How To set your Light Meter for Concert Photography
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ก.ย. 2024
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Have you ever wondered why your images are coming out extremely dark when you are shooting live events? Well the main reason is that your light meter is being thrown off by the stage lights. What is happening is your light meter is seeing extremely bright stage lights and it is tricking your camera to "think" there is a ton of light in the whole scene when there really isn't.
Let me paint the picture for you. If you are inside and you see your light meter read 1/8000 of a second you should know that that is not correct. Now its correct in the term that if you were shooting just the stage lights it would need to be shot that fast. But if you are trying to capture a band they would just come out dark because of such a fast shutter speed. This is all part of the mentality of photography and knowing when something is either to good to be true or just can not be right.
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@JD95 Unedited does not mean shot jpeg, unedited means I did not EDIT the RAW FILES so that you could see what came out of the camera.
hey jared! I took your advice on this video at a concert of my friends band, and it works! setting in manual i was getting much better shots 9/10 times. sadly i felt i was missing out on some real nice moments though as i was fumbling around with the settings so much. Is this something that you get quicker with over time or is it more a point of anticipating the moments?
@dachevashe I shoot it in full manual even with the lights changing. I look at what direction the light went. If it got totally dark i dont shoot or I know I need to make certain changes. I tweak as the light changes, drop the shutter raise the shutter, bump the iso lower the iso. that help?
I just photographed a friend who is a DJ in a club. I was struggling very hard with the low light. Gonna read your E-Book now. ;D
@dachevashe I honestly dont look at the meter, i base it off of experience and the lights changing. I get very very close and work from there. It just comes with shooting for so long.
@carlcash88 This is one situation I was pointing out. With that said, I shoot all shows in manual no matter how much is going on. I make subtle shutter speed changes based on lighting and on occasion tweak the ISO. I am ready for the moment before it happens and I am ready to capture it even in manual. Ive learned that if I am in a priority and a person moves their head and a light was behind it and the shutter goes to 1/4000 that images is not usable.
Holy cow!!!! That has got to be one of the best tutorials ever. Just got a fuji xe1 and gots to go out and shoot. Thanks fro your the man
I recently shot a Concert using Shutter Priority and with Spot Metering. I took a bit of time getting adjusted to the metering methods and all but as I got used it I got pretty sleek shots.. :)
The only tip He gave was. Shoot In Manuel
I don't think Manuel would like that.
But it's a good one!
Thank you Jared.
You just opened my eyes to shoot in Manual.
I've always been afraid of forgetting to change my settings on an important time of an event, but the difference is phenomenal. And since I'm not the experience, I will be slow at changing my settings when I do. But I guess practice makes perfect!
It's nice to see I'm doing things right. I just shot a dance company's concert in extremely low light and did pretty much the same thing. Everything turned out fantastic.
This doesn't show which type of metering to use as the title claims, it just shows the difference between AV and Manual modes, that's all!!
that bit with the metering was not quite clear: you advocate the matrix while further on, you say "spot" just as well. In view of the many questions about which metering mode to select, would you dedicate another in-depth session? many thanks for all your efforts, I really enjoy following you!
@golfman90 not yet its being edited.
Hey Jared, thank you for all of the GREAT info!
In the pit, at a concert. Do you mount lenses on multiple cameras or are you using one body and switching lenses?
A great video would be a "virtual shadow" of a concert shoot so we can see how you pack & keep track of your gear as well as using it in action.
Thanks
Lew
So glad I'm not the only one forgetting my lens cap!
LOL at leaving the lens cap on , great vid Jared , when are you going to do a video using your Westcott Gear im excited to see how you use it and what you create ????? Thanks
@BeneJ just a basic starting point as most people stay in matrix. In the free ebook i speak about spot metering. Keep in mind this is just one short video clip. It would take a full on 4 hour video to get to every little nuance.
Just wanted to show the extremes in this but yes I know what you are saying.
@pjos111 Noise is relative to so many things. If your exposure is so far off and you try to bring it back you will see noise. But if you shot outside at 6400 ISO with great light you would not see noise where as in terrible light you would.
Thanks for the excellent video! I have a question
I see you are in single focus, where are you focusing in the pictures where you get the drummer guitarplayer and keyboard player? If you coul do a video about this would be awesome. I mean how do you chose where to focust in such a complex scene.
Whaaaaaaat? Is that at Matisyahu concert? You lucky guy! I love Matis... If only I have seen this video before I could have great pics of his concert
@carlcash88 I started in photography using only manual, because I came into photography guided by a friend.
