Another photography question

What are the best settings to take pictures at the indoor shows? I either get this:

which reflects the true atmosphere of the show, but way too blurry.

or this:

which looks to be to sterile.

I am looking for something in-between. Or do I have to take the second picture and edit it in photoshop?

[Jeff Weston]

Originally posted by dennisuello

I was at a show like this once ... never again!

[TObject]

I cannot see the pictures. And I am mostly an outdoor type of person, but here are some pointers anyway.

1. To eliminate the blur caused by camera shake use a tripod whenever possible. There are also all sorts of little tripods, clamps, beanbags, and other types of supports that may be suitable where a full size tripod is not practical.

2. If tripod is absolutely out of the question, your next line of defense is the Vibration Reduction technology that found its way into many cameras and lenses in the past several years. Alternatively, some cameras have a Best Shot Selector mode, where the camera takes a succession of pictures and then automatically selects the sharpest one of the bunch to keep.

3. Flash. You may discover annoying sharp shadows if you use flash in the traditional way. If that happens, try pointing the flash head at the ceiling or at the walls. This works best if the ceiling or walls are white. Alternatively, try using the flash in the Fill-Flash mode, where it generates reduced output and contributes to the ambient lightning instead of being the main light source. It is a good idea to have a set of filters to put on the flash head to match the room lightning. For example, if you have incandescent lamps in the building, you'll want to make the flash light much warmer. Another thing you may want to try is connecting the flash to the camera with a flexible cable, and then holding the flash in your hand high above and to the side, while taking pictures holding the camera in your other hand.

4. For digital cameras, you may want to experiment with setting white balance manually other than leaving it on automatic; this can produce more natural looking tones. If your camera supports taking pictures in RAW format, do that, as it is easier to correct certain things, like exposure and white balance temperature, from a RAW file versus a JPEG. For film, use correct type of film, and or filters.

5. Use fast lenses. The wider the lens opens, the more light it lets through, allowing you to use shorter exposure times, reducing motion and camera shake blurs. But be aware of the depth of the field (the area where things appear in focus): the wider the lens is opened, the narrower is the depth of the field, which may or may not be a desired effect depending on the subject and the picture composition.

6. Experiment with the AUTO ISO feature, if your camera has one. Try to find good balance between sensitivity modes and noise that appears at higher ISO settings. For film, try to use faster film or push/pull processing. Also consider using Black and White.

7. Use multiple lights if you can. You can go really elaborate with various light setups, umbrellas, light boxes, shades, reflectors, and all kinds of stuff.

8. Practice and experiment.

[TObject]

Ok, I flushed my DNS, and I can see the pictures now.

Well, with guys jumping like that in the dark there is little you can do. Try to position yourself parallel to how the band members line up, rather than to the side (I know, easier said than done).

Use a long fast lens to take shots of musicians individually.

Talk to organizers about installing better lights. This can improve both the show and the pictures.