My last post was about only getting to shoot for 3 songs. This post is about what you can do when you have more than enough time to shoot from the pit. At the Umphrey’s McGee show a couple weeks ago I asked the security guard at the pit what tonight’s deal was. He said “This is a jamband, who knows how long 3 songs will last, you can shoot the whole first set.” Not a bad deal, made even sweeter when I found out there would only be one other photographer in the pit with me. Lots of space to move around, and plenty of time to shoot. I can’t say this happens often.

So what do you do with all that extra time and space? Get creative! I’ve been wanting to experiment with some longer exposure shots at concerts for a while, but usually can’t waste precious time on shots that might turn out terrible, or at least useless for publication. Why long exposure? Well other than the obvious (the music) one thing that is often lost in the quest for the ultimate sharp image is: movement! Sometimes we photographers are so worried about sharpness that we forget that a little motion blur can add to a photo. When a guitar player is violently attacking a solo, he’s usually not standing still posing for you, he’s moving, and that’s part of the show. So why not include that in some photos now and again? (more…)