Shooting a live band

By PA Team

25 July 2011 13:08

As my computer clock slowly ticked over to 5:30pm, I picked up my camera gear and was out in a shot. I’m not usually in such a hurry to abandon the office, but this was different, I had somewhere I needed to be...

A friend of mine had asked me to take some live shots of his band playing at a local beer festival and the offer of beer, loud music and the chance to take some photos was too good to turn down. Being an avid musician since the age of 12, I’ve spent a great deal of my life writing, performing and listening to music, so it’s no surprise that when I was finally old enough to save up and buy my first DSLR, music photography was one of the first subjects that really took a hold.

Arriving at the venue, I made my way to the outdoor stage where the rest of the band were hovering, waiting patiently for the current band to finish their already over-run set. Sitting backstage, I took the chance to check over my gear, making sure everything was in order and ready to go. Battery power – fine, 24-70mm f/2.8L lens – check, Aperture Priority mode – set…

As the current band wrapped up their set and got ready to come off stage, the usual panic ensued, with equipment flying left, right and centre in the mad rush to make sure everything was in place for the next band. And then the heavens opened, drenching everyone and everything unable to seek shelter quickly enough. Thank God my 5D MkII is weather-sealed…

 The stage had a great lighting rig, which meant I didn’t need my flashgun. However, with the sun blocked out by a mass of rain clouds, I still found myself shooting with an ISO of 1600 while wide open at f/2.8 to keep a sharp shot. Using a wide aperture of f/2.8 with a focal length of 70mm gave me a lovely shallow depth-of-field, but also made focusing tricky with moving subjects. Setting my camera’s focusing to AF Servo helped me to keep up with the constant movement, along with adjusting the Drive Mode to Continuous Shooting so I could take a constant  stream of shots. 

 Lee 

(Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70mm L @ 70mm, f/2.8, 1/125sec, ISO 1600)

Mid-way through the set I decided to change the pace, switching my current 24-70mm for my cheap but effective 50mm f/1.8 prime. Whacking the aperture wide open to f/1.8 gave me a super shallow depth-of-field and also gave me the option to drop down the ISO to 500 - still achieving a shutter of 1/160. The fixed focal length took me a few minutes to get used to after zooming in and out like a madman with my previous choice of lens, but I soon got used to physically moving the camera back and forth to get the composition just right, and managed to bag this close up shot of the bassist’s guitar neck as a result.

Bass 

(Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm II, f/1.8, 1/165sec, ISO 500)

It’s surprising how many live music photographers forget to snap the drummer. The mass of metal and wood they hide behind can often seem intimidating, but in actual fact provides some really creative ways to frame your shot. As they’re often hidden away in the darkest depths of the stage, it can mean having to boost your camera’s ISO though, just to keep the shot sharp.

Rob 

(Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm II, f/1.8, 1/125sec, ISO 1000)

As the rain started to settle down and the sun emerged from the clouds, I hopped down into the photo pit for some great low angle shots. With the on-stage smoke machine continuing to bellow out plumes of thick white smoke, it created a fantastic backdrop for the bright coloured lights to project onto, adding a real atmosphere.

Paul 

(Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm II, f/1.8, 1/500sec, ISO 500)

As the last chord struck, the band’s set was over and each band member scurried off to their respective instruments to quickly pack away. Just before the mad rush ensued, I fired off a few shots of the guys walking into the final puff of smoke to capture this dark and moody shot. 

Packing Away 

(Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm II, f/1.8, 1/320sec, ISO 500)

Soaking wet, cold and exhausted from darting around the stage for a solid 40 minutes, I decided I should probably call it day. Although the beer tent was calling, I knew that an ice-cold beer in this weather would probably finish me off. Note to self: when shooting a live band outside, bring a coat next time!