Indoor winter concert

LRussoPhoto

I have been recruited by my wife to take photos at my daughters schools winter concert for their 5th grade yearbook. I will be using a d300s, sigma 24-70 f2.8 and an sb900. I have shot there before but never with the sigma lens yet. I have gotten decent results in the past, but one of the things i have a problem with is sharpness when I am trying to get multiple kids in a shot. Some photos come out very sharp and others blurry. I try to keep my aperture as low as possible but i think that may be my problem, should I be up around f8? I also shot in dynamic area focus. Should I be in auto area?
Dont have much of an issue with the exposure.

Any suggestion?

Qarik

if it is say 2 rows of kids and you are filling up the frame then f4 should be fine. if 3 rows then you may need f5.6 depending on how wide you are. f8 is overkill unless you have like 10 rows!

LRussoPhoto

Thanks, any input on using auto area or dynamic focus?

W.W. Webster

QuadRacer041 wrote: »

I will be using a d300s, sigma 24-70 f2.8 and an sb900 ... Any suggestion?

I'm not a Nikon user. Is an "sb900" a flash unit? As well as annoying others in the audience and in the cast, use of flash will kill your images stone dead.

They're a big no-no for concert and stage show imaging! :nono

LRussoPhoto

yea its a flash......its just in the school cafe. I shot there with and without....its a must the light sucks! The concert isnt anything fancy....they'll be people with p&s's all over.

Qarik

for group shots..auto area is fine. Me? I like to single point focus over the "middle" row just so I know my DOF is okay. For one or 2 rows it doesn't really matter as long as your DOF is not super thin.

divamum

Honestly, even if there are P&S going off, I really can't recommend using a flash. For it to have much effect you'll have to be very close (or get permission to set it up off camera close to the performers), and speaking as somebody who performs... it's really distracting. You DO notice it, even if you try to ignore it.

I'd say bump up your ISO and go for it. With 70mm being the long end you should get decent sharpness unless you're very close - I frequently shoot at 2.8 and wider in those circumstances. If you're shooting at the wide end, you shouldn't have much trouble at all. If you're really worried about it, shoot across the group from the front center back, and then pano-stitch a shot in post; I've done this even without a 'pod (for a curtain call) and it came out fine with a little tweaking in post.

Anyway, just my overinflated 2c

LRussoPhoto

Today is the day of the concert, I am going to bring the flash with me but try not to use. We'll see what happens, lol. Ill post some shots afterwards.

LRussoPhoto

Ok, here are a few of the shots. First 3 were at the rehearsal with flash the last 4 with no flash and iso 3200. Other then the sb900 both shots used same equipment.







No flash









To me, although the flashed shots look a little too overexposed, I like them better then the shots with no flash. Opinions?

Qarik

I like the flashed shots better. (3200 on D90 is going to effect IQ for sure and I think I see motion blur on non flashed shots...last flash helped to guard against some objectionable shadows on the kids necks). Turned out well though!

LRussoPhoto

I was using a d300s for all those shots. O yea I agree its motion blur, I took some of the noise out of them but, they look blurry for sure, any way to get a higher ss speed with my setup?

Qarik

QuadRacer041 wrote: »

I was using a d300s for all those shots. O yea I agree its motion blur, I took some of the noise out of them but, they look blurry for sure, any way to get a higher ss speed with my setup?

D300s is not going to cut it 3200 either. And the only other way to squeeze more SS is iso and aperture. ISO is already maxed out so what was your ap? At these distances you might be abale to get away with f2.8 if you are careful with focusing

LRussoPhoto

i was using a sigma 24-70 f2.8 @2.8, lol

Qarik

well okay then! you are stuck like chuck. either flash or get you a new body!

LRussoPhoto

Ok, I can deal with that....As long as there is nothing I can do as far as making adjustments in the camera. Thanks

Zaui

That's much better lighting then at either of the cafeterias at my kids' elementary schools. I always use flash when I shoot their school events - getting the WB right is too hard otherwise.