Using Long Exposure at Concerts

My last post was about only getting to shoot for 3 songs. This post is about what you can do when you have more than enough time to shoot from the pit. At the Umphrey’s McGee show a couple weeks ago I asked the security guard at the pit what tonight’s deal was. He said “This is a jamband, who knows how long 3 songs will last, you can shoot the whole first set.” Not a bad deal, made even sweeter when I found out there would only be one other photographer in the pit with me. Lots of space to move around, and plenty of time to shoot. I can’t say this happens often.

So what do you do with all that extra time and space? Get creative! I’ve been wanting to experiment with some longer exposure shots at concerts for a while, but usually can’t waste precious time on shots that might turn out terrible, or at least useless for publication. Why long exposure? Well other than the obvious (the music) one thing that is often lost in the quest for the ultimate sharp image is: movement! Sometimes we photographers are so worried about sharpness that we forget that a little motion blur can add to a photo. When a guitar player is violently attacking a solo, he’s usually not standing still posing for you, he’s moving, and that’s part of the show. So why not include that in some photos now and again?

I got this idea from a wonderful photograph of Tina Turner by Bob Gruen, which you can see about halfway down the linked page. None of mine turned out nearly as crisp as his shot, but it was fun trying. (On a side note, I just realized while trying to find a link to that photo that I’ve actually been at a couple of events with Bob Gruen, but mistook him for HOF pitcher Don Sutton.)

In Gruen’s great shot, it’s pretty safe to assume that the strobe light was the only, or almost the only light illuminating Tina, allowing for the very definitive 5 different Tinas. I didn’t get so lucky at the Nokia Theater. The front lights were horrible LEDs and the backlighting was ever-present. This next photo was the closest I got to that type of strobe shot. The strobe light was going off, but the yellow lights were so strong that Jake’s face and guitar aren’t as crisp as they would be if it were only the strobe light, but you can still make out 3 distinct faces in the photo. This shot is ISO 200, at 0.2s, f/3.5, 50mm.

This next shot is with the Tokina 11-16mm, taken at 11mm, ISO 200 at 0.6s f/9. Shooting with such a wide lens allows you to shoot handheld at such a long exposure and still keep the stationary objects sharp while getting the motion of the musicians.

I’ve posted a few more long exposure shots from this show over on my flickr page. Any questions or comments, please leave them below. I’d also love to see your examples of long exposure concert shots!

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~ by ericreichbaum on March 8, 2010.