How To Photograph Live Music Gigs In Lowlight Without Flash

chloeleman

I read your tip on another thread on how to get the best results photographing live music gigs with low lighting levels without using flash (the tip was for a Canon 60d but I have a 550d, but I am guessing the settings will be similar).
However, every photo I take just comes out black. The only setting I can get good lighting levels in is in the P mode, but as I cannot adjust the shutter speed in this mode the photo is blurred as the shutter speed is very slow and I am not able to use a tripod due to lack of space and needing to move around.
All the AV, TV and M modes come out black. Any tips would be greatly appreciated as I am very frustrated with this and none of the research I have done has helped, although I am following all the tips to the letter.

Auston

@chloeleman - Try going to M mode and set your aperture to the widest setting (not knowing your lens it will be the smallest number). Then look at your shutter speed. For you to get a shutter speed high enough to stop the blur you are going to have to adjust your ISO. This is what tells the camera what type of light sensitivity you want. In your case start at 1600 and play with it until you find your sweet spot. Starting at ISO 1600 should bring your shutter speed up to where you can stop the blur. Also, I would recomend a monopod. It is light, still gives you stability and not bulky like a tripod. This should get you heading in the right direction. I can't tell you how to make the changes to your camera as I don't know the operation of that model, but you can find it in the manual. Let us know how it turns out and rock on.
Auston