Shooting in a club?

[blindabyss]

Hi guys,

My mate's band is playing a gig at a club in Ayrshire next week. He asked me to bring the camera along to grab some shots. Been down to see the place, the stage is back lit by a red light, sorta like a night light idea. There is a spot but it barely lights any of the stage at all. Needless to say it's quite a dark affair.

So I was wondering what you guys would suggest is the best approach with something like this?

[paulstmungo]

ive found the best approach is usually to set the camera at around 400 iso.

Get down to about a 10th-25th of a second at around f4 or less on the camera.

Flash on Ettl or equivelant.

You'll be able to snap away all day with the flash freezing the action and the long exposure saving the ambient light for atmosphere.

You can get some great effects if you use second curtain syncro, or zoom the lens back during exposure.

[blindabyss]

ive found the best approach is usually to set the camera at around 400 iso.

Get down to about a 10th-25th of a second at around f4 or less on the camera.

Flash on Ettl or equivelant.

You'll be able to snap away all day with the flash freezing the action and the long exposure saving the ambient light for atmosphere.

You can get some great effects if you use second curtain syncro, or zoom the lens back during exposure.

Paul,

Thanks for the tip about the flash..I'm a tard and no doubt would have tried to shoot without it. lol So nice to know I can use it and keep the atmosphere.

Sadly I have a compact that's dressed as a dslr, so I only have the built in flash. Which is obviously fairly harsh, not sure if the slow syncro will do what you say...I'll experiment. The camera also doesn't let me zoom in or out mid exposure, but I'll hopefully get a similar effect in PS with radial blur and the liquidfy tool.

[jackies35]

hello all and i am new here!

I shot at a club and here some of my shots. I have a Canon Rebel XT (dslr). The first 2 pictures I used a 50mm f/1.4 lens. The second picture I was told to use a zoom lens "the kit lens" that came with the camera 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6.

I was surprised that the kit lens did so well. Also, I have the 430EX hot shoe flash attached. This ISO was set at 800 and the camera mode was P(program). I think if you use AV (aperture priority), you would need ver steady hands.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n64/jaccine35/mimiandieshaBUCKET.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n64/jaccine35/3Musketeers1.jpg


Kit Lens: I think the red wall shows a bit of saturation in color and resolution. I did this on my computer and messed the picture up. However, you could adjust the iso down a little if its too bright. I think it was set at 800.
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n64/jaccine35/Club390shot1.jpg

I hope this would help. As for shooting a subject on a stage, I will post that later.

[photo3]

Personally I try to avoid flash if I can for gigs. It is only any use if you can get very close up. If I do use it then turn it right down so the atmosphere is still there. I also shoot at very high ISO so at least 800 and normally 1600. Use the fastest lens you can - I try to use the Canon 50mm f1.4 because it is so fast but also very light. The 70/200 f2.8 is ok but just too bulky for gig situations.

The club that these were taken it is very dark with no frontal lighting and little back lighting too.

Then the last one was taken in a much better outdoor venue although dark the professional lighting rig made all the difference. Still taken at ISO1600.