http://www.ishootshows.com » concert photography http://www.ishootshows.com Music Photography, band portraits and promos from professional music photographer Todd Owyoung Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:33:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Primes vs Zooms For Event Photography http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/10/25/primes-vs-zooms-for-photography/ http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/10/25/primes-vs-zooms-for-photography/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0000 Todd http://ishootshows.com/?p=8474

The eternal dichotomies. Good vs Evil. Night vs Day. Nikon vs Canon. Primes vs Zooms.

When it comes to available light event photography, the photographer is often pulled between constraints – the two biggest of which are limited access and limited lighting. As a result, we’re also often split between the solutions to these problems as well – the flexible framing of zoom lenses and the raw, low-light speed of prime lenses.

Whether you’re shooting weddings, concerts or any other situation where shooting position and light are constrained, here’s a look at the benefits and limitations of primes and zooms for event photography.

Prime Lenses

Pros:

In the contemporary landscape of computer-designed optics, where even consumer zooms can deliver some amazing results, the chief advantage of prime lenses for is their speed. All but super telephoto primes are at least one if not two times faster than zoom lenses covering the same focal range. Even with the best DSLRs, the difference of two stops can mean the difference between shooting at a camera’s high ISO sweet spot and looking at a sea of digital noise.

Moreover, prime lenses give photographers the flexibility to use lower ISO sensitivities, high shutter speeds, or shoot in lower light than their variable focal length peers – sometimes all three at once. In the lowest light, a prime shooter can happily click away in conditions that has zooms users crying in the dark.

Moreover, a prime lens like the ubiquitous 50mm f/1.8 available for all systems is often one of the most inexpensive lenses one can buy, offering image quality and speed at a fraction of a f/2.8 zoom’s price.

On the other end of the price spectrum, it’s also worth noting that super telephoto primes also offer reach in addition to speed that zooms just can’t touch. For situations like sports where extreme distances necessitate teleconverters for maximum effect, the benefit of a fast prime lens is even more evident.

Cons:

The major downside of prime lenses for event photography is that their fixed focal length nature directly compounds the limited access and/or viable shooting positions for any given event and moment. This is particularly true for live music photography, with shooting often limited to the front of the stage for credentialed press in potentially crowded photo pits, but is essentially true for weddings and other event shooting as well.

At best, the inflexibility of prime lenses present limitations that foster creative solutions. At worst, the result is awkward and ineffective compositions.

In addition, for anyone shooting a single DSLR body, prime lenses may feel especially limiting for fast movement and situations where the positions of the performers changes rapidly. Using prime lenses may necessitate more frequent lens changes as well.

Zoom Lenses

Pros:

Zoom lenses are all about flexibility. With the already heavy constraints of live music photography, the ability to fluidly frame and execute compositions and different perspectives is a huge asset to the event shooter. This point is especially true when one is shooting in a crowded photo pit, when multiple photographers jockeying for position limits available angles even more, or at a crowded event with limited options for clean sight lines.

For event photography in general, zoom lenses can allow for the precise framing even in non-ideal shooting situations where the luxury to choose one’s precise position is not always an option.

Aside from exact composition, the sheer ability to dramatically change perspectives with a zoom lens – going from wide-angle to telephoto in the case of a midrange zoom – is a huge asset for quickly-moving action.

A perfect example for the flexibility of a zoom is shooting a performer who may be behind a mic stand or monitors who then quickly comes to front of the stage. A midrange zoom transitions effortlessly in this situation that would otherwise leave a prime lens floundering.

Cons:

For concert photography, the downside to zoom lenses comes in their relatively slow maximum apertures, which clock in at f/2.8 at the fastest for most manufacturers. This limitation puts them two-stops a good f/1.4 prime, which is capable of letting in four times as much light. Needless to say, when the light levels drop, zooms are at a huge disadvantage against faster primes even with the excellent high ISO performance of current DSLRs.

To a lesser degree, optical quality can be an issue with non-pro grade zooms as well.

The Solution

A Mixed Bag

The obvious solution to the speed of primes and the flexibility of zoom lenses? Use them both. My kit includes a core set of zoom lenses covering 14mm to 200mm at f/2.8, as well as 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 primes for the lowest light.

My Kit

Primes:

  • Nikon 50mm f/1.4
  • Nikon 85mm f/1.4

Between the 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4, there’s a lot of super usable range. I always find the 50mm f/1.4 especially nice for waist-up shots of guitarists, where it’s often the perfect frame for including the entire guitar. Add a Nikon 24mm f/1.4 or Nikon 35mm f/1.4 to this kit and you’re set.

