So a question to get some discussion going... How important are natural or close to natural skin tones while editing your concert shots? Do your standards on blur and sharpness chance significantly when delivering images compared to shooting portraits?
cheers!!
A natural skin tone is important in concert shots as it gives a lively look. However there is some leniency on that aspect as you can't get all shots with natural skin tones. Having properly focused shots is the most important thing!
I think you nailed it. In addition to the already difficult conditions of shooting in low and constantly changing lighting situations (and nailing focus under those difficult conditions)... and with so many super-saturated RGB LEDs at venues these days, I see a lot of photographers just go straight to B&W instead of trying to work with the color in post-processing. And some just ignore any attempt at color accuracy and choose an aesthetically pleasing alternative palette.
Some of my favorite photogs from 5-10 years ago did that all the time, and it did not inhibit my enjoyment of their images. But as cameras have gotten better and venues have upgraded their lighting with new LEDs, I appreciate more and more the images that try to be as true to life as they can be under the circumstances. What’s going on in reality is often amazing as is, and being able to capture it accurately is a challenge with a worthwhile artistic payoff. It's also great training for anyone who wants to eventually slide into cinematography where color accuracy is the standard.
That said, my definition of "natural skin tones" when shooting under extreme colored lights is whatever the skin tone actually is under the given lighting situation, as opposed to forcing a skin tone that looks like it would under white light. If the RGB saturation is 100% red, 0% blue, & 0% green, then the natural skin tone under that lighting should be red. Ha, and with THAT said, ultimately, I break this rule myself whenever I feel like it, so don't sweat it too hard.
Personally, I really like the color in these photos.