Feel It
Taken at a nightclub in Philly
Taken at a nightclub in Philly
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Jul, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken at a nightclub in Philadelphia.Time
Pretty easy to assume what time of day it was taken, but just to be clear, it was at night :)Lighting
It was all about timing with the lighting. Like most action shots, it helps to anticipate what is going to happen next. For sports, it's obvious. You want to be ready with your camera BEFORE the shot or the pass, BEFORE the big moment happens. Otherwise, you miss it. Like most sport photographers will say, if you know the sport, then that's a big help. In this application, I knew the lighting and the music. I started paying attention to when the lighting designer would hit that big strobe flash. I found my composition (as far in the corner I could squeeze because of the 50mm), and every time that Atomic (name of the strobe light) went off, I fired the shutter.Equipment
This was shot handheld with a Canon T1i, using a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM.Inspiration
The music. Plain and simple. This was NOT a posed shot. I didn't say to the DJ, "Hey, why don't you throw your arms up so I can get a good shot." NO! This was a CANDID shot. It was all about the music and the vibe of the night. This shot illustrates what the DJ felt, and I love capturing those candid feelings of joy that are created by music.Editing
Most of my time editing was not spent on changing the lighting or the balance of the photo, but rather cleaning it up. The nightclub truss was a busy mess. Neatness was obviously not the technicians' strong point when rigging the lighting. Wires were dangling all over the place so I did my best to eliminate them while still making the scene look real. I wanted some wires to show, but if they took away from my subject, they didn't make the cut. Also, I wanted a clean edge between the foreground and the background, so I deleted the desk lights that protruded above the ledge of the DJ platform.In my camera bag
For nightclub photography, not much is in my bag, mainly because I can't carry my bag around while I'm shooting. I have to place it somewhere (usually someplace I'm not comfortable with) and I don't want expensive gear left alone. For nightclub shoots, the only thing in my bag is an extra lens, extra batteries, memory cards and cleaning accessories. The bare necessities.Feedback
Go where the crowd or the audience wants to be. You want to capture those up close shots that most people attending the show can't see. Don't get me wrong, distance shots are good at concerts to illustrate the amazing lighting, but I'm talking about close-ups now. Make sure you're prepared with some sort of press pass so you don't get stopped by security every time you move. For this show, I had two wristbands, a shirt from the company that organized the show, and a badge. It definitely felt excessive, but I was never stopped or limited to where I could go and that is important as a photographer. The last thing you want is to be taking shots with your professional camera right next to a crowd of people with their iPhones. You're gonna get pretty much the same composition, just better quality of course. And be NICE, but assertive to the security and staff. You need to go where the shot is, but you don't have to be a jerk about it.
