5
CHAPTER
NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY / Weddings, Concerts, and
Other Events
to try changing your angle if at all possible.
Distracting elements such as people, gear,
wires, rigging, even ladders on the side of
the stage can ruin a concert photo.■ Instruments. It’s important to take the musi-cal instruments being used into consideration
when framing your images. My personal pref-
erence is to not cut the instruments off with
the edge of the frame if I can help it. So, for
example, make sure you don’t cut off the neck
and bottom edge of the guitar or bass. When
it comes to photographing drummers, time
the shots on the upbeat instead of the down-
beat, as this gets the drumsticks in the image.
For piano and keyboards, see if you can find
a downward view from a balcony or, if a
downward angle isn’t an option, at least get a
side angle so you can photograph the hands
on the keys. For the vocals, it can be tough as
the microphone can really get in the way of a
performer’s face, so a side-view angle is a good
way to start.
■ Interaction. Watching for and capturing theinteraction between the band and the audi-
ence can make for some of the best photo-
graphs. Getting these shots requires a little
planning and a lot of luck. If you are photo-
graphing from the photo pit, ideally you need
to be off to the side and shooting across the
front of the stage, hoping that the performer
will reach out and interact with the audience
in the front row. In Figure 5-18, I was watch-
ing as Rivers Cuomo, lead singer of the rock
band Weezer, kept moving closer to the
crowd and finally reached out with a single
finger.
ABOUT THIS PHOTO The rock band Weezer put on a private
show in the parking lot of a Los Angeles motel. I made sure that I was
focused on the lead singer as he walked back and forth across the front
of the stage until he finally reached out to the fans. I also made sure that
the focus was on the fingers touching so that they would be in focus.
Taken at 1/400 second, f/2.8, and ISO 1600.5-18