Digital Camera - Ken Gilbert

10things
…to try right now
photo teChniques
04 Rock out with your SLR out
Summer’s here and the time is right for… shooting in the mud
That’s right, it’s music festival time! While
ordinary punters are unlikely to get a
space in the photo pit at the front, you
can still get some great band shots at festivals,
particularly at smaller events. When shooting
bands, watch how they move around the stage.
“Festival bands are usually younger and
more energetic than arena and stadium
bands,” says Classic Rock and Q photographer
Laurence Baker. “Limited time slots mean that
they’ll probably be giving it everything, so you’re
going to want to keep shutter speeds high.
Meanwhile, slow to middle shutter speeds are
Youmay notget access to
the photographers’ pit, but
youcan still get amazing
shots from the crowd –
you just need the right kit
great for shooting hard rock bands. If the
guitarist’s headbanging, choose a shutter
speed of around 1/60 sec to get a nicely
blurred head but static body. As for which lens
to use, if you can get away with using one lens
with a wide focal range (like a zoom), go for it.
Having to change and carry extra lenses in the
festival muck is a pain.”
Take plenty of storageand
charged-up batteries, and
get insurance if you camp
And don’t forget the practicalities. Take
plenty of storage and charged-up batteries,
and get insurance if you camp.
Get started today…
* Take along a good zoom lens for crowd shots.
* Festival bands are often energetic, so freeze
the action with a higher shutter speed.
* Or slow down shutter speeds for some
interesting panning effects, as with cars (left).
* Open up the aperture (eg f/2.8) to isolate the
subject and blur distracting backgrounds.
* Keep ISO below 800 to minimise noise.
Wuestenhagen/ Dalle / Retna Pictures
25