Location, Location, Location and then some more Part II
Hello Everyone,
Continuing with the dissection of venues I take photographs at (I could have totally said shoot at and saved myself a few key strokes but with all the gun violence around I feel like somehow i’m promoting it. Weird I know) todays candidate is The Danforth Music Hall.
With a capacity of nearly 1500 souls it’s one of my favourite music venues in the city.
Below is an approximation of what the layout looks like:
The legend goes as follows:
The little man its YOU!!! Those are possible spots where you could be standing. My favourite is (A), the photo pit, whenever there is one that is. If there is no pit and there is enough space to move around I’d like to employ a technique called “Shoot around the clock“.
Typically I’ll start in either (B) or (F). Take a few shots and move to (C). Take a few shots and move to either (B) or (F), depending on where I started. Repeat ad nauseum until your three songs are over.
If the place is sold out, and based the homework I’ve done on the band, I may choose to stay in (F) or (B) for two songs and then move to the balcony.
The balcony, YES!!!!!!! The Danforth has a balcony that gives your shots a unique perspective. I recommend, that when possible, your last 30 seconds are spent shooting from either (D) or (E).
Normally by the time you are done at the Danforth you will feel like you just did the London marathon. Bring water. No, really, bring water.
What gear do I bring?
- Nikon D810 and D750
- Cotton Carrier light belt with two camera setup. Like it better than the alternatives out there.
- Memory cards: 3 Lexar SD 64Gb and one Lexar CF 64Gb.
If there is a photo pit:
- 70-200mm on the D750. Heavy lens, light body. Mainly side shots and drummer.
- 24-70mm on the D810.The D810 will be my main camera in the pit.
- Think Tank TurnStyle 20 camera bag.
If there is no photo pit:
- Stool to stand on (trust me it does make a difference). Use the stool while on (B), (C) and/or (F).
- 70-200mm on the D810. Wide shots of the band plus single body shots of individual performers.
- 200-500mm on the D750. Mostly for portraits and extreme close up of the performers.
- Manfrotto 3N1-25 Pro Lite Backpack
What are my camera settings for this venue?
- D810 set to Manual, 1/200, F4, Auto ISO (6400 max) to start. I will change it on the fly depending on the circumstances i.e how much light there is.
- D750 set to Manual, 1/500, F4, Auto ISO (6400 max) to start. As above I will change the settings on the fly as needed based on the circumstances. On the D750 I will go up to ISO 12800 if needed. Who is afraid of the noise? Not me.
Below are some examples of images taken in this venue.
- 200-500 From (B)
2. 70-200mm form the back of the room by the soundboard (C)
3. 70-200mm from the balcony (E)
4. 200-500mm from (B)
5. 70-200mm from (B)
I hope you enjoyed this article. Stay tuned for more eventually, on a computer near you, at some point in time.
Cheers,
A.