SXSW 2007 through the lens

Shooting Southby was no easy task and lugging around a big bag full of camera equipment was not my kind of fun, but now looking back at these photos I'd say it was worth the work and effort. The group of photos below are just some from the pool of SXSW photos I selected, you can view all 17 photographs in a slideshow. I also have some advice below on how to shoot live music if you're interested. Hope you enjoy these!

View the selected SXSW photos as a slidehow here.
Veiw all the SXSW photographs here.

A few tips on shooting live music...

When shooting shows try not to use flash, I know it'll be harder for people who have the smaller digital cameras, unless you brought along your external flash. Try shooting on the manual mode and adjust the shutter speed accordingly. Another neat effect is using someone else's flash, this is easy since most people out there will use flash no matter what and the different angle of light and distance will make your photo less washed out and more interesting.

If you're at a venue who just loves dim lighting, try putting your flash on rear curtain sync. This means you'll freeze your subject, but also have a neat motion blur too. Remember to hold the button focusing and pan your camera when you're using this so you'll get those cool extra trail of lights.

Wait for the right moment. There is no need to take 20 photos of your subject in the same strumming guitar pose, knowing their songs is a plus and if you've seen them live before use it to your advantage. You know when the climatic moments are and you'll know when to shoot the photo. Remember to put your camera on continuous mode, where you can just focus then hold the button down to take multiple photos per second. This increases your chances of getting a photo where your subject's in focus and not blurry.

Also when shooting live music don't forget that there are people who are trying to watch a show around you, there is no need to elbow people out of the way to get that perfect shot. If you're going to go in front of someone shorter than you, tell them first that you just want to take photos for a few minutes, then kneel on the ground to get that shot without ruining someone else's experience, don't forget your "please, thank you and excuse me"s. Try and be subtle in your movements and don't get too consumed by your camera, you shouldn't forget to enjoy the music too!!!

~anne