I've finally gotten round to editing and uploading some of my photos. They're at http://groups.msn.com/KatsCons2003/commonrotationapril2005.msnw?Page=1 if anyone is interested!

Kat x

I only get an empty home page titled Kat's Cons 2003.

weird. i didn't have any problems loading it.

I got to them too great pics by the way

Some great photos kat - thanks for sharing!! .. am loving particularly the Jordan pics 273, 318, 432, Adam 407 and Eric 421 .. you got a great angle on the "Sit Down" hee! and I am partial to the guys like potatoes.. in their jackets.. on 286

Hi Kat,

I actually have one of your photos from my POV I think!



Please, please, please don't take what I'm going to say as an 'attack' on you, it's really not!!!

I'm loving seeing other peoples photos from the Troub' gigs because everyone sees things differently and takes photos using different equipment so I can learn from your work as well as my own. I should tell you that I'm a very hard critic of my own work so I'm driven to always improve by keeping an open mind and studying the work of others.

The one thing that's clear to me after seeing everyones photos is that the ones I really like have all been shot without flash. I love the warmth that they have. The harshness of a flash normally leaves the guys looking like rabbits caught in your headlights just before you feel that sickening thud that tells you you've just added to the carnage of roadkill...

Of course there is another good reason for not using a flash all the time as my photo illustrates quite well. How would you like them going off in your face all night? Not much fun eh?

However I'm not totally anti-flash, as Kat's photos show so well there are times when you can get some very nice results indeed. In fact I took a couple myself on Thursday when the guys came through to the back of the audience. If you were there then I think you'll have seen why I won't be doing that again – my camera strobes the flash to set the levels before it then fires off it's very own indoors supernova! Not something I'd want to inflict on anyone again

So what's my message to everyone? We've all taken some great photos but don't be afraid to experiment a little next time. Digital photography is ideal for playing around with all those odd settings on your camera. You never know what you can do until you try, so have a play and remember to post the results here afterwards.

We can all, and I do mean everyone, learn from each other and end up with some fantastic photos and memories. Just remember not to take the criticisms personally.

Cheers, Geoff.

p.s. Thanks for lending me your flash in the above photo Kat. I actually really like the surreal nature of that one and I couldn't have done it without you!

Awesome photos, Kat! I'd post up mine but they were taken on a crappy non-digital APS camera. Will hopefully get round to scanning them in in the summer.

Watcher, I tend to agree with you on the flash/non-flash thing.

All my flash piccies always come out flat. I love the atmosphere I get from taking "natural" light photos. Even if that means I have to take 400 before I get a good one (particularly of Adam - he's always moving too fast!).

I have some really beautiful pics of CoRo I've taken with whatever light was available at the time. I just turn up the ISO on my camera, open up the aperture and select the lowest shutter speed I can hope for a good result with (usually around 40-60). Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

It's all good though. Sometimes when I catch a bit of someone else's flash I get the best shots of all. I'll post examples later on. But the reason for that will be that the light isn't coming from face on, it's from another angle altogether. I mean, who woulda thunk you could make Adam look like Dame Edna in those glasses, but you got it with your pic with Kat's flash. LOL

Um Sue while I totally agree with you about the virtues of not using a flash I should point out that it's Geoff not Watcher this time

At the rate were going maybe we should start a thread devoted to "How to get the best out of your camera at a CoRo gig"!

BTW I got down as far as using ISO-1600, 1/50sec at F1.8 and the 'digital grain' wasn't too bad, a million times better than my old camera. That said, I really must practice hard at hand-holding without shaking so much, and I think we're just going to have to tie down Dame Edna (great nickname for him!) if we're ever going to get any super sharp photos of him!!!

Cheers, Geoff

Geoff...

Don't worry about me being offended....in fact I totally agree with you.

Unfortunately, (whether it's due to my lack of expertise or my camera not being up to the job) I get REALLY bad results when I try to take photos without flash...and believe me, I've tried.

I think non-flash photos are much more natural and capture far more of the atmosphere, but for me (at least until I get a better camera, learn how to best use the one I have, or take a mono-pod with me to steady it) it's a case of flash photos or no photos.

I realise that it can't be nice to have flashes going off constantly and try my hardest to make sure I only snap away when the guys aren't looking in my direction....of course, that doesn't always work.