About 8 or 9 months later, when I was really confortable with all options in my old EOS 40D, I started using Ap-Prior. Liked it.
And I still use it now from time to time, but... once you feel like "knowing" and "controling" your light just with a quick glance... and knowing how to anticipate... it's really the best.
And I see a lot of huge errors now to the Ap-prior-mode.
@vetarwyn I have the D7000 too but no big problems with noise. Make shure to expose properly. If you underexpose you will see more noise! Try to open the Aperture or drop the Shutterspeed a little. The D7000 is not a D3x so don't expect perfectly clean images. Try to have one of you "problem" files printed, you will be surprised by the quality.
Thank you Jared for explaining in depth how you work. I know that concerts shooting is your baby (in particular when its Avril:-) So basically, you keep your aperture mostly unchanged. I think that´s a good way to go. Thanks for this, Jared.
@ashkibala1 i do on touch white balance in the camera. The colors change so much, tweak that in the RAW if needed.
Great video Jared! But I still don't understand if you shoot concert using matrix or spot metering? I personally would shoot in spot metering as I want to decide who I wanna expose. Thanks for your help!
@carlcash88 try both methods, I used to stay in aperture priority but than realized that those shots I wanted where the artists moved I would end up with a totally dark image where if I had my settings set manually and close I would always bring it back.
@bryonlape i have never ever ever ever ever ever ever used the dof button. did i say ever?
As much as Im gonna get flamed for this, this is the one reason I love the EVF on my a77, with the EVF I get a better preview of the exposure with the live brightness changes of shutter speed and aperture in manual mode :D EVF has its advantages peeps ;)
@MultiSaffran mines always on matrix but i rarely use the meter anymore other than a quick glance. If I really needed to shoot a show with needing the meter I would prob say spot.
Thumbs up if you laughed when he said oops lens cap! Its nice to see a pro like Jared still make rookie mistakes like i do. Im protective of my lenses. they always have the caps on them.
Nice video, I shoot a concert last saterday and I was on manual mode, spot metering on the subject face, I got very consistent result and even if I shoot the all show att 6400 iso with my nikon d7000 the noise was very much under control
@Tenebrius1963 me being a theatre photographer, which is pretty close to some concerts, would tell you to manually focus or if your camera can auto focus on a specific (me being a canon can't know what you have) person's body/head. either that, or get a prime (if you don't) 50m/30mm and take the photo with the fstop really open.that will trick your camera into seeing people better.
This is the first time I see you without your signature hair!! :D (delicious, btw!)
I shoot film for years and I'm relatively young as "digitalist" ...among the several teachers I saw around the net I must say I like your style... then really loved the Ken Rockwell interview!!
;) always shoot raw!
Thanks for your job, you beautifully spread love and your passion for photography and it's simply great!
Gosh, 8 years already. Time flies.
1dx is bloody impressive! i would buy it if i was doing it professionally.. plus as you say you are shooting mostly concerts, the iso is just plain amazing goes above 200,000..
the price tag is there but its worth it ;)
just my own opinion
Cheers
@vetarwyn
Noise significantly increases when you underexpose your picture. I am an experienced concert photographer and often take my D7000 to ISO 6400, which still looks great when put on the website I work for.
It's not the camera, it's you, like 99% of the cases :)
@Maxsdiscos yes you do, i wrote that into the article on the web site with this post.
Canon has a menu that allows for back button focus (google) Nikon has the same thing It basically takes the auto focus away from the dual function of the shutter release button (focus and exposure) and moves focus to a button on the back of the camera where your thumb control it. Thus you focus with your thumb and set exposure with your index finger. Depending on how you set it up you can "lock the focus" then reframe and shoot. To work the subject must be in the same plane when u first focused.
nice work jared! love you tutorials.
@ReaperX3ro I think you will find that you will be much happier in manual.
@JD95
And you think the camera doesn't edit by itself? There is a very advanced and tweakable RAW converter in the D3s.
To conclude: there is no "comes right out of camera". There is only basic settings that Nikon put on their camera, but it's only them saying so.
Same goes for film, you still need to expose it in the dark room
I shoot low-light concerts in shutter priority (TV), as I can easily see how fast a shutterspeed I can get away with based on the available light. I don't have fast glass, but I can get some pretty good shots this way. I can even go with a little faster shutter (maybe one or two clicks) at the cost of slightly underexposing a shot, but it's a cleaner shot. I leave my ISO setting at automatic.
