concert photography tips

[Kawaracer]

on my blog (clicksofconcerts.wordpress.com) I posted some tips on concert photgraphy.
Are those tips usefull to start concert photography? Are there any tips I should add?

Concert Photography what and how? my tips for great concert photos.

Get to know your camera, finding your settings blindly is a 'must'.

Work in manual mode, I have more misses with shutter or aperture priority. Your camera can not take into account what happens infront of your camera and can not anticipate.

I use back button focus (Nikon AF-ON), which gives me more control over autofocus.

Imagine ISO sufficiently high, usually ISO1600 sufficient unless there is no front lighting, try to avoid flashing this takes away a lot of atmosphere.

Using fast lenses, for the obvious reason that there is often little light. For moving artists you don't have much profit with vibration reduction. The limited DOF can often be used to isolate the artist from busier backgrounds.

Make sure your shutter speed is less than or equal to your focal length. If I use my 80-200mm, I stay above 1 / 200th then I am sure that I have sufficiently sharp images at 200mm.

Check out the lighting and how it changes and try to anticipate, there is often a pattern or logic.

Look for emotion, expression, and (inter) action. Shoot those moments!

Keep an eye on the background and foreground . This makes the difference between an average picture and a real top picture. You should avoid linescoming out of heads, microphones in ears, etc.. Course this is not always possible and an action may not repeated itself so capture it and maybe it can be solved in postprocessing.

Try different positions. Make sure you know the habits of the artists (typical expressions/movements, in which hand the micro, ...) so you can anticipate and be at the right time at the right place.

Choose the correct focus point for your composition.

 

[Kawaracer]

Nobody that has anything to add? no feedback?

 

[Mr. Innuendo]

Are you addressing concert photography or live-band-playing-in-a-bar photography?

 

[Kawaracer]

Are you addressing concert photography or live-band-playing-in-a-bar photography?

I shoot both, small and bigger venues and festivals.

 

[Mr. Innuendo]

Are you addressing concert photography or live-band-playing-in-a-bar photography?

I shoot both, small and bigger venues and festivals.

The reason I ask is that they're very different animals.

I don't even bother with low-light bar room shows anymore. The lighting sucks to the point that it's just not worth the effort. And, if there are lights, they're usually so close to the performers that their faces get blown out. With larger shows, I've found that light isn't really a problem.

 

[richardbenson2110]

I was thinking to get some information about covering(My friend's) concert for the first time ..

 

[Kawaracer]

I was thinking to get some information about covering(My friend's) concert for the first time ..

Have you any concrete questions after reading my tips.
Since you know your friend, you probably have seen them play that is an advantage, you ll know there habits.

 

[mcap1972]

Forget about flash. Stick to full frame camera and some good prime lenses.

 

[Umberrella]

You could use flash if you know how to use it and artists agree with it. But you must have some balls to do so, because everyone tells you to not use it, especially other photographers (who don't even own one).
However, you must have complete control over it, so master your flashing first as you don't want to bother audience too much with it.

I think if you want to add something to your blog about concert photography, consider adding something about the etiquette.

 

[Kawaracer]

Most of the time flash is not allowed, But I agree if you can preserve the atmosfere through controlled flashing can give you great shots. Sometimes it is the only way to get any picture taken.
thanks for the tip about etiquette

 

[Mr. Innuendo]

Forget about flash. Stick to full frame camera and some good prime lenses.

Not true.

I made a pretty nice living shooting concerts with a crop sensor and a 70-200mm lens.

 

[Mr. Innuendo]

You could use flash if you know how to use it and artists agree with it. But you must have some balls to do so, because everyone tells you to not use it, especially other photographers (who don't even own one).

I own several, and I say "don't do it". Nothing ruins a concert photo faster and more effectively than a flash.

There are three entities who must agree on anything done during a show: The artist, the artist's management and the house manager. If any one of those three don't sign off on something, it's a fair bet that it's not going to be done.

However, you must have complete control over it, so master your flashing first as you don't want to bother audience too much with it.

The "no flash" rule isn't in place because it'll bother the audience. It's in place because it bothers the artists.

 

[Mr. Innuendo]

But I agree if you can preserve the atmosfere through controlled flashing can give you great shots. Sometimes it is the only way to get any picture taken.

If I'm in an environment in which the only way to "get the shot" is to use a flash, I'll pack up my gear and watch the show.

Flash is never okay.

 

[Kawaracer]

But I agree if you can preserve the atmosfere through controlled flashing can give you great shots. Sometimes it is the only way to get any picture taken.

If I'm in an environment in which the only way to "get the shot" is to use a flash, I'll pack up my gear and watch the show.

Flash is never okay.

What if you 're on a job, and pics are expected. If there is no frontlight and minimum of backlight I will put my flash on minimum power the diaphragm wide open and the shutter on what's acceptable and if the ceiling is not too high I try to bounce.

Until last july I used a nikon D90 (crop with a sigma 24-70 f 2.8 and a nikkor 80-200 f2.8 with gave very good results, so more recent crop bodies will do even better.

 

[Umberrella]

You could use flash if you know how to use it and artists agree with it. But you must have some balls to do so, because everyone tells you to not use it, especially other photographers (who don't even own one).

I own several, and I say "don't do it". Nothing ruins a concert photo faster and more effectively than a flash.

There are three entities who must agree on anything done during a show: The artist, the artist's management and the house manager. If any one of those three don't sign off on something, it's a fair bet that it's not going to be done.

However, you must have complete control over it, so master your flashing first as you don't want to bother audience too much with it.

The "no flash" rule isn't in place because it'll bother the audience. It's in place because it bothers the artists.

I photoghraphed small acts as well as acts like Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper with a flash. Seriously, if the artist is bothered by it you are doing it wrong.
I think it helps that I dont live in America because we dont have much of problems with housemanagers and artists managers making up rules and such.
I always make my way of working clear in advance so everyone know what they can expect when I am working at the concert and I never had any problems with it.