As a matter of interest, I have a Konica Minolta Z2....if anyone has any tips about what settings I should use or how I can improve my results without flash, I'd be very keen to listen. Just be aware that if you get too technical you'll lose me at the first hurdle!!

Kat x

PS. Thanks for the compliments though!

hee.. I'd be interested in those camera tips too kat since mine is the Z3!

I always go with the official line "if you are taking pictures from the first 10 rows in front of the stage PLEASE DO NOT USE A FLASH. They can be quite blinding to the band and may cause them to fall down during parts of the show when they are not supposed to be falling down"*g* but it hardly ever gets restated at shows.

I bet all those lovely setting menus on my camera have a treat in store for me one day if I figure out how to fiddle with them properly!.

Blimey! At this rate we'll all have to get together well before the next gig and have an informal photo-workshop, as long as I'm not the model

Seriously guys the most obvious non-technical tip is just to get as close as possible and don't be tempted to use that zoom. Less zoom normally gives you more light and less shake.

Of course the other option is to get friendly with one of us who have faster cameras/lenses, ha ha ha!

LOL Hello Geoff .. I think the last option is always going to be MY best bet!!!

the only thing I've figured out is definitely black and white loves me and my camera more than colour

Well, you know what I think Kat ! I can't comment on all this technical camera stuff coz...well, I let Kat take all the pics then get copies when she is done ! Its just the more senisble option !;)I have been waiting for Kat's ones and as usual, she didn't disappoint ! Love 'em !

Don't you wish this board had an 'edit your post' button ! Anyone spot the typo ?!

Nai x

p.s- still loving the pics !

I know this is about UK photos but since we're talking about taking photos here...

I did a little experimenting with my digital camera at the U of DE show.

When I take a non flash photo of the band, you'd think that because they're usually well lit on a stage, the camera would think there's enough light. But because of the darkness around them, I think the camera averages the light and thinks there isn't enough. My shots are too slow and they're blurry with movement. Nice if that's what you want, but it ususally isn't what I want.

This time I took the pictures with the flash up, but I covered the flash with my hand. That seemed to work, I got more good photos this time.

I can set my digital camera in a manual mode, but it doesn't seem to make much difference, not like a film camera.

When I take a flash photo, I always try to get them looking down or away from me. I know they can still see the light, but I certainly don't want to blind them.

Kat, if you were having trouble with your Minolta, I would have been more than happy to take a look at it to figure out the best settings. Just don't be surprised if I ran away with it and didn't come back! (I have a Minolta film camera, and sadly never use it any more because digital is SO convenient, but it's the BEST camera I ever held. Streets ahead of the Nikons and Canons that were in the same price range - I don't care what anyone says, they are plasticky and dont' feel right in the hand. I'm going to buy a digital body soon for my Minolta lenses I hope *drools like a geek*)

Oh, and I can see the photos now. Maybe there was a glitch when I first took a look.

Gorgeous pics, really good. Thanks for sharing! It seems the developers have lost all my rolls of film, so it's doubtful I'll have anything to show in return -- but that just goes to show me it really is high time I got myself a digital camera to replace my sweet little Olympus. ::sniff::

Gamiila said
It seems the developers have lost all my rolls of film, so it's doubtful I'll have anything to show in return --

What?! Oh, that's terrible that they lost your film!

I've lost more than my share of film over the years. I was told to put an address label right on the canister so they know who it belongs to.

What I've done instead is take it a national camera store chain that does their processing right in the store. Now a lot of stores do their processing in store, but way back when, most stores were sending the film out to be bulk processed. There was more of a chance to lose the film that way. At least now if my film is lost (and it never has been at the camera store, knock on wood) there's a good chance it would have been the customer right before or after me that got it. The store has all that info in the computer.

Once they put one of my film strips in someone else's order, but they knew it must have been the next customer who got it. They had that person in their computer and called them. I got the strip back in a couple of days. But I still had my photos, so they could have made negatives from the photos if they never found the film strip.

I do pay more for processing since it's a camera speciality store, but I figure it's insurance well spent. The in store developers are probably ok now but I continue with the camera store because I like the personal service and their machines all seem to be calibrated the same nationally. My photos have looked the same developed on the East Coast and the West Coast. I've tried a national department store and the results were uneven.

Sorry, I guess I'm really off topic here.

