to a decent close up with 70mm and everything in between). These are a bit more expensive, but this lens will be your best friend when it comes to concert photography. A great alternative is to seek out third party lenses, like Sigma and Tamron, who make lenses for the top brands like Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Olympus, cost less, and almost always perform just as well as name brand glass. Unless you’re a glass snob, this a great route to go. I shoot with a Sigma 24-70mm and it works wonders and isn’t nearly as heavy or as expensive as a Canon 24-70mm.

Yeah Yeah Yeah’s @ The Pageant (taken by yours truly with a Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 at 27mm)

Telephoto Zooms

These are the motherships of camera lenses. Depending on your needs and the venue, you can choose anywhere from 70-200mm f/2.8 (pictured above left is a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 for Sony and Pentax) to even more unique fixed “super telephoto” lenses like the 300mm f/2.8 (pictured above right is a Canon 300mm f/2.8). The standard telephoto you’ll need for larger concert theaters will be the 70-200mm, and the smaller the place the closer the shot you’re going to get. That’ll enable you to get incredible close ups where you can practically see the band members sweat pouring and the pores in their skin. A great example of this is the great Steve Mitchell’s close ups of My Chemical Romance in 2005 while they were on Warped Tour. With super telephoto zooms, up to 400mm+, you can get the shots you need if you’re in a situation at a show where you’re only allowed to shoot from the soundboard but need the focal length to get the shots you want. I personally used both my 70-200mm f/2.8 and rented a 300mm f/2.8 for the recent Muse show I photographed in Chicago since we were shooting from the soundboard area. I don’t recommend purchasing a super telephoto, because unless you’re shooting sports photography or from a soundboard full time, there’s no need to fork out $4,000 for a lens with that focal length. I would suggest renting those lenses when they’re needed. However, I DO recommend getting a 70-200mm f/2.8. Again, third party lenses like Sigma and Tamron have some great affordable options for telephotos and perform just as well if not better. The following photos are some examples of shows where I’ve used a telephoto zoom lens:

William Beckett live @ Reggie’s Rock Club (taken with a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 at 200mm- you can click the link then the “full size” to see even better detail of what a telephoto does.)

Dominic Howard – Muse live @ United Center in Chicago (click link and then full size/original-even shooting from the soundboard, the Canon 300mm f/2.8 was incredible and sharp)

IMPORTANT NOTE: I recently met a photographer from the Chicago Sun-Times, whose been in the concert/sports photography business for 20+ years, and we had a discussion about equipment and concerts, and we both agreed that it doesn’t matter how many fancy cameras you own, the real ability to take great shots is within you. “It’s this,” he said and pointed to his eye, “That’s the real photographer. If you don’t have the eye for it, it doesn’t matter if you have the best camera and lenses on the market.”

Other vital accessories you will need:

Fast, large compact flash/SD cards

Depending on what your camera will use, you want to go into the photo pit with at the very least 4 gb card. I prefer to use 8gb cards, because while shooting in RAW (which I recommend-more on that next week), this will allow you to take up to about 400 photos. Trust me, you’ll take more photos on continuous shoot in concert photography than you’ll ever take in your entire life. You want an SD card that can record images very fast as well, so there’s not a lot of lag from the time you can shoot again. Don’t be caught in the pit with anything less than a 4 gb, or you’ll run out of images to take on your card and this will just aggravate the shit out of you.

Sturdy, large DSLR camera bag

Nothing is more annoying than having to carry around multiple small bags for DSLR and lenses. Trust me, I’ve been there. I spent a good part of 2009 carrying my camera in one hand and a small bag in the other for my standard zoom, but once I got my telephoto, I needed something larger that could hold my cards, my ID, multiple lenses, and camera all at once. It’ll lighten the load and come in handy when you need to walk a distance from your car to the venue, as well as in the pit. Case Logic (pictured at left-what I use) and Kinesis make great camera bags which I highly recommend. These will be pricier than an average sized bag, but again, you get what you pay for and you don’t want back and shoulder problems from lugging around multiple bags at a time. Choose well and choose wisely.

Post Production Software

Two examples of the best editing/post production software out there for photographers are Adobe Lightroom (top-photo courtesy of MiseryxChord) and Apple’s Aperture 3 (bottom-which is what I currently use).

So why can’t I just use photoshop? you ask. You can, and I say definitely encourage using photoshop. However, storing all those RAW image files onto your computer without post production software specifically geared to handle RAW images are going to take up A LOT of space on your computer’s hard drive very quickly (and if you have Windows, forget it-it’ll slow your computer down like molasses). So I advise you GREATLY to use photoshop only as a secondary editing program for your photos.

One of the greatest things about these types of software, like Adobe Lightroom (for both PC/Mac users) and Aperture (Mac only) is that they’re geared to import a large amount of photos from your RAW files on your 8gb card and storing them within the program’s library as little smaller bits of data without compromising image quality. That is, those 400 shots you got of the band you shot earlier that night aren’t going to take up the rest of the space on your hard drive or make it lock up. More specific editing features include RAW image adjusting, noise reduction, enhancing brushes, exposure, histograms adjustments if needed, so on and so on. You can basically look at your batch of photos all at once, select the definite ones that you don’t like, tweak the great ones, and enhance the best shots you got quickly. This will help cut your post production time nearly in half, which is important when you have deadlines to meet. One of the best things about the software is that it’s relatively inexpensive, retailing around $199 (Aperture) and $299 (Lightroom) and each software has an option to test it out for 30 days as a free trial.

External Hard drive = BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP!!!!!

