Question on Using Flash At Rock Concert

[@dave]

I have a gig shoot on Saturday. This is ‘local venue concert hall with young-up-and-coming-indie + old-rocker-blues bands’ type stuff. First time I’ve been to this particular venue but I understand that the lighting (of the band) is good. I usually combine long shots from the back (balcony if there is one or the sound guy’s platform) with close shots from the floor near the stage (front and side). I like to be mobile, moving around in the crowd, with camera on a monopod + a couple of lenses in a small sling-shot bag.

This time I was intending to try a get some ‘atmosphere’ / ‘impressionist’ shots of the crowd (both from within it and from stage-front looking back towards it).

This is not quite what I intend but might be a very rough idea of the sort of approach I was thinking of:
http://www.jezblog.com/blog_music_gig_small.jpg

Should I use flash? Now I don’t use flash very much at all but I do have a Canon Speedlight 430 (on a canon 20D). I also have a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce Flash Diffuser. I don’t want the flash to be too harsh or for it to freeze the movement of the crowd too much, simply for it to provide just enough light to get a recognisable image.

Is there any way to soften the (on camera) flash? Would you recommend cutting the flash
power to a low level (fill-in type of situation) or using Slow Shutter Sync to give this kind of effect (without the fire, obviously):
http://burningcam.com/2000/large-27.html

…… or should I just bung the thing on the camera and let the flash take care of itself?

……. or perhaps forget flash all together?

I know it’s hard to advise and it might just be a suck it and see / experiment situation but if anyone has specifically tried to capture blurry, movement based shots of a gig audience with or without flash then I’d appreciate any advice.

Cheers, Dave.

[StagePhotography.co.uk]

I hardly ever if never use the flash for stage shots...

Spoils the colours....

I use mostly 800 to 1600 iso with my S3,
not really tried my S5 yet at 3200...

But band lighting isn't like theatre lighting
and won't be as good...

I'd suggest a weak flash to try and pick
up some of the detail. Depending of the venue
of course, you may be able to bounce the flash
off the ceiling..

[Stemmy]

I was just about to tell you to PM George as he is the man for this kind of stuff but he beat me too it.

[Kevin Wilson]

I would use the stage lighting and choose you moment, the coloured gels are very cool and add atmosphere. Shoot raw files.
Kevin

[@dave]

Thank chaps,

Yup I will obviously be using stage lighting for the bands but I was going to experiment with shoots of the crowd. I'll get some good light thrown from the stage on the front rows but I'm intending to experiment a bit with shots amongst the crowd (slow shutter blurry motion stuff at around 1/8 or 1/15) and perhaps some very weak fill flash is needed.

Of course it all depends on time available and the sardine effect so I'll just have to play it by ear. I'll let you know.

Cheers, Dave.

[@dave]

Well it was a pretty difficult shoot. Never had a chance to experiment with flash or crowd shots it was just too packed to move around much ?.. TVM for the advice.

The venue was much smaller and more crowded that I?d anticipated with ?jazz club? style seating tight around the room and standing at the back making it more and more difficult to move around as the night went on

The lighting was crap (again I?d been led to believe differently) and the lighting guy was more interested in (a) his girlfriend and (b) nipping off to get a pint from the bar at regular intervals & have a chat to his mates. There was also some bloke with the band trying to make a video so elbow-jostling for space in the control room was the order of the day (but I was bigger than him ).

I arrived fairly early and the band were suggesting bringing in some of their own lighting to make up for what the house provided (which I tried go encourage) but unfortunately they decided on the more intimate jazz club atmosphere due to the size of the place ?.. so a few red and green side & down lighting + a bit of plain white backdrop lighting was all I had. Apart from an f1.4 - 50mm prime all my lenses are f4 max so I was shooting at 1/15th to 1/5th most of the time at 800 & 1600 ISO. Even with my one IS lens I struggled at 1/5th

But hay-ho, it was a favour for a mate (the promoter) and I probably just pulled enough successful shots out of the session to have made it worth while, him happy and the band can have a look as well.

I?ve done this 4 or 5 times now from the big concert venue to jazz fest marquee to village hall. Each time lighting has been the issue. Lighting for gigs & concerts is diametrically opposed to lighting for photography in that the aim for a gig is often for darker and more intimate atmosphere. The one exception is when a big name plays a small venue and brings their own lighting + professional lighting & sound engineer with them.

I?ll post a few up when I?ve gone through them

Dave.