Pre Zombie Walk Party Fibbers (gig photography)

lisatiffany

With zombie walk right around the corner a lot of buzz is going around Dublin and anything zombie related is climbing aboard and enjoying the ride. I was shooting the pre-zombie walk party a few nights ago in Fibbers. Pagan Riot were the main headliners and horror/gore was on the menu.

URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacylisa/sets/72157630781858850/with/7659194896/"]©full set of 100 images[/URL











I always find drummers the hardest to shoot. They are moving faster than most of the rest of the band and even when you get onto the stage right up next to them all of the hardware is blocking the shot. Still though I kind of like this one regardless of the noise. :rolleyes:

Jim

Some short comments!

1 - This would have been good as the outstreched arms would have given good depth but the face needs to be showing more for me.
2 - Good photo, nice lighting. It's slightly too blurred I think and less mic covering the mouth would have been good.
3 - This would have been excellent if the mic wasn't in the way of the guitarist
4 - Boring generic shot. I used to take tons of these when I started gig photography. It's very difficult to make these photos interesting (I don't think I've ever managed it)
5 - What you said yourself. They are very difficult to photograph if you don't have a flash or high performance body. The grain here doesn't matter too much I don't think but if there was a bit more motion blur on the drummer in this case I think it'd be a lot better.

Overall I think the photos are too grainey, but this is probably due to your cam / lens / no flash used. Sometimes grainey can be good but I don't think it works here. I had a quick look at the full album and there's some good photos in there that I would have posted above some of the others. Imo 100 photos is too much for this set and there's a lot of repetition. Quality > Quantity!

AnimalRights

My c&c virtually mirrors Jim's

I will add that the non use of flash is of course preferable but in poorly lit places you def do need a flash and especially if it is a fast energetic Punk/Rock type band or you will def get soft pictures as you won't get the high shutter speed you require.

#2 way to soft for such an intimate shot and #3 so close to a classic shot and finally #4 ofc is the generic shot

#1 I like and and if the head was a bit more on view it would be great and #5 I Love the drummer one where I feel the noise actually adds to it...maybe see you at a proper Punk gig soon

This one I did when I 1st started, ofc I should always have the guitar head in!!!

Jim

Personal taste, but signatures can ruin photos imo Lots of people don't mind them though.

lisatiffany

Jim wrote: »

Personal taste, but signatures can ruin photos imo Lots of people don't mind them though.

They can indeed but I try to keep them small and not too in your face. Just yesterday I found out I've finally been given carte blanche to shoot the bigger venues such as Academy / Olympia / Ambassador etc, some of its even paid work so I'm really looking forward to it. Looks like Sepultura might be my first gig, one of my all time favorite Metal bands. The main thing is I can go to any gig and shoot it, it will be a huge learning experience but also a lot of fun.

@Jim - I'm not mad about flash especially when up on the stage in someones face, I had an sb900 and sb700 with me but never used them once. I don't like to use flashes during gigs, even the lamp on autofocus can be distracting to a band. Many bands seem okay with it and the bands featured didn't mind but I was happy just not using any.

Cool shot AnimalRights, I love the deep shadows it really makes the guitar stand out.

melekalikimaka

I've shot a good few academy gigs, heads up, no flash allowed, and the lighting is seriously dire, I assume Sep will be academy one, which isn't AS bad as 2 but I would look into some fast ass primes of noise ninja, great venue otherwise, I'm sending out my feelers to get Rancid pass myself for Nov.

Jim

lisatiffany wrote: »

They can indeed but I try to keep them small and not too in your face. Just yesterday I found out I've finally been given carte blanche to shoot the bigger venues such as Academy / Olympia / Ambassador etc, some of its even paid work so I'm really looking forward to it. Looks like Sepultura might be my first gig, one of my all time favorite Metal bands. The main thing is I can go to any gig and shoot it, it will be a huge learning experience but also a lot of fun.

@Jim - I'm not mad about flash especially when up on the stage in someones face, I had an sb900 and sb700 with me but never used them once. I don't like to use flashes during gigs, even the lamp on autofocus can be distracting to a band. Many bands seem okay with it and the bands featured didn't mind but I was happy just not using any.

Cool shot AnimalRights, I love the deep shadows it really makes the guitar stand out.

Great news about the bigger gigs, hope they work out. As you said they'll be a great learning experience.

