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Fabulous Performance Halls: Using the GR and GXR in Music Performances

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Photography of concerts deal with either low light in clubs or impossible dynamic range in concert halls. Also one cannot go clicking away, moving one's position and so disturb a music performance! So one needs to have a camera that can handle the challenges and be absolutely silent. Both the Ricoh GR, at 28mm, (or 21 mm with the add-on lens) or the GXR with the 50 mm macro lens unit will be tested here in various music performance conditions.

I last posted on the GXR two years back when I photographed Caitlin a wonderful singer and actor.

The advantage of the Ricoh GXR and the GR camera is that are very well built with fixed focal length and theoretically, no dust in the sensors. The lens is optimized for the sensor. The GXR allows camera modules to be changed. I have the APS-C sized 50mm f2.5 module. For wider angle I could have added the option of a 28mm module, but instead I have a separate dedicated 28mm camera, the Ricoh GR.

In the first case, I wanted to capture as much detail as possible of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. They had just played Rimsky-Korsakov's Op. 35, a symphonic suite composed in 1888. It's based on One Thousand and One Nights, sometimes known as The Arabian Nights, Scheherazade.

It's arguably the most joyful and fantastic orchestra work in the past 150 years for dueling between a handy first violin-Stradivarius and a virtuoso oboist supported by a bevy of flautists, artists horns, harp and the rest of an entire 100 pice orchestra!

Of course, they announce that the Taking of Photographs and the use of recording devices is not permitted. but there's no mention as to wether this is a transgression, a venal sin, a misdemeanor. to be a felony, I believe they must show at least $2,000 damages. So I take pictures during the applause under those circumstances unless I have the agreement of the management. However, a few snaps during applause, I feel is a transgression my conscience can bear!

We have seats in the first balcony in the center and with very generous leg room, a luxury that I must say I both need and enjoy! It's just a 40 mm lens that one needs, to cover the stage, so I use the Ricoh GXR with the 50 mm module and take overlapping shots for stitching. I do not have the luxury of bracketing. There's little time before one gets noticed by the ushers! So I plan to take a few test shots to get the lighting right while they are tuning their instruments and then wait for the finale to get my real pictures.

I went for ISO 800 and f2.5. We are far enough from the stage that I figure the depth of focus must work if I focus on the front of the orchestra. The technology in the GXR A12 unit is several years old and today I would imagine one could easily use ISO 1600 and then close the aperture one stop.

Orchestra composite_800.jpg


Asher Kelman: The Night of Scheherazade

The Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney concert Hall
Photoshop CC from Ricoh GXR 50m Macro module

December 2013





Orchestra composite_800 pixels2_50 percent.jpg


Asher Kelman: The Night of Scheherazade

The Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney concert Hall
Photoshop CC from Ricoh GXR 50m Macro module

December 2013

At 50 percent pixel size




As you can see, one can identify each of the musicians. It's perfectly fine for internet publication and probably also for printed newsletters. I'll try printing to 11x14 and see how it fares. I'm pleased with the result for such a modest camera in such challenging harsh light. Why they never add lights from the back of the hall astonishes me. But in most music stages, the light just comes from above, which is unfair to the humans! In the WDCH, there's light coming from the ceiling all the way forward so the harshness is somewhat less than most other places I photograph.



[Orchestra composite_TOPAZED_800.jpg


Asher Kelman: The Night of Scheherazade

The Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney concert Hall
Photoshop CC from Ricoh GXR 50m Macro module

December 2013

Treated with Topaz Simplify Filter





Orchestra composite topazed 50 percent mag 800pixels.jpg


Asher Kelman: The Night of Scheherazade

The Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney concert Hall
Photoshop CC from Ricoh GXR 50m Macro module

December 2013

At 50 percent pixel size


The posterized simplified versions come from the Topaz series of plugins, available for Photoshop, Lightroom or Aperture. It's really helpful in getting the hues of the building and orchestra to be harmonious for less formal graphic use in a poster, pamphlet or greetings card.

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I'll follow with use of the GXR and GR in a choir recital at the Colburn School of Music's magnificent Zipper Hall. Just need to process some images!

Asher
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

I last posted on the GXR two years back when I photographed Caitlin a wonderful singer and actor.

The advantage of the Ricoh GXR and the GR camera is that are very well built with fixed focal length and theoretically, no dust in the sensors. The lens is optimized for the sensor. The GXR allows camera modules to be changed. I have the APS-C sized 50mm f2.5 module. For wider angle I could have added the option of a 28mm module, but instead I have a separate dedicated 28mm camera, the Ricoh GR.

In the first case, I wanted to capture as much detail as possible of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. They had just played Rimsky-Korsakov's Op. 35, a symphonic suite composed in 1888. It's based on One Thousand and One Nights, sometimes known as The Arabian Nights, Scheherazade.

Wonderful images and a wonderful discussion of the context.

The posterized one is very fetching.

For it you note "at 50 percent pixel size". I'm not sure I understand what that means. Does that mean that this is a 1600 × 1004 px crop from the 7345 × 5184 px stitched image, shown here downsized to 800 × 502 px, or what?

In any case, thanks for this great set of pix and the story behind them.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi, Asher,



Wonderful images and a wonderful discussion of the context.

The posterized one is very fetching.

For it you note "at 50 percent pixel size". I'm not sure I understand what that means. Does that mean that this is a 1600 × 1004 px crop from the 7345 × 5184 px stitched image, shown here downsized to 800 × 502 px, or what?

In any case, thanks for this great set of pix and the story behind them.

Best regards,

Doug

Thanks for your visit and comments, Doug.

By 50% I mean that this image is shown at 50% of the width that using all the available pixels would allow. So I've reduced the pixel density by half and the image which was 1600 pixels wide is now 800 pixels wide. (actually it was 1602 pixels wide reduced to 800, LOL! I just didn't want folk to have to scroll!

Asher
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

Do you have/do you use/did you use the optional OVF for your GR?

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi, Asher,

Do you have/do you use/did you use the optional OVF for your GR?

Best regards,

Doug

I have a Fotoman viewfinder that I'll try for the GR. It should cover the 28mm. I'll check tomorrow. The GXR has an LCD viewfinder that's quite nice, but resolution is not that marvelous!

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
I have previously commented on ur use
Of this setup. It seems to be very useful.

Btw, we know it as ' 1 night and a 1000
Nights '. But what do we know.
 
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