It's that time of year, when parents squat their way to the front of the school gym to get a picture of their little angel, battling bad angles, low lighting and elbows all the way. Here are some tips for great Christmas concert photos:
- Bump up the ISO. ISO settings affect a photo in 2 ways: how much light is let into the camera, and how much "noise" will appear in the picture. A higher ISO setting will let in more light and also allow more noise (noise appears as random coloured dots). I would personally rather have a sharper picture with a bit of noise than a smooth, blurry picture. So take your camera off "Auto" or "100" ISO and try changing it to "400" (or maybe 800 or 1600 if you know your camera can handle it). Make sure to change it back after!
- Get as close as possible. You know all those parents who sneak up to the front row to get pictures of their children? They are doing a good thing. Christmas concerts tend to be dark, so you need to be as close as possible for your pictures to turn out.
- Zoom with the feet. You might be tempted to use your big zoom from the back of the gym, but keep in mind that the more you zoom in, the less light reaches the camera, and the more your hand movements are multiplied, which can lead to blurring. You are best to crawl up the aisles.
- Got image stabilization (usually called IS, OIS or VR)? Use it! What a great invention this is. It counteracts the shakiness of your hands to create sharper images.
- Here is the Flash Rule: if you are within - oh, say - 20 feet of your subject, flash will make your picture look better. If you are further than 20 feet from your subject, flash can actually make your picture look worse! Beware the folly of distant flash!
In the 2 photos below, I used a camera that can shoot 1600 ISO no problem. It's really a matter of preference in this case. The flash photo (top) freezes the action while casting some shadows on the back wall. The high-ISO photo (below) allows for some movement and takes on the characteristics of the gymnasium lights. Realistically, in a Christmas concert setting I'd be happy with either one because they are sharp and capture the moment!
200 ISO with flash - about 20 feet away
- One last tip. If you can - sit in the front row. That's how I got the picture below! (and I used flash).
Trust us with your Memories,
Ron C
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