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View Full Version : Uing flash in concert photos - thoughts?

alkaline-kiwi
10-06-2006, 06:48 PM
I was reading a post on a livejournal community about people in the crowd getting pissed off at people who use flash in their concert photos. Now I know some venues don't allow it (though I've never been to one, being from a small town and when I got to concerts in the city I either don't take my camera or there's no problem with it).

I've asked people in bands that I've photographed if the flash bothers them and none have said that it did. And no one in the audience has threatened to cause me harm/complained to me about it.

Someone replied to my comment about using flash photography by saying that they threaten people using flash.

My camera doesn't really have many settings and I don't really have steady enough hands to hold my camera still to get a none flash indoor shot. Does this mean I shouldn't refer to my photos as proper concert photography? Am I being an annoying bitch by using flash and should leave my camera at home?
Julian
10-06-2006, 06:52 PM
I've never had a problem with people using flash at gigs. Most bands would be used to getting stage lights in their eyes so they probably wouldn't mind. Don't worry about it!
mel_bound
10-06-2006, 06:52 PM
With all the lights that are used, a little flash probably wouldn't effect the band all that much.. When I take photos without flash the photos look alot less clear, but take note that I'm no way a good photographer, and I've never taken photos at a gig. I also wouldn't mind if someone was taking photos, it's just like another strobe light. Also, I like to get the photos after the show :p
State_Of_Emergency
10-06-2006, 06:58 PM
i've never taken photos at a gig.. but ive had people take photos of me in concerts.. and well, its not a big deal for me.. just another light, and from the stage i dont see it much :)
CourTLErocks
10-06-2006, 07:04 PM
hey this is my boyfriends band so if anyone has cable, its faster to see it but its their first video of a song they put on the net and it only took us like 5 mins to record it lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6HbM3eVVpg
State_Of_Emergency
10-06-2006, 07:09 PM
hey this is my boyfriends band so if anyone has cable, its faster to see it but its their first video of a song they put on the net and it only took us like 5 mins to record it lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6HbM3eVVpg

awesome :D
CourTLErocks
10-06-2006, 07:10 PM
did u like it? its bit different, but i like it
mel_bound
10-06-2006, 07:27 PM
hey this is my boyfriends band so if anyone has cable, its faster to see it but its their first video of a song they put on the net and it only took us like 5 mins to record it lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6HbM3eVVpg

Wow, that's off topic if I ever saw it.

:confused:
State_Of_Emergency
10-06-2006, 07:40 PM
Wow, that's off topic if I ever saw it.

:confused:

lol.. yeah :)... o well i like the vid btw
CourTLErocks
10-06-2006, 07:42 PM
thanks, ill tell the boys lol ok you guys can return to topic
Julian
10-06-2006, 07:43 PM
One of your bf's bands? How many boyfriends do you have? :p
Crystal
10-06-2006, 07:44 PM
Haha. Nicely done! :p
Disease
10-06-2006, 10:23 PM
The only thing that really annoys me about people taking photos at gigs is not the Flash itself, but if I'm standing/sitting behind someone who has a digital camera and the screen on the back of the camera with the display of the video/picture is visible to me, that to me is really really annoying.
Jodez
10-06-2006, 10:53 PM
the 22nd was the 1st time i got 2 take my camera and be in a good enough spot to take photos, and i must admit i felt bad and resrticted myself because i felt bad taking photos of chris and im sure he was awrae of it lol but even i dont mind flashes of other peoples cameras...
The Dying Start
10-07-2006, 12:02 AM
Concert photos look shithouse with flash anyway so i wouldn't know why you'd bother. I never use flash coz it makes the fotos look rank. I just do my best not to move.
Jake
10-07-2006, 03:39 AM
Flash in concert photos shouldn't be required, generally. If you are any significant distance from the band, flash will reflect off crap in the air (including cigarette smoke) and just look a bit shit and hazy. It will also wash out the colours of the concert lights and sometimes cause annoying shadows.

For anyone's reference, in any camera where you can get manual settings, you'd want (roughly) the following, and flash shouldn't be required.
f/2.8
1/60sec (or faster if there is enough light - this is the lowest suggested speed for handheld photos to be clear)
ISO 200 or 400

I regularly photograph concerts at a local youth club, and I've had to use flash on a few occasions because the lighting was so poor. However, I kept the setting on lowest and made sure I wasn't too close, and it doesn't look so shithouse.

http://www.blankroll.com/gal/2/47/50.jpg

On the other hand, this photo did not need flash, so it wasn't used, quite simple!

http://www.blankroll.com/gal/2/47/64.jpg

Many larger venues here don't allow it (at least for the pro-photographers - they rarely enforce it with the crowd), but I see very few situations when I would want to use it - this is where I get most annoyed with the use of flash!!
Disease
10-07-2006, 11:54 AM
Yeah. I have only ever once taken a camera to a show, and I didn't use the flash once.
Neryssah
10-07-2006, 12:25 PM
I use flash depending on which camera/lens I'm using. With the SLR, I've got a f1.8 lens so I don't need flash, but sometimes I have to use one where the maximum aperture is 4.5-5.6, then I need it. With the compacts, they all work pretty well without flash, plus, they're a bitch to set up and the auto flash always looks like shit anyway.

Random Flash Story.
I was at the footy with my cousin. It was a night game and the camera I had was pretty shonky so I had to use the flash whenever I actually wanted the photos to turn out, but it killed the battery really quickly. Anyway, my cousin was begging me to get photos of Billy Slater for her, but I really didn't feel like wasting the battery enough to use the flash and get a decent photo cos I don't like him that much. I used it on all the people I wanted photos of though. Anyway, afterwards she was really shitty at me when we were walking out and I asked what was wrong and she yells out, in front of everyone, "WHY DIDN'T YOU FLASH BILLY SLATER? YOU FLASHED ALL THE OTHER PLAYERS, WHY WOULDN'T YOU FLASH HIM FOR ME?!" and obviously nobody else knew what she meant so it sounded reeeaaally suss.

Got a few dodgy looks that night :p
AlinaPOW
10-07-2006, 03:15 PM
Every time i take my camera into a gig i feel terrible about using flash 'coz i feel like it might annoy whoever i'm taking a photo of. Hence, i've never used flash. But i don't take my camera into the mosh too often anyway 'coz i'd be worrying about it the entire time. Expensive bit of equipment + rowdy mosh = agitated Alina.
Jessii
10-07-2006, 04:47 PM
The one time i've been very agitated about my camera was at the bdo when crowd control were spraying people with the hose when asked, and i said no and he sprayed down the lens of my camera then laughed at me. Wasn't happy.
Disease
10-07-2006, 04:51 PM
What a bastard.
Jessii
10-07-2006, 10:09 PM
Yeah i called him a nasty 4 letter word (i rarely use this word that rhymes with bunt but it was my brand new camera) and he said that we arn't allowed cameras anyway until i pointed out that the security guard closest to him was the one who told me i could. Cause he was crowd control not security...
hillaas
10-07-2006, 10:12 PM
What a tool. What does he gain from doing that? Did it wreck the camera because those hoses are pretty powerful?
Jessii
10-07-2006, 10:45 PM
My bf dived infront of it. Wish i didn't delete the water blurred photo to so i could show you.
hillaas
10-07-2006, 11:00 PM
That would look pretty cool.

I still don't understand why he would spray your camera...
Julian
10-07-2006, 11:02 PM
Because some people are just idiots