You still need a meter for reference, and the on camera meter wold say the same as aperture priority, I'd have thought?
He's at 3.2 ; Use a wide aperture lens, like a 1.8 and shoot at f/2, 2.5 in order to speed up the shutter. 1/80 will blow everything away when the band is playing and everyone is moving around, jumping etc. Max the ISO, because noise is not a big deal in concert photography
+Andrei Petrea The depth of field sucks with that low of an F stop, esp for rock and metal bands. I've had to shoot it in the past. It seems like there's always something in low light. I guess I'm going to have to increase my shutter and ISO. I always shoot manual but so many I know shoot aperture priority and their shots look fine but then again, I usually only see them online. If this works for you then you've found it. I wish it did for me. I think I need some new gear and a bit of tweaking some skills.
I always have to shoot at f/2, 2.8 here in Trinidad if I want usable indoor or outdoor night concert shots without flash. The lighting generally sucks ass here. And I can tell you that I'm not pushing my Canon 60D beyond ISO 1250 or 1600 (and even that really irks me). People here saying noise isn't a big deal in concert photography. Well, for me, beyond a certain level of noise it's all I see and I can no longer stand to look at the picture lol. Aperture Priority doesn't cut it in concert photography, though. Especially low light concert photography. I typically have to be in Manual. Aperture Priority will only frustrate you with the ever changing lighting as it doesn't do well with lighting that changes every couple seconds in a general low light setting.
I also shoot in manual mode. Also I find mirrorless a huge advantage as I can see the exposed image live while I shoot.
Jared, nearly all of the problems you describe are related to matrix metering but not aperture priority itself.
i was shooting concerts with my Nikon DSLR and always was in manual mode... it was a crap-shoot as lighting would be changing... now i shoot with a Sony on Shutter priority as it mirror-less i at least know what the shot will look like before i take it. I use the adjustment knob to correct when the subject is back-lit etc. i still don't get every shot perfect however most are close enough to be corrected in post
If you switch to spot metering, then your subject will be exposed properly in aperture priority but when on matrix metering, the more lights or darks in your image will determine your exposure.
@JD95
No, just that he does his best to get to the closest as possible to a original file.
I don't even know if I would want to shoot all of the concerts that I shoot in anything other than manual mode! Thats actually when I feel the most comfortable using that mode!
I never quite understood the fascination with aperture priority over shutter priority for this kind of shooting.
I prefer to know my shutter speed is sufficient. More important to me than the f stop. Do I really want my shutter speed to drop to 1/60 with a 70-200 lens? I don't think so.
That was a bunch of usefull information. Thank You!
Iso 2000? In that full blasted light?
When I shoot at festivals with craptacular (large convention center halls), I quite often switch from AP to Manual, even with flash. My D80 overexposed worse than my D7000, but I still go to manual from time to time.
Jared, are you using the DOF button to determine exposure before shooting?
@JD95 No a JPEG out of the Camera ist also edited. Done by the knowledge of the engineers of Canon or Nikon or what ever brand one uses. The only real out of camera image would be an untouched RAW file.
Hey Jared, I been doing rock/metal concert photography and I have a lot money to upgrade to a new DSLR, but I want to know should I wait for the Canon EOS-1D X or just get the Canon EOS 5D Mark III? I'm not in a hurry to get one but I want to make sure this new DSLR would do it all from band pics to backstage pics (maybe video) to the live concert itself. If you think a Nikon would be better let me know what model.
THANKS
Fro knows Photooooo..
I shoot in aperture priority enough to tell you how to avoid these effects. And take more control of the automatic photo. On my Nikon D3500 I can choose to “offset exposure” while in AP. So when I see the bright lights shining straight in my camera, I know I need to tell my camera to try Nd find exposure lower. And doing that allows me to capture theatre shows way better. In a theatre show every angle is a new exposure, but every great moment only lasts .5 seconds. Using a this technique let’s me quickly guide my auto exposing cameras.
Great video! I'm going to a concert in February, how would I go about getting into the pit to take photos?
@Mrnata1991 Get a fast lens. 1.8 or lower. That will help on your indoor weddings. As for additional light i setup a couple of strobes in the corner of the chapel and fire them wirelessly and bounce them off of the ceiling as much as i can. I hate direct flash unless its diffused somehow. But im still new so maybe there are better ways.
jared, also what is the best focus on events,auto focus or single focus
spot metering or something else?
