Having fun at concert, terrible images

kopimorning · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 97 Location: Jakarta-Bali

Terrible pictures, but having fun with the music at local jazz festival.

I also bring my Voigt 90 SLII APO, but I'm hesitated to post it here, since I took very bad quality of pictures with the lens. But if you care enuogh to have a look at, I will post it though.

Lenses in my bag: Nikkor 105/2.5 ais, 28/2.8 ais, Planar T* 50/1.4, Voight 90 APO Lanthar.

I think the star performer that night is Nikkor 105/2.5

#1

D40, Nikkor 105/2.5 Ais, ISO800, f/2.5, 1/100s

#2

D40, Nikkor 105/2.5 Ais, ISO800, f/2.5, 1/100s

#3

D40, Planar T* ZF 50/1.4, ISO800, f/1.4, 1/100s

Keysersoze27 · Expire: 2012-12-24

I didn't expect anything bad from the legendary Nikon 2.5/105!!!

goombles · Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 136 Location: UK

I personally don't think they're too bad! I like the atmosphere and OOF areas in the images.

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

I think they're quite good actually. I'm not sure why you think they are bad?

Mal1905 · Expire: 2011-11-18

Not a lot wrong with any of these images in my opinion - they portray a nice sense of the event, especially the bassist slapping out in the 3rd one.

Weirdest looking trombone I've ever seen in image 2 Laughing

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

I agree, not bad, especially #2 #3, I appreciate the dynamicity of these.

Concert is one of the most difficult photo genres. Not just because of the obvious technical difficulties, but also because the subject itself is tricky.
One must always remember that, when photographing a concert, the most important element - the music - is lost.

This is an easy thing to forget, especially if the music is good, we also feel good, and we take photos assuming that the viewers also will feel good... but we are cheated, because without the music maybe our images will not feel so good anymore.

For this reason, often we see photos of people with their open mouth in front of a microphone. This is the most common mistake when doing concert photos: the singer sings well, we feel good, we take the photo and wham! without the music, here we are left only with a seemingly idiot with his mouth open in front of a piece of metal.

Another common mistake, we listen to a great guitar solo, or piano chops, music takes us to heaven, we take the photo to save this moment for eternity... but we don't notice that the guy who was producing heavenly notes, is standing there (or sitting there), face expression like a lobotomized, legs of steel, etc.

So yes, if we go to a concert to photograph it, we must be strong enough not to let the music kill our visual senses and perception. We must look for moments where the action, or a gaze, or a spotlight, "tell" us something that will work on the image without the music. This is easier said than done, because it's very difficult, when you are there, to discriminate your senses splitting them from the temptation to surrender to the olistic experience.
_

kopimorning · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 97 Location: Jakarta-Bali

Images looks good to some of you because I posted only the best I could get. They're like ... lets say 1 of 100 Smile

@Keysersoze27
yes, that's why I called nikon 2.5/105 is the star performer, because I could capture a lot of good images that night with this lens

@martinsmith99
wait until you see the worst. They are good lenses, but somehow I couldnt capture good images with them. Just blame on me!

@Mal1905
did you see glowing part around the shoulder of the bassist?
Trombonist was experimenting by taking off the bell section

I found Voigt 90 was very hard to focus at low light.
this is the sharpest image I could take.
#4

D40, Voigtlander 90 APO Lanthar SLII, ISO800, f/3.5, 1/100s

#5
D40, Nikkor 28/2.8, ISO800, f/2.8, 1/100s

kopimorning · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 97 Location: Jakarta-Bali

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Johanna · Joined: 25 Mar 2009 Posts: 93

I also think they look good! One of the most annoying things with photographing concerts indoors is that they also always seem to overuse the red lights, oh how I do not like red lights... Laughing

Mal1905 · Expire: 2011-11-18

I'm a bass-player and when I slap my bass, I glow around the shoulders too - it's to do with being such a hot player!!! When I'm really rocking it out, I sometimes actually go on fire Laughing

Thanks for clearing up the trombone thing. I genuinely thought I was going a little crazy when I couldn't see the horn, no matter how hard I looked!

kopimorning · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 97 Location: Jakarta-Bali