Do you see a pattern forming here? Get an external hard drive to store your photos on. Why? 1-you’ll want to keep your unwatermarked originals, 2-even with software that manages RAW files, the space on your hard drive can be compromised after a period of time and you’ll want to keep it managed well, and 3-YOU NEED TO BACK UP YOUR FILES. There’s nothing worse than your computer crapping out on you when unexpected and saying goodbye to your photos forever. I’ve seen people cry over this when I worked in computer/retail) and it’s something they could’ve prevented. Just remember, while even if you have a pimped out Mac Pro with all the bells and whistles, no computer is invincible and will ‘live’ forever. So do yourself a favor, and save an extra $100 or $200, and get yourself a decently sized hard drive (around 500 gb). Be sure to get one with firewire 400 and/or 800. USB only is just too slow if you want back your files quickly. Companies like Western Digital and iOmega have some of the best portable devices as well if you don’t want something very large in size and have many affordable options.

Also, make note you’ll want to get extra batteries to take with you in your bag to shows and/or purchase a battery grip. It’s much like the condom of concert photography. Think of it that way.

Leave any further questions or feedback you have below and I’ll cover them as we go and try to answer them as best as I can! Thanks for reading!

Muse live in Chicago @ The United Center

artistjanebush — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:13:24 +0000

When I first started shooting shows, it was one of my dreams to be able to shoot Muse, who are my favorite band from the UK. Time and time again they’ve proved their work to be genius and uniquely arranged, but when it comes to their live shows, fans know they’re in for the best possible production value not only in their performance but visual spectacles. Friday night, that very goal, that dream of shooting Muse for the first time came true as I shot the band while on their Resistance tour at Chicago’s United Center.

Armed with a 300mm f/2.8 and a 70-200 f/2.8, I have to admit as a concert photographer that was the first time I was ever nervous before shooting a show, much less shooting from a soundboard for the first time. When the lights when down though, things changed. After a grandiose entrance via LCD screens and 3 large pillars, the band didn’t have to keep the crowd’s attention with their effort of 110% to us and frontman Matt Bellamy reflecting laser beams over the audience. Highlights of the evening included a mindblowing drum solo from Dominic Howard that would make the late Jon Bonham beam with pride, stunningly beautiful visuals and messages through their giant trio of pillar screens (all of which were programmed to the live music), multiple laser lights as high as the ceiling, annihilating guitar jams from Matt Bellamy, giant eye ball balloons thrown like beach balls into the audience, and a spaghetti western harmonica intro to Knights Of Cydonia from bassist Chris Wolstenholme. They played many tracks from their latest album, The Resistance (which I highly recommend you go out and buy if you haven’t yet) as well as tracks from Absolution (Time Is Running Out, Stockholme Syndrome, Hysteria), Black Holes & Revelations (Supermassive Black Hole, Knights, Map Of The Problematique) and Origin Of Symmetry (Plug In Baby, New Born). From first note to last, the energy didn’t stop, and after shooting them I’m sure for a while everything will seem sub par in comparison.

From a photographer’s point of view, this is by far one of the best bands to photograph. Call me biased, but if you ever do shoot them, you’ll understand what I’m saying. Not only is it a visual spectacle to be witnessed, but the lighting and production quality is so vast and great that it’s not hard to get great shots of them. Timing is everything in photography, and I was blessed enough to get all 3 members of Muse at some point to look right at my lens. Thanks to Muse for making it such an incredible experience both as photographer and fan. This won’t be the last time I photograph these guys as far as I’m concerned.

You can check out my entire 41 photos from Muse’s show on March 12 in chicago here on buzznet.com. Here’s a preview:

(Disclaimer: All images are © 2010 copyright Artist Jane Bush. Stealing, reposting, manipulating, reproduction of any kind (including posting to Tumblr, flickr, livejournal, or any other website or blog) is STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND ILLEGAL. Any attempts will be subject to consequences and possible legal action.)

Evan Dando: The Lemonheads’ frontman live @ The Old Rock House

artistjanebush — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:05:55 +0000

St. Louis is a city that welcomes its beloved bands and performers with much warmth and enthusiasm, and while Evan Dando has always been a bit of an oddball with sphinx-like expressions and perplexing character, last night’s performance at The Old Rock House lacked the receptive warmth and intimacy that should’ve been from a solo acoustic performance. Not removing his winter coat, he sped through 24 songs in just under an hour, he barely paused between songs and if so, only to mumble a quick “Thank you” to the small audience at the gig. While he did sing some great Lemonheads classics like My Drug Buddy and It’s About Time, his voice seemed a bit strained from time to time and really didn’t have much feeling when singing.

After closing the rushed set with In The Grass All Wine Colored, he half-mumbled something into the microphone and abruptly left the stage and never coming back out to speak to the small crowd of fans that remained afterwards. Lacking the emotional depth and intimacy of a solo gig, one would’ve found the opening band, The Candles, far more impressive and Evan’s performance ultimately dissapointing. It’s a shame since I personally am a longtime fan of The Lemonheads and have fond memories of listening to their albums in high school.

Photographing the gig was even more challenging because as a photographer and music enthusiast, if the gig is lackluster, so is my drive to photograph the person if I’m even allowed past the first 3 songs. Since this was in a small club, there were no song limits, although I stopped shooting after a few songs because of the less than impressive performance. Using all 3 of my lenses, I strained to find good lighting and composition, as Evan hardly ever opened his eyes during the show. As I’ve said before, you can be a great photographer and know your environment technically and aesthetically, but when it comes down to it, it’s the performance that counts.

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