Manual 2.8 -3200 iso meter the light before the concert .They test the light before the concert and keep those setting in your head . Works fine for me In RAW its no problem if you are 2 stops wrong.
jared,what if you stay your focus to single focus , wouldn't the light meter only meter the the subject that you are focused on?
Another great tutorial. Thanks Jared
@daSenfgurke that "tricking the system" tip is actually a funny thing! never thought of this before ^^ i'm going to try this next time ^^
Great video!
My main problem with shooting concerts so far (D700 with f2.8 lenses) is with focus. If i shoot a tight shot with my 70-200mm or wide with 24-70mm or 17-35mm i usually focus on the performers eyes and than reframe but the focus doesn't lock so when i lower my camera i'm ending up with a screw up focus. Any tips with focusing and where you focus?
Thanks
It's the crazy changing every second light that makes it so difficult. Maybe that is why the bands don't care that people take photos all the time now, they know most won't get great photos.
THANKS man! i'm shooting a concert nxt two days,, , LEARNED a lot bro! :D Keep-On!!!
@JaredPolin oh ok then. I was hoping to purchase one of your books since your videos are very well done.
Thx 4 your work Jared!
5:10 Motown! "I heard it through the grapevine."
Grate Video!
@Mrnata1991 Well judging from your latest comment, I think a 24-70 f/2.8 or an 85 f/1.2L (or 1.8 USM). Those are good lenses for a wedding :)
Great vid FRO!!
Wouldn't I get the same results by by shooting A mode and tweaking the EV comp., rather than shooting in M mode
Jared, when you shoot in general, what do you go for, matrix or center-weighted metering? I cant decide really whats best, its hard..
Hey Jared! Quick question, I noticed you're using a lens hood. Do you find that it helps when it comes to concert photography? I've heard multiple opinions but it seems to work great for you.
Thanks for helpful tips!
@pjos111 Really? Ive shot at ISO 2000 at these kind of settings and there wasn't much noise. D7000 is really good at dealing with noise.
@JaredPolin Jared, cant you do a video about this subject?
@pjos111 i bet those pictures had noise and alot of it. But if you crunch that down to video quality you wont be able to see it. I've often also noticed that the perception of noise is diffrent from person to person.
Thanks man its really helpful!!!!
I know all this but by the time you reframe they moved... Unless you're shooting a classical pianist :-)
What just wondering if people had some other technique.
That was very nice!! Thank you very much! I'm gonna try!!
@punkandpixie I just sent it to you.
does that mean if its v dark my shutter speed should go lower and if its v bright and my shutter speed has to go high? sorry im VERY new to this...
Using matrix metering at concerts is suicide!
I am an experienced concert photographer, I use Aperture priority spot meting roughly 80% of the times. The light changes faster than my thumb can switch, but my camera is fast enough to deal with quick changing light situations. Just learn how your camera meters, and apply it.
In extreme low light, I do switch to manual, because it becomes more critical (and harder) to have the exact right exporsure
nikon d700(2nd handed) or nikon d7000?
I'm not in to video and already have some primes who will fit on full frames.
Awesome advice! Thank you
dude, i NEED this book!!
@pjos111 change ur noise reduction setting to high and u wont see alot of noise at the 2000...iv shout at 4000 during a basketball game and could barely see it...but check this out jared said this in one of his vids, "i rather have alot of noise and it be a sharp picture then it be blurry"
@davidkaiserch the less you change the better off you are.
@JaredPolin Where on your website can i find the beginners page? Its not located where you press at "beginners". The page i was looking at some days ago had 1 page and some videos and that included "Understanding depth of focus, understanding ISO, set focus, d3100 settings, phototips" videos. I cant find that page, can you link it for me Jared? :)
i have nikon D7000 and if i go for ISO 2000 as u are shooting, i get a lot of noise ....
You are great mentor! big thanks!
Do you have a video how to connect wireless a EOS camera to Smart TV. I have a Sony Bravia and I can connect my smartphone to TV. Is suposse to be a way to EOS Canon T6i. Thanks
do you ever use pure manual? its the only one i use why dont you?
@Mrnata1991 you should be good. i use a 2.8 with a 430exII and dont have problems. I turn that bad boy up to 1/1 and let her sing! I never go below 1/20 of a second if no one is moving. coming down the aisle i never go below 1/200. I never shoot over 1600 iso either. what camera are you using?
That's why I only learned manual... I never used Aperture ...
are you always in matrix metering for concert photograpy? and single af? or 9 point cont.? or is spot metering better? or Center.W. metering
What is matrix metering? I'm a beginner here.