Nightclub Photos: a unique approach to building a portfolio

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Nightclub Photos: a unique approach to building a portfolio

Photophile-toi - Ashton Boni

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7 pages

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20 photo technique M/J 2010NIGHTCLUB PHOTOS ASHTON BONINightlcub Photos:a unique approach to building a portfolioAshton BoniNightlife photography has been the key to my success in more ways than one. In 2004 I was at a crossroads in my photographic journey, having photographed, at that time, all of the pictures that were floating around in my head. I was at that “What do I do now?” stage when I found that nitevibe.com, an Emagazine that focuses on the nightlife of San Francisco, was looking for photographers to take photos in clubs, concerts, music festivals and similar events. LeftIt seemed like a great fit, because before I’d picked up a camera, I had been B-boy fun,Ashton Bonia DJ for 22 years. The opportunity was right up my alley! I put together some examples of nighttime shots I had taken on my recent travels and Abovesubmitted them. To my surprise, I was hired. I became Nitevibe’s senior Fanning Feathers, photographer, a position I held for over three years. Ashton Boni phototechmag.com 21PORTFOLIO:The benefits of club shotsNightclub photography has helped my portfolio immensely by adding diversity. I learned long ago that I don’t like shooting flowers, sunsets, babies, mountains, animals, or elderly social functions. I knew that young, hip people were what I was interested in shooting, and well… hip go to clubs and concerts, don’t they?

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Publié par	Photophile-toi
Publié le	21 février 2012
Nombre de lectures	223
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Extrait

photo technique M/J 2010

NIGHTCLUB PHOTOS

ASHTON BONI

Nightlife photography has been the key to my success in more ways than

one. In 2004 I was at a crossroads in my photographic journey, having

photographed, at that time, all of the pictures that were floating around

in my head. I was at that “What do I do now?” stage when I found that

nitevibe.com, an Emagazine that focuses on the nightlife of San Francisco,

was looking for photographers to take photos in clubs, concerts, music

festivals and similar events.

It seemed like a great fit, because before I’d picked up a camera, I had been

a DJ for 22 years. The opportunity was right up my alley! I put together

some examples of nighttime shots I had taken on my recent travels and

submitted them. To my surprise, I was hired. I became Nitevibe’s senior

photographer, a position I held for over three years.

Nightlcub Photos:

a unique approach

to building a portfolio

Ashton Boni

B-boy fun,

Ashton Boni

Fanning Feathers

Ashton Boni

Left

Above

phototechmag.com

22 photo technique M/J 2010

The benefits of club shots

Nightclub photography has helped my portfolio immensely by adding

diversity. I learned long ago that I don’t like shooting flowers, sunsets,

babies, mountains, animals, or elderly social functions. I knew that

young, hip people were what I was interested in shooting, and well…

young, hip people go to clubs and concerts, don’t they?

Different people,

weird people, colorful people, and silly people all attend these soirees,

and I was blessed to have had full access to all of them. It gave me a

chance to glimpse their world through my camera. I also love shooting

weddings, portraits, layouts, and non-club events. When I began using

the techniques I gained photographing nightclubs, it helped me think

outside the box. Every client I’ve shown my work has commented on

the edgy youthfulness it displays. Shooting nightlife photos also helps

attract my target clientele: young, forward-thinking adults ages 25 – 45.

The lessons I learned

I realized the key to taking nightlife photos is all about anticipation and

putting yourself in the best position to capture those moments. It is one

thing to have the right equipment, but quite another to use it efficiently.

I’ve spent many nights reviewing my photographs and figuring out how

to make them better. David Hobby’s site, Strobist.com, helped me

understand using light to my advantage. One important thing I realized

is that blurry lights are just plain old blurry lights, but they become

interesting when there is a face associated with them. Then the light

becomes a living thing and the image becomes fluid and alive. The

power of blurred motion tricks the eye by creating the illusion of

movement.

Dragging the shutter speed creates just that. I use somewhere between

1/2 to 3 seconds. The aperture is almost always wide open and the ISO

is from 50 to 1000, depending on the amount of ambient light and how

much shutter drag I need. To add more blur after I feel the mirror slap,

I often move my hand (shaking or dragging) to create a richer image.

It’s like painting with light a la Jackson Pollock.

Put Your Fingers

in the Air,

Ashton Boni

Hoop Girl 2

Ashton Boni

Left

Right

PORTFOLIO:

NIGHTCLUB PHOTOS

ASHTON BONI

phototechmag.com

photo technique M/J 2010

Hoop Girl 3

Ashton Boni

Right

Capturing people who are oblivious to being

photographed is also key. I don’t look at the

subjects. I pretend I’m focusing on something else

and shoot using my peripheral vision. My camera is

either at chest level or just hanging naturally on my

hand. It’s the off camera flash that I move in place

before I press the shutter. Then I move quickly

away from the subject and pretend my camera has

malfunctioned. They never suspect a thing. The

best tool for these “no look” shots is a wide focal

length between 16 - 24mm and my trusty Canon

ST-E2 transmitter, which emits a cross hatching red

light to help the camera focus in low light. I also

use it like a laser site to help me point the camera in

the right spot (usually the face). The last critical tool

is a lens that focuses quickly. Sometimes my finger

is on the shutter button for a while, and I’m just

moving my body accordingly to keep the subject

within that focused area. When the time is right,

I take the shot, a technique that has eventually

become second nature.

I live in a low light world; it’s the most comfortable

environment for me where everything is constantly

changing: the lights, people, the mood, the sounds,

and the intensity. I try my best every time I’m on an

assignment to capture the soul and fun of an event.