Zooms:

  • Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
  • Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
  • Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

In terms of range, these three lenses cover just about anything and everything, from the ultra-wide at 14mm to drummer shots at 200mm. The Nikon 24-700mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 are especially utilitarian for live music and general event photography.

Summary

For me, the utility of zooms is undeniable, and with modern formulas and optics, the performance is never in question. In fact, I prefer my f/2.8 zooms for AF precision and speed. However, the ability of my f/1.4 primes to shoot in even the poorest light secures their place in my bag.

By mixing primes and zooms, the music photographer is covered for everything from blazing arena shows to small, dimly lit clubs. Unless you get a profound sense of satisfaction by shooting exclusively with one set of lenses or another, a mixed bag provides the best of both worlds.

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]]> http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/10/25/primes-vs-zooms-for-photography/feed/ 28 Photo: Bright Eyes @ The Pageant http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/06/22/photo-bright-eyes-the-pageant/ http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/06/22/photo-bright-eyes-the-pageant/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:00:34 +0000 Todd http://ishootshows.com/?p=8467 Bright Eyes performing at the Pageant in St. Louis on June 6, 2011 in support of The People's Key. (Todd Owyoung)

I have to say – I was really surprised by just how great the lighting turned out to be for Bright Eyes at the Pageant. This was a hugely anticipated show on a lot of levels, and at least from a production standpoint, Connor Oberst and company didn’t disappoint.

Bright Eyes performing at the Pageant in St. Louis on June 6, 2011 in support of The People's Key. (Todd Owyoung)

Bright Eyes performing at the Pageant in St. Louis on June 6, 2011 in support of The People's Key. (Todd Owyoung)

Bright Eyes performing at the Pageant in St. Louis on June 6, 2011 in support of The People's Key. (Todd Owyoung)

Bright Eyes performing at the Pageant in St. Louis on June 6, 2011 in support of The People's Key. (Todd Owyoung)

Bright Eyes performing at the Pageant in St. Louis on June 6, 2011 in support of The People's Key. (Todd Owyoung)

Bright Eyes performing at the Pageant in St. Louis on June 6, 2011 in support of The People's Key. (Todd Owyoung)

Bright Eyes performing at the Pageant in St. Louis on June 6, 2011 in support of The People's Key. (Todd Owyoung)

Photographer’s Notes:

Cameras Used:

  • Nikon D7000

Lenses Used:

  • Nikon 35mm f/1.4
  • Nikon 50mm f/1.4
  • Nikon 85mm f/1.4
  • Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8

This show started out with very dramatic and moody color washes in the first song, which gave way to much brighter lighting in the second and third songs.

I was shooting this show with just the Nikon D7000 and used a variety of primes, along with the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8.

I found the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 surprising good for this show. While normally I prefer this lens a full-frame camera like the Nikon D700 due to the nice wide-angle to short telephoto range, for venues like the Pageant, the increased “reach” of the lens on the APS Nikon D7000 actually works out perfectly.

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]]> http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/06/22/photo-bright-eyes-the-pageant/feed/ 3 Photos: The National @ Scottrade Center http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/04/26/photos-the-national-scottrade-center/ http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/04/26/photos-the-national-scottrade-center/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:47:10 +0000 Todd http://ishootshows.com/?p=8149 Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Opening for Arcade Fire on The Suburbs Tour, The National put on a fantastic set of their signature smoldering brand of indie rock. The highlight of the set occurred near the end of the band’s set, when singer Matt Berninger jumped down from the stage – mic in hand – crossed the entire arena floor, climbed up into the seats and then proceeded to make his way back to the stage through hundreds of fans.

I’d seen Berninger do this at small club shows fo 2,000 or so, but to see the band do this perpetually crowd-pleasing stunt in an arena was even more stunning.

Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the band The National performing at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in support of The Arcade Fire on April 21, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photographer’s Notes:

Cameras Used:

  • Nikon D3
  • Nikon D700

Lenses Used:

  • Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
  • Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

As always, The National were a good shoot. Singer Matt Berninger doesn’t move around much during the first three songs, but I always find him a compelling subject simply due to the intensity of his delivery. The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 on the Nikon D3 did the heavy lifting for this gig.

