Sparkography

Trippy Trip Hop Shot: ISO 3200

Monday nights are generally pretty relaxed right? It’s the start of the week so most people want to take things easy and stay dry until the inevitable crescendo towards the frenzy of drinking, partying and debauchery that is the weekend. Or is that just me? But if that also happens to be the case for the masses, is a Monday the best night to stage a concert? Well, possibly not if you’re a full on dance DJ or Marilyn Manson. But for British trip-hop legends Massive Attack, a Monday evening seems perfect, and the serene setting of the Opera House Forecourt would almost make you think you’re out for a Sunday evening of sophistication.

So this week I headed to Circular Quay with a few friends, all of us looking forward to reliving more youthful days circa 20 years ago. Our years of all night illegal warehouse raves are now distant memories (although some of us are still deluded convinced we can handle one more big night!) so the prospect of a chilled evening sitting on the Opera House steps was something we were quietly savouring. It was a perfect autumn evening: warm, clear and just a slight breeze coming off the harbour to keep us cool.

However, when we arrived the steps were already full so we headed into the standing section in front of the stage which had been erected a couple of days before, facing the iconic Opera House. This was actually the better option as the stage looked a bit distant from the steps and for this type of music you want to be as close as possible to the source to feel the dark, womb-like intimacy and comfort of the soothing beats. And so you can take good photos of course!

I brought the 5D2 with me, which surprisingly made it through the security check without as much as a flicker of interest in the steward’s eyes. From my position in the crowd I was able to get a nice full shot of the stage at the maximum focal length of 105mm. The gig started and I fired off a few shots with the 580 EXII speedlite attached, but due to the tight crowd and several Hagrid types around me who were being overly-illuminated, I opted to lose the flash and employ the high ISO, wide aperture, steady hand technique. Fortunately at this type of gig there’s not much crowd surging (if anything they become inanimate bordering comatose judging by the strong scent of a certain “medicinal” substance wafting around) so it was pretty easy to keep the camera steady. But regardless, this was one of the occasions when you fully appreciate the sophistication of modern DSLRs to deliver high ISO images with minimal noise. The lowest ISO I used was 3200 while some shots were taken at 5000 and 6400. I also tried a couple at 12,800 just for kicks and those were amazing albeit unnecessary! But looking at the results coming up on the viewer and later on the laptop, it’s no wonder ISO is now the battleground rather than megapixels. Judge for yourself! I’m really happy with these shots by the way, particularly as there was no post-processing done at all apart from some straightening and cropping. The colours, contrast and exposure and (lack of) noise are exactly as captured in camera!

So back to the concert itself and Massive Attack didn’t disappoint, taking us through a compelling combination of new and old tracks with amazing guest vocalists and great use of the backdrop screens to deliver thought provoking political and social statements. Without a doubt the highlight for me and many others was the revival of their groundbreaking hit “Unfinished Sympathy” with powerful vocals delivered by the fantastic Deborah Miller.

3D and Daddy G: ISO 5000

Guest vocalist Martina Topley-Bird: ISO 3200

Guest vocalist Deborah Miller: ISO 3200