Photographing band events is somewhat challenging. Lighting is always difficult, different color lights which cast that color on the band members face changing the skin tones. Will they allow you to use flash to photograph the event, if not does your camera support higher ISO settings where the digital noise doesn’t become overwhelming and ruin the image.

However, working with white balance in Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop is a life saver. Along with plug-ins like Nik Software with their various products including Dfine 2.0 which does an amazing job of removing noise in an image. Recently Google purchased Nik Software and their suite of products.

One of the first things I do in shooting an event whether it is inside or outside is to use X-Rites Color Checker Passport.

I’ve tried white cards, target tools with white, black and grey to use in post processing to white balance. However, none of these products gave me the results I was expecting, and X-Rite Color Checker Password does, and amazing with one click. If you have to process a batch of images, this is an incredible time saver. Do one image, and then in Adobe Lightroom highlight all the other images and sync white balance.

However, one word of caution…make sure if your lighting changes you create a new profile for each lighting condition. Example, outside you are shooting in direct sunlight, then it becomes cloudy you need to create a profile for each by photographing the color checker passport. Inside if you are shooting with flash, and then you shoot without a flash you need a separate profile for each.

Take a look at a before picture without white/color balance with X-Rite Color Checker Passport, and one after. This is a photograph of Chris Lucas of LoCash Cowboys.

Before

After

This is Preston Brust of LoCash Cowboys, photograph taken at the event in the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine Texas. Check out the photo album on my Facebook Page.

This event photograph was created using Nik Software plugins, Color Efex Pro 4. There are many different possibilities with these plugins and your creativity is your only limitation.

Check out my event photography photo album of LoCash Cowboys on Google+.

If you are wanting to take your photography to the next level, become a student. Seek out these post processing digital tools and with some dedication,  I’ll think you’ll be pleased with your results.

What are your thoughts about Nik Software or X-Rite Color Checker Passport?