With regard to flash I don't think it should be so quickly dismissed. If used properly it can produce some excellent results. I wouldn't worry *too* much about the bands. Yes it probably is a bit distracting and if any band asked me not to use it I'd put it away, but in my experience (shot easily 50+ gigs) no band has said a word to me about it. Generally they're more interested in seeing the pictures the next day!

As long as you pick your moments and use it sparingly it's fine. I've seen togs using burst flash at gigs, the horror. I agree with the preflash focus, don't use it myself.

lisatiffany

melekalikimaka wrote: »

I've shot a good few academy gigs, heads up, no flash allowed, and the lighting is seriously dire, I assume Sep will be academy one, which isn't AS bad as 2 but I would look into some fast ass primes of noise ninja, great venue otherwise, I'm sending out my feelers to get Rancid pass myself for Nov.

Thanks for the tips, a friend actually said pretty much the same thing about Academy 2 especially about the lighting. I have noise ninja but I can't get it to work with the 64bit version of CS5, I need to install it as a stand alone program I think. It's like that for all 64bit users, shame really because it does a brilliant job.

Jim

lisatiffany wrote: »

Thanks for the tips, a friend actually said pretty much the same thing about Academy 2 especially about the lighting. I have noise ninja but I can't get it to work with the 64bit version of CS5, I need to install it as a stand alone program I think. It's like that for all 64bit users, shame really because it does a brilliant job.

Just crank up the noise and pretend it's your style

melekalikimaka

Jim wrote: »

Great news about the bigger gigs, hope they work out. As you said they'll be a great learning experience.

With regard to flash I don't think it should be so quickly dismissed. If used properly it can produce some excellent results. I wouldn't worry *too* much about the bands. Yes it probably is a bit distracting and if any band asked me not to use it I'd put it away, but in my experience (shot easily 50+ gigs) no band has said a word to me about it. Generally they're more interested in seeing the pictures the next day!

As long as you pick your moments and use it sparingly it's fine. I've seen togs using burst flash at gigs, the horror. I agree with the preflash focus, don't use it myself.

i'd be very careful at an mcd venue using flash, there are very strict policies regarding it and can get you a nasty rep in a small circle very fast

the_syco

Imagenomic Noiseware works fine with the 64bit version of CS4, so maybe try that?

=-=

Interesting about MCD events, but never really bring a camera into their events; mainly only shoot if a mate is playing in Fibbers, The Pint, The Village or other not so big venues.

Splinters

the_syco wrote: »

Imagenomic Noiseware works fine with the 64bit version of CS4, so maybe try that?

Amazing bit of software alright.

melekalikimaka

the_syco wrote: »

Interesting about MCD events, but never really bring a camera into their events; mainly only shoot if a mate is playing in Fibbers, The Pint, The Village or other not so big venues.

i assume by 'given carte blanche' means a photo pass, rules come with them sadly, not that i'd be a fan of flash

AnimalRights

melekalikimaka wrote: »

i assume by 'given carte blanche' means a photo pass, rules come with them sadly, not that i'd be a fan of flash

No one is a fan of flash but ur shooting bigger gigs, most of the gigs that I attend to is grassroots Punk and not generic American crap 'punk' like Rancid and so have virtually no light and give me the lighting in The Academy 1 anytime, it's brilliant compared to what I'd normally shoot in!
If the Academy 2 is the same as 2 years ago you have no chance with no flash....but I assume they have added lights as they try to make it a better quality #2 venue.

I stopped going to The Academy after The Buzzcocks a few years back, the bouncers are meatheads.

Jim

melekalikimaka wrote: »

i'd be very careful at an mcd venue using flash, there are very strict policies regarding it and can get you a nasty rep in a small circle very fast

Yea, always make sure to know the rules of the venue / promoter as well. Especially MCD.

AnimalRights

Jim wrote: »

but in my experience no band has said a word to me about it. Generally they're more interested in seeing the pictures the next day!

This is so true!!!

melekalikimaka

AnimalRights wrote: »

No one is a fan of flash but ur shooting bigger gigs, most of the gigs that I attend to is grassroots Punk and not generic American crap 'punk' like Rancid and so have virtually no light and give me the lighting in The Academy 1 anytime, it's brilliant compared to what I'd normally shoot in!
If the Academy 2 is the same as 2 years ago you have no chance with no flash....but I assume they have added lights as they try to make it a better quality #2 venue.

I stopped going to The Academy after The Buzzcocks a few years back, the bouncers are meatheads.

i agree academy 2 is a nightmare, seem to love the old red gels a bit too much down there too