HDR, low light music gig, hand held?

[PhilipHowe]

Well, there is only one way to see if it would work....

I took these three images :

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I know that HDR software allows for movement, but in this case, the light is changing all the time, the musicians are moveing and I am hand holding the camera as well.7I just wanted to see the results.

[PhilipHowe]

I then used Nik HDR efex 2 to produce this:

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I think it's interesting that it has decided which elements of the three photos it has picked and I haven't got a clue why it picked this, but I quite like the results.

At a gig, you only get to shoot the first three songs, so it is hard to experiment, however, it was a challenge anyway, as they filled the stage with smoke, turned the laser lighting to 11 and started playing. I did get a couple of straight shots from this HDR trial, so I think I would try it again.

[Stu B]

I think you have given the software a real challenge here Phil. We have a combination of three similar but very different images. In the merged compliation. I only really see image 1, in the outcome. Except for were the ghousting has in my opinion messed the image up. I love band photography. can you give some details as to what lenses you were using on your shoot, and was it all done using available light ? Will you be buying the bands latest CD ?

[PhilipHowe]

Stu, I'm a big fan of theirs anyway, so already have their three albums. If you check out O.N.E by them on YouTube, they used to use it on SkySports before the footie.
I was stuck with the three song and camera away rule.

I didn't even take my flash with me, used my 70-200 f2.8L IS at ISO800/ISO1600 at f2.8 and my 50mm f1.4 at ISO800 at f2/f2.8.
They had a lot of lights, which help, but hinder in the same way.

I'll find a local gig and we'll go along, if you want?

I'm ok with the ghosting on his right arm (I take it that's what you mean), as it's a gig photo, not a portrait. The software seams to have edged them out better, which, again, I like, but the colours of the lights were awful for photographing anyway. I did get a couple of good black and whites. I'll enter one in a competition coming up to see if the judge distinguishes between a portrait and a gig photograph, in the same way as I think I've seen a couple get that street photography is not a portrait, but a half decent portrait is always going to be far better than the best gig photo.

I've sent them to their manager and he is happy with them anyway, so that'll do me.

[Stu B]

Phil, I wasnt making comments on your photograph. I think its superb. Conveying the atmosphere and energy of a gig. I know only to well the conditions and challenges that brings. I'm not surprised the bands manager has accepted them. I was merely, trying to discuss the rudiments of the Hdr software. I also didnt really mind the ghosting on the guitarists arm, As it implies he's actually playing it. But found the bit around the keyboard player a little too much. I was curious as to the background. As to how the software had selected which part of the three images it had come to deliver as the finshed article. Did you select parts of each images yourself, or was it all software driven.? I was wondering, as the right hand guy is dancing all over the place. So infact, would really have nothing to align the compilation to. Which in a nutshell was my point really. How does the HDR software think, when aligning three different (Moving) images together ?

I had heard the song,"one" before, though im not really a psychedelic pop person. More a Springsteen man myself. One of the amateur photographers I admire in Gig photography is John Rudolph. I picked up on his Flickr site. When i first started out two years ago. At the time he had the same entry level Pentax camera I owned, and was getting outragously stunning results.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnrudolp ... /contacts/

And as for the gig invitation, If your not against an enthusiastic amateur coming along in tow. I'd love to.

[PhilipHowe]

Stu, no, I know it wasn't a comment on my photo, I am offering these up as I am trying to get a handle on HDR. One thing I always have to do with gig photos is cross processing, as it's usually dimly lit with blue, I thought I'd try HDR to see if it would balance the image better and save time before I do this. I need to try more.

By the way, I agree with you fb comments, that black and white is my favourite. The manager likes this one, as green is very much the colour that the band use to represent themselves.

Thanks.