Tips on photographing bands/concerts

[welfarecheese99]

Hi there! I am a new photographer who has been asked to take pictures of a friends band playing at a nightclub. I know that the lighting in these situations is not good (brightly lit stage/dark everywhere else). I am wondering if anyone could give me some pointers as to camera settings or techniques to get the best possible pictures. I use a Canon S1 if it matters. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[ekchua]

From the little that I know......
If flash is not an option, a tripod is a must; a monopod is an alternative that will give you more mobility.
Use a higher ISO, say 400, noise should be fairly acceptable at this setting.
Do not use a UV or other 'protective' filter, you would get more light into the sensor this way.
Framing your subject tighter and eliminating the shadow areas gives an overall brighter shot (however this can be subjective).

Hope this helps.

The pictures taken at both these events were handheld, so some camera shake is obvious.
The <A HREF=http://www.pbase.com/ekchua/polish_music_concert><b>Polish Music Concert</b></A> was a outdoor night time stage setting, all pics taken without flash.
The <A HREF=http://www.pbase.com/ekchua/little_egret><b>Xiamen Little Egret Folk Dance Troupe</b></A> on the other hand, was an indoor event. The ambient lighting was much better and flash was used.