KINETIKEN Kenan-John Moolman
Journal

DJ photography and learning when to use a flash

Published

Christchurch

  • Photography
  • Events

I got lucky and scored some consistent work taking photos of DJs for a competition here in Christchurch. I'll probably talk about the finals in a separate post, but here I'll discuss my first two sessions with them. Spoiler alert: the client preferred the images in the first session, while I preferred the images in the second.

Two smiling DJs stand behind the decks beneath the event banner

DIG THE DROp Heat 2

For Heat 2, I had my RF 45mm f/1.2 and the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS Mk I on my R6 II. 70% of the final shots were out of the 45mm, as it lets in about 5.4 times as much light. It was a serious challenge getting well-lit shots at this venue! The lights were high and dim, with only one strobe light that pointed directly at the DJ. I think I ended up taking about 4,000 photos just to try to get something good. In the end, I was satisfied with what I got, and I made it work, but I had to work hard for it.

Crowd silhouettes face a DJ beneath the DIG THE DROP banner A DJ in a white shirt raises an arm over the decks

A DJ wearing a backwards cap works the decks in warm light A DJ leans over the mixer under green and orange light

A DJ adjusts the mixer between two illuminated turntables Hands adjust a mixer beside a glowing turntable

A DJ with headphones around their neck stands beside a bright lamp A smiling DJ holds one headphone to their ear behind the decks

A DJ in a red shirt and cap mixes beneath the event banner A DJ in a red shirt and cap looks over the decks

A DJ in a white shirt looks down at the mixing desk A DJ in a red cap concentrates on the mixer under coloured lights

I will say the music was incredible, and I had a blast just being there. I was quite happy with how well the R6 II was doing in low light. Some of the DJs were kind enough to be quite still so I could have a lower shutter speed and more light, while others never stopped jumping around, which made it quite challenging. All I could think that night was, “Man, I wish I owned a flash!”

A smiling DJ raises an arm while working the mixer A smiling DJ in a white shirt adjusts the mixer

Audience silhouettes frame a DJ beneath the DIG THE DROP banner A DJ raises both hands beneath the event banner

A DJ reaches over the mixer under red and purple lighting A DJ in a red cap looks down at the illuminated decks

Two audience members smile and dance beside the DJ booth A crowd cheers behind the glowing controls of the DJ booth

A crowd cheers towards the camera under warm venue lights Audience members raise their hands and cheer beside the DJ booth

DIG THE DROp Heat 3

So I got a flash, the EL-5 specifically. I also rented the EF 16-35mm f/2.8 for this one so I could have just one lens on my camera and capture better crowd shots. I much preferred having properly exposed shots, and I think the colours in this set felt way more natural. I also got great energy from the crowd. I definitely blasted the flash way too much, and while nobody complained, I could see when people posted videos online that the flash just never stopped going off.

A DJ in a black sleeveless shirt mixes tracks behind illuminated decks A wide view of a DJ and the decks beneath the event banner

A DJ wearing headphones adjusts controls on the mixing desk A smiling person holds two drink cans in front of the bar

A person holds drinks on the venue’s open wooden dance floor A wide-angle view of a DJ working behind the booth

Two drink cans stand in sharp focus in front of a blurred DJ A DJ mixes beneath the DIG THE DROP banner beside a standing lamp

A DJ reaches towards two drink cans in front of the decks Two attendees stand with their arms around each other in the venue

Two smiling people pose with drinks in front of the bar A DJ gestures towards the camera from behind the booth

A DJ gives a thumbs-up beside the illuminated mixer A DJ in a black cap and jacket adjusts the decks

A DJ in a black cap holds a microphone beside the mixer A DJ looks down while adjusting controls on the mixer

Two smiling attendees pose together in the dimly lit venue Two attendees laugh together in front of the bar

The 16-35mm was also a completely different experience to shoot with. I’ve never had such a wide-angle lens, and I had a great time actually getting up close and getting creative with it. It’s definitely not my style of photography. I much prefer tight, up-close portraits that capture the essence of a person, rather than the vibe of a place. It’s still very handy for my kit, though, and I’ll have to buy myself one in the future, either a standard zoom or a wide-angle zoom.

Audience members watch a DJ beneath the event banner A DJ plays beneath the event banner beside a warm lamp

A DJ in a black cap works the mixer under red lighting An elevated view looks down on a DJ and the mixing desk

A small group dances across the venue’s wooden floor A close-up shows hands working the mixer and illuminated decks

Two smiling attendees pose together against a brick wall A DJ works the decks beneath the large event banner

A DJ in a cap mixes tracks under red lighting A DJ reaches out over the decks in a wide-angle view

A DJ in a cap looks down at the decks under red light Three attendees pose with drinks in front of the bar

A DJ touches their cap while standing behind the mixing desk A person holds two drink cans towards the camera

Two people dance across the venue’s open floor Drink cans stand in front of a DJ working the decks

Two attendees pose beside the DJ booth beneath the event banner A tattooed DJ looks down while adjusting the mixer

The crowd was also much smaller for this one, so I’m looking forward to the finals, where I’m expecting significantly more people. Still good fun, though. I even had some friends join in for a boogie.

A tattooed DJ mixes behind the decks beneath the event banner A drink can stands in front of a blurred hand working the decks

A tattooed DJ reaches over the mixer in a wide-angle close-up An elevated view shows a DJ working beneath the event banner

A DJ reaches towards the camera from behind the decks A close-up of a tattooed hand adjusting knobs on the mixer

A person holds a microphone towards a DJ behind the booth Two DJs shake hands across the decks

Two drink cans sit in front of a DJ under red lighting A DJ points towards an audience gathered beside the booth

An audience watches a DJ beneath the DIG THE DROP banner A wide view of the audience facing the DJ booth

A view from behind the DJ looks towards people dancing A crowd dances in front of the DJ booth under warm ceiling lights

People dance beside the decks on the venue’s open floor The audience gathers near a DJ playing beneath the event banner

Three attendees dance together beside a brick wall An attendee playfully frames their face with their hands

The client hasn’t provided a reason as to why the first shoot looked better to them, but if I had to guess, it would be because they were more “art” focused than “coverage” focused. I was trying to capture candid shots of individuals in their element, rather than just covering the fact that the event happened with bright flashes of light that people came to expect.

A DJ in a black cap works the mixer under warm lights An attendee raises both arms above their head on the dance floor

Two smiling attendees in caps pose together in the venue Two smiling attendees pose while one holds up a phone

A group poses on the dance floor beyond the illuminated DJ decks A crowd gathers beside the DJ booth under warm ceiling lights

Audience members gather beside the DJ booth Three people pose behind the decks beneath the event banner

A smiling DJ poses behind the decks beneath the event banner A smiling DJ in a black cap raises a hand towards the camera

A group poses together behind the DJ booth beneath the event banner A group laughs and poses together behind the mixing desk

A wide view of a group posing behind the DJ booth A smiling group poses closely together beneath the DIG THE DROP banner

A group cheers for the camera behind the DJ decks

So for the finals, I’ll be bringing my 45mm f/1.2 and using the flash sparingly, so I can strike a good balance and deliver the best collection of the three.