Hey all!
I have a question regarding stage photography exposure. Now, I know this forum is intended for landscape photography, HOWEVER, as I know there are quite a lot of pro's around here, I hope there will be enough to advise.
I recently started shooting professionally stage dances. I am using a 20D + 400D, one mounted with 85 f/1.8 and the other with 135 f/2L (respectively). I am shooting from a seat, dead center so I could get the look of the dancers toward me (so no moving around...). I am shooting ONLY RAW, and usually I shoot around 1000 shots per hour+. most of the time I shoot partial with the 400D+135 and average or partial with the 20D + 85, depends on the lightings. shoot single shot (no burst) and use ONLY AI Servo. I usually set the CFn to setting #1 (with AE lock if I am not mistaken, seperate buttons for AF and exposure metering).
I find it VERY hard to do the following:
1) Checking the viewfinder BEFORE shooting. Most times I am so engaged with the scene on stage, the fast movement and the getting THE MOMENT, that I loose track of what the settings are and fuck up the exposure. usually what I do is to lock exposure from the face, recompose and rack focus from face (if possible) - for verticals I use the right side focus point, for horizontal that or the center one. things are happening so fast I can't find the time to evaluate exposure, lock exposoure, recompose and the take the shot (and sometimes also change AF point).
2)DOF is really narrow and I find that If I am aiming at the torso, the face is a little OOF and soft. in addition, the fact that I am aiming at the face (whether it is a side or center Focusing point), I crop out the legs and leave quite a space above heads (happens mostly on horizontal wiht center Focusing point).
So...someone?any idea how to solve these problems?