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]]> http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/04/26/photos-the-national-scottrade-center/feed/ 5 Photos: Nicki Minaj, I Am Still Music Tour http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/04/25/photos-nicki-minaj-i-am-still-music-tour/ http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/04/25/photos-nicki-minaj-i-am-still-music-tour/#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:42:11 +0000 Todd http://ishootshows.com/?p=8086 Nicki Minaj performing in support of Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO, on April 10, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Nicki Minaj is arguably the most visually exciting act on Lil Wayne’s I Am Still Music Tour. With an outrageous wig, a screaming constume, and fantastically bright lights, I have to say that it may be well worth photographing this show just for Minaj’s stage antics. Which, I should say, are considerable.

Nicki Minaj performing in support of Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO, on April 10, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Nicki Minaj performing in support of Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO, on April 10, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Nicki Minaj performing in support of Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO, on April 10, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Nicki Minaj performing in support of Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO, on April 10, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Nicki Minaj performing in support of Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO, on April 10, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Nicki Minaj performing in support of Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO, on April 10, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Nicki Minaj performing in support of Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO, on April 10, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Nicki Minaj performing in support of Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO, on April 10, 2011. (Todd Owyoung)

Photographer’s Notes:

Cameras Used:

  • Nikon D3

Lenses Used:

  • Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VR II from BorrowLenses.com
  • Nikon TC-17E II 1.7x teleconverter from BorrowLenses.com

Camera & Lens Support:

  • Bogen 3021 Tripod
  • Wimberley Gimbal Head from BorrowLenses.com

Just going to put it out there up front – Nicki Minaj is probably one of the better reasons to photograph the I Am Still Music Tour with Lil Wayne. No disrespect to Weezy himself, but Nick Minaj has the better lights, moves and costume. In short, she’s a great photography subject, even at 40 or 50-meters.

Just as with all the performers on the I Am Still Music Tour, I photographed Nicki Minaj with the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 and NIkno TC-17E II 1.7x teleconverter that I rented from BorrowLenses.com. On the full-frame Nikon D3, this combo resulted in a 680mm effective focal range at a maximum aperture of f/4.8.

Overall, this setup performed very well for Minaj. While I wouldn’t have minded more reach at times, what this lens and teleconverter provided was a great balance between getting me “ballpark” close and while still leaving room to crop to a desired frame. The one big challenge with a super telephoto is going too tight, which would have meant more trouble tracking and sacrificing wider frames that captured Nicki Minaj’s great gestures.

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]]> http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/04/25/photos-nicki-minaj-i-am-still-music-tour/feed/ 8 Photos: Reel Big Fish @ The Pageant http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/04/04/photos-reel-big-fish-the-pageant/ http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/04/04/photos-reel-big-fish-the-pageant/#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:00:31 +0000 Todd http://ishootshows.com/?p=7952 Photos of the third wave ska band Reel Big Fish performing live at the Pageant in St. Louis on November 11, 2010. (© Todd Owyoung)

Taking the stage after Suburban Legends and The Aquabats, Reel Big Fish closed down the Pageant with a infectiously fun set. With plenty of mugging, general goofiness, and the entire venue singing along, this was an undeniably live set.

Photos of the third wave ska band Reel Big Fish performing live at the Pageant in St. Louis on November 11, 2010. (© Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the third wave ska band Reel Big Fish performing live at the Pageant in St. Louis on November 11, 2010. (© Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the third wave ska band Reel Big Fish performing live at the Pageant in St. Louis on November 11, 2010. (© Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the third wave ska band Reel Big Fish performing live at the Pageant in St. Louis on November 11, 2010. (© Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the third wave ska band Reel Big Fish performing live at the Pageant in St. Louis on November 11, 2010. (© Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the third wave ska band Reel Big Fish performing live at the Pageant in St. Louis on November 11, 2010. (© Todd Owyoung)

Photos of the third wave ska band Reel Big Fish performing live at the Pageant in St. Louis on November 11, 2010. (© Todd Owyoung)

Photographer’s Notes:

Cameras Used:

  • Nikon D3
  • Nikon D700

Lenses Used:

  • Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
  • Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

Reel Big Fish always puts on a fun show. While I might still have to give it up to Suburban Legends as the most fun shoot of the night, Reel Big Fish closed down the night in style and received a fantastic crowd reaction.

Lighting was relatively low, but f/2.8 zooms were still plenty workable thanks to the nice high ISO performance of the Nikon D3 and D700 at ISO 3200 and above.

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