Watcher6452 said
*What?! Oh, that's terrible that they lost your film!*

Well yeah...I'm trying to remain philosophical about it, though.

::grumble:: I should never have left the squat. At least then, I'd still have access to a dark room. But no, I had to go and get my foot on that property ladder, didn't I?

</rant>

You know what's terrible? I've had my camera for ten years and it takes THIS THREAD for me to finally learn about all the settings!

Thanks Geoff! lol

Peace Love and Cheese

Kat-great pics!

They found my pictures! Although looking at how some of them turned out, perhaps they would have done better to remain lost...Anyway, if you'd like to cop a butcher's, I give you:

Corn Mo:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/jumpBi=EeAOWjFmzZtnDow&open=1&x=1&sl=0&sl=0&open=1

and CoRo:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/jumpBi=EeAOWjFmzZtnDmI&open=1&x=1&sl=0&sl=0&open=1

Enjoy!

left off a bit from the URLs, and so they can't be reached from my earlier message -- fingers crossed I've got it working now:

Corn Mo:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/view?i=EeAOWjFmzZtnDmI&open=1&x=1&sl=0&sl=0&open=1&sm=1&sl=0

Common Rotation:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/view?i=EeAOWjFmzZtnDmI&open=1&x=1&sl=0&sl=0&open=1&sm=1&sl=0

Oh crap. There really should be a delete option here...See? This is exactly why I don't post often. But before I slink back into my corner and rust, here's Corn Mo:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/view?i=EeAOWjFmzZtnDow&open=1&x=1&sl=0&sl=0&open=1&sm=1&sl=0

Gamiila they're not that bad, you've got some nice pics at the Cavern, I like the one of Jordan leaning against the back of the stage.

Hooray, they found your film! Some of these are really good.

My favorites:

#10 with Adam's hands all blurry.

#11 is a very nice one of Eric.

#18 has Adam with his head down and hands clasped. Eric is standing almost facing him just slightly at an angle. I haven't seen them standing like that before. They're usually are side by side facing the audience, or only one of them facing the other. With Corn Mo standing between them with his accordian, it almost looks like a revival meeting. Very intimate.

#20 Eric is in focus but Adam is all blurry. The man in motion!

#28. I like how that light is right between Adam and Eric.

#30 & 36. Nice effect of the red light shining down on Adam and Eric.

#38. I like how Jordan and Adam are standing close together like that.

#57. Nice one of Jordan.

#58. Jordan, Adam and Eric all singing together.

#60. What song were they singing with Adam sitting on the floor like that? And Jordan looks oh so comfy sitting and strumming.

#62 Good one of Corn Mo and Jordan.

#65. This is the way I always picture Eric, in that kind of shirt.

#69. Jordan tuning.

#83 Adam quietly standing still with Jordan looking on.

#87, 88. Nice ones on Jordan. I especially like #88. Jordan looks like he's in his element.


Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the photos!

CoRo.de put up a whole bunch of photos from various fans.

Some of my favorites...

Adam and Eric

Jordan - this one is just ASKING for some text!

Common Rotation: Facial hair never had it so good!

Peace Love and Cheese

Watcher652 asked, "What song were they singing with Adam sitting on the floor like that?"

The song was 'Cowboy'. The sitting down came about because of a Glaswegian fan shouting out for 'Sit Down', and Adam deliberately mistaking her meaning and responding with "Whatever you want, it's your show...", after which the band sat down.

Finally my photos are up too. The Troubadour ones are - let's say - not quite good but the pics from the Cavern Club are surprisingly sharp (f*** Hewlett-Packard). Glasgow is somewhere in between

http://www.imagestation.com/member/index.html?name=sc-g&c=201

updated the gallery



more...

speciall thanks to Brian, Jared, Adam, Eric, Matt, John and esp. Jordan

hugs

and also thanks to Kat for taking the pic with Fio and me.



--------------------------------------------

Those are pretty much the most fantastic pictures ever.

Hi Jess,

Nice photos!

But it did make me wonder what happened to ALL the photos I uploaded to you for the web site? There were many more than the couple of mine that you have up there now that I would have liked to have shared with all the other fans...

Cheers, Geoff.

Those are some awesome photos! You are so lucky! It's not often I see a group shot of the guys.

Peace Love and Cheese

thank you

@Geoff

I will try to e-mail you at the weekend

Tini and Jess - those are really great pix!