Yes, I take all the ‘look at me’ shots, but I primarily

hunt for the details and the heart of the evening.

There is one particular club in San Francisco where

I’ve photographed over 100 times. To constantly

challenge myself I always look for one great shot

on every assignment, something I can use for my

portfolio. Thinking that way helps my motivation

and keeps me striving to get better.

Essential gear

For club work I recommend a full format camera

and use two Canon 5D’s, (one stays in the car), and

fast wide angle lenses. These are critical because

they enable me to take group shots up close. Most

of the time the club is crowded, and you can’t back

up, so shooting a group with a focal length between

16mm to 24mm is key to getting a good photo. A

wide angle lens is also best for taking atmosphere

shots. To get the full scope of a club, you have to

shoot wide. Any combination of a 16-35mm f2.8,

35mm f1.4, 135mm f2, 70-200mm f2.8 and a fisheye

works best. It’s also important to get the flash off

the camera any way you can; it’s critical for creat-

ing images that stand out from the rest. I use a ST-

E2 transmitter to help get those “no look” candid

shots, and two 580ex II flashes (one stays in the car)

off camera. I use a quarter cut CTO (color temp-

erature orange) on all my flashes to turn my flash

into a tungsten temperature, which flatters the

human skin much better than a bare bulb flash.

I’ve found that getting the flash off camera is more

important than using fast lenses. However, using fast

lenses comes a close second; an F2.8 is great but

f1.4 is better. I also like to bring an off-camera flash

cord because nightclub strobes wreak havoc when

the transmitter is trying to speak with the flash.

Best kind of clubs/events

Find work in the best clubs in your town, because

not all clubs are the same or exciting

―

BELIEVE

ME!

I find the electronic music scene that plays non-

radio (underground) dance music offers the best

subjects to shoot. Events like raves and electronic

music festivals are my favorites. Generally the

people who attend those events strive to be unique

and hate being considered the “norm.” I love that

in them! (That’s where I met my beautiful wife.) I

try to stay away from clubs/events that play hip

hop and mainstream dance music; the people who

attend those events, in my opinion, are boring and

predictable from a photographic standpoint. They

all dress alike, look alike, and have the same atti-

tudes. I wish I had a dollar for every guy who posed

in that “I’m a weekend thug” pose and 50 cents for

all the insecure women who said to me, “I don’t

like that picture, take another one.” The only thing

remotely interesting in these clubs is the B-boy

dancers (talented hip hop dancers).

Do’s and Don’ts of shooting a club/music event:

get there early so you can find good parking

and you can check out the “lay of the land” (catch

the manager before he gets too busy to pay you).

find out who is the evening’s entertainment

and what time they go on, so you can place yourself

in the best position to shoot them. Find out where

they’re going to enter and exit. Sometimes big

name talent won’t let photographers get close, so

you just have to go for it when they enter the club.

make friends with the head bouncer and

manager. They can help you get into the places you

need to be.

work sober. This is self explanatory. I dare

anyone to try to shoot for 12 hours on any drug and

be creative and professional.

DON’T

focus on the same old stuff! Look for di-

versity! There’s nothing more boring than a gal-

lery of a thousand shots of the same hot couple or

entertainer.

PORTFOLIO:

photo technique M/J 2010

Product Resources

Camera: Canon 5D MKII; Lenses: 16-35mm f2.8 L, 35mm

f1.4 L, 135mm f2 L, 70-200mm f2.8 L, 15mm f2.8 fisheye,

100mm

f2.8

macro;

Tripod:

carbon

fiber

monopod;

Lighting: 580ex II, off camera flash cord, ST-E2 transmitter,

an Ecover bottle (used as a diffuser for flashes); Software:

Lightroom 2.0, Photoshop CS3; CTO gel

To ask a question or comment on this article, visit our online

Forum: www.phototechforum.com

For a decade, Ashton Boni has photographed over 500 events

including weddings, fashion shows and global music festivals

showcased with the leading global community,

Smugmug

www.

smugmug.com. He and his wife, Stephanie, are the founders of

Boniimages.com (weddings and portraits) and boni-photography.

com (events).

Bring the Fog,

Ashton Boni

Below

DON’T

submit your photos without editing them

first. If you have images that are similar in com-

position, move them around or maybe flip a few

horizontally to make a better viewing experience.

DON’T

show people the photographs you’ve just

made of them; you don’t need approval for any

photo you take. Also, it’s always the beautiful girls

who tell you, “I don’t like it! Delete that and take

another!” Just say, “thank you” and move on.

DON’T

shoot anything until the manager pays you!

What to look for when you first arrive at an event

First I look at the light: where it’s coming from,

how it moves, how it changes and the rhythm of the

changes. All of these things direct me how to work

with it.

A faster lens comes in handy, especially

in those clubs that have minimal lighting. You can

get great background detail in the lowest of lighting

situations with fast lenses. A lens with an aperture

of f1.4 or better is best.

Then I look at the people: the unique people, the

pretty people, the drunks, the entertainers, the

celebrities. I try to figure out the best time and angle

to shoot them. Avoid rushing to take a picture of

someone. Figure out the best background, and turn

your subjects around if you need to. To me there is

nothing more boring to look at than a person with

a black background.

The last piece of the puzzle was incorporating the

abundant talents of Suzanne Sease (suzannesease.

com) who helped to create the right branding and

marketing that maximized the potential of ourwork.

I am also in debt to the skillful and talented people

at livebooks.com who helped create a website

that showcases our unique style. I don’t know any

photographer who hasn’t struggled with building

a professional and unique portfolio. I’ve just spent

the past four years creating nightclub photographs

that do just that.

PORTFOLIO:

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