Atypical Shots
Aug 27th, 2007 by jeremy
When I first started taking concert photos, I was so desperate to get “the” shot that I often ended up taking hundreds of photos a night that ended up looking much the same. Not until I had several concerts under my belt did I start realizing that I had all the standard shots taken care of, so I had some creative liberty to look for something new.
This is not to say that the standard shots are bad, those shots need to be taken of course; but, looking for that vantage point that is different or the composition that makes a shot unique can make for a very interesting and often entertaining photo. Because I have had some special privilege at Donny’s concerts, I have had the ability to take some shots from backstage. In fact the cover my my book On Tour With Donny Osmond was a shot taken following him through curtains backstage as he came out for the big entrance.
With that in mind, this shot of Donny atop the side stage speakers is one I enjoy. Rather than move to an angle without the band members, I liked having them blurred in the background. I felt the shot was better keeping the band members in as it is a reminder of how much goes on behind the scenes of a great performance. This is one of those shots that looks much better blown up, but hopefully you get the idea with this size on the page.
Canon 20D, 70-200L IS, 1/160 at f/2.8 and 400ISO
Jeremy,
It’s great to hear from you, concerning Donny. Are you still taking photos on this concert tour?
This is a fantastic and unique shot How do you get clear photos? A lot of mine come out blurry, too bright or too dim without much clear details of Donny. Why can’t he pose for us, his fans during a concert? Ha Ha. I know you told us at the FSG in March, to position our camera at a farther point where Donny might move next. Is that correct? I use flash and no flash. Which is better?
If this is too much. You don’t need to respond to all.
Thank You,
I love this photo, it is very unique, as it seems as though Donny’s body is positioned in the same wave pattern as the speakers next to him, and the back of him almost disappears because of the black top and black background. It was a great idea to keep the band members in the front, but blurred so that Donny still remains the main subject…..although, no matter who is in the picture with Donny, blurred or unblurred, he is always where my eye is drawn to.
The fact that the band members are also in an amber light, where Donny is in the bright white of a spotlight is a neat effect too. Very artistic.