- Difficulty: Medium
- Completion time: 4-5 hours
- Requirements: fast lens, earplugs and a concert!
Photographing a concert can be a major challenge for new photographers. Without the right equipment and realistic expectations, this can be one of the most frustrating areas to work in. When I started filming concerts, I read everything I could find to prepare myself as best I could. in the best possible way, and yet most of my lessons were not easy for me. Trial and error aside, here are a few things every concert photographer should know.
Step 1: The Right Lens
First, you need a fast lens. If this term is not familiar to you, it is used to describe lenses with the widest possible aperture (smallest f-number). You can use a zoom lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or a prime lens with an aperture of f/1.8. For most of my concert photography I use a 50mm f/1.4 prime.
Using flash is an option, but you can't rely on it entirely. Many venues, bands, and journalists have a “no flash for the first three songs” rule, or prohibit the use of flash altogether. That's why it's great to start with a fix. It will allow you to obtain greater sharpness and has a greater aperture ratio.
Step 2: Speed and how to capture it
Secondly, keep in mind that this is a passive form of photography. You will not be able to manage people or exercise any control over the unfolding action. Your advantage is the ability to compose shots on the fly. Events will develop at a breakneck pace, and you will need to have time to record them. Musicians with experience in performing most likely have a well-established plan of action and their own routine, or simply put on a show and move more than all your usual subjects.
As is most often the case, the simplest answer is the correct one; you need a fast shutter speed. This is why I place such emphasis on a fast lens. With it you will be able to better photograph musicians with shutter speeds that are impossible to use with kit lens or others, limited by maximum aperture, without loss of exposure. Many of my favorite concert shots were taken at 1/160th of a second at f/2.0.
Step 3: Sensitivity - no, not the same
Third, consider the context and purpose of your footage when purchasing new equipment and choosing camera settings. ISO plays an important role when we talk about the capabilities of your camera and how it deals with noise. You probably already know that the higher the ISO, the more sensitive your camera's sensor is to light, and the brighter your image will become by introducing more grain into the frame.
Many of the new camera models have much better performance at high ISOs with less noise and better images, so this is something to look for when you decide to upgrade your camera or buy that new prime.
By the same logic, consider the following: a shorter shutter speed obtained by increasing ISO from 800 to 1600 (for example, from 1/60 to 1/125) may have serious significance in terms of obtaining a sharp image that captures the movement of the performer, instead of a blurry shot. Many publications and websites will prefer a sharp and slightly noisy image to a blurry image without noise.
Step 4: Do your homework
Fourth, it may not be as exciting as the show itself, but do some research before you go filming. You can collect many useful information regarding how the musicians move, what the concert hall is like, what kind of lighting is used, simply looking at photos of previous performances will help you take great photos and outperform the other photographers in the room.
Many photographers blog about performances they've photographed and offer tips and tricks, as well as write reviews of shows they've attended. These records are a gold mine for finding information; they often contain information about specific camera settings and equipment used. Great place for starters - Todd Owyoung's site I Shoot Shows.
Step 5: Be realistic in your expectations
Many are drawn to this type of photography, lured by magazine and album covers, roaring crowds and encounters with rock stars. I'm definitely not telling you that you should give up on your dreams and give up hope, just be patient. Getting published in some form and meeting your favorite band are certainly achievable goals, but expecting it to happen within weeks or even months of filming is unrealistic and not fair to you. It takes time to adapt, hone your skills, and get noticed. Once you do, you'll be glad you got involved.
Step 6: Save Your Hearing
I'd venture to guess that if you're into any type of concert photography, you're also a fan of music in one form or another. Otherwise, I take my hat off to your interest in this type of photography due to the damage it can cause to your hearing. Concerts are loud, so you might want to invest in some earplugs. Even if you buy a cheap pack of disposables, I highly recommend you do so because it will allow you to continue enjoying music for years after you set foot on your chosen path.
This is a very simple step that some may find inconvenient, but lost hearing may not recover over time, so it is a very important part of concert photography. Personally, I use the ER 25 musician's earplugs from Etymotic Research, which fit my ear to the desired shape and reduce noise by 25 decibels. Find a pair that is affordable and comfortable for you, and wear it with your camera gear.
Step 7: Gain Access
The ultimate goal of a concert photographer is to build a small network of journalists and editors with whom he can work. Journalists will help you get access to gigs as they work for bands and labels. However, you are now faced with a chicken and egg problem in concert photography. You can't get into a gig without the aforementioned connections, but you also can't make those connections without a portfolio of concert footage you've filmed.
This is not as big a problem as it might seem. If you don't have a concert portfolio, you just need to start at the bottom. You can contact bands or venues to see if they need performance photos, take advantage of free shows or "battles" between bands, or pay for your own tickets until you reach a certain level.
Warning: More popular concerts with expensive tickets will likely have a photo area (a section enclosed by barriers) and will require a photo pass to take photos. If you ignore this warning, security may politely ask you to leave if they catch you filming.
Step 8: Filming the Show
Okay, you've made it this far. Isn't it a lot of work for a simple concert shoot? Maybe, but I'm trying to help you get it right the first time. You've packed your bag and checked your equipment, and now you're ready to film your favorite musician.
Please arrive early and take off your "warm up" gear. This is important for a number of reasons - you'll get used to the lighting in the venue, you'll get into the mood of the crowd, and most importantly - you'll practice shooting in the specific conditions of that particular show, which will allow you to get better results for the headliner portion.
It's also worth noting that the "warm-up" part doesn't get much attention from photographers, so they'll probably be doubly grateful for your hard work. Also keep in mind that you should shoot in RAW, because... this will help you pull out photos during processing in case of extreme lighting conditions that you may encounter at a concert.
You may have to move around while shooting because taking all your shots from one point is boring and won't help you develop. The problem is that most of the time you'll have to work your way through the crowd, and most concertgoers prefer to stay in their seats.
Be polite, smile, point to your camera when necessary, and simply ask if you can stand in their place for a song or two to get a few shots. Don't forget to say thank you when you're done and keep moving. This is the best approach I've found because no one likes rude photographers shouldering and elbowing their way through the crowd.
Sit comfortably near the scene, select the initial settings on your camera (eg ISO 800, 1/125, f/2.0) and take a few shots. Check your exposure and adjust your camera accordingly. You'll likely find a setting that works for most lighting conditions in a given concert hall, and you'll only need to make small adjustments to your shutter speed and aperture, allowing you to focus on watching the action and composing your shots. Remember to have fun, it's a concert after all, and if you think you've missed a shot, take another one.
Step 9: What's next?
You made it home and survived all that sweat, noise and pandemonium - but the job isn't over. If you're shooting for a publication or blog, you probably have a deadline. Even if not, you still need to assign it yourself. Having your photos ready on time will help build your good reputation.
Because it's just general guidance, I won't go into detail regarding processing, but I must point out that you will eventually develop your own style. Most of the processing will be done in your favorite RAW editor, such as Apple's Aperture or Adobe's Lightroom.
You should follow general rules journalism in terms of improving the quality of photographs without distorting the essence of the events that actually occurred at the performance. The point is to experiment within reason.
Conclusion
Concert photography is a lot of fun and rewarding, but it's unlikely that it will generate enough income for you to pay the bills with these images alone. Whether you're an avid music lover or just looking for a different way to unleash the creativity in your photography, it's worth the effort, and this guide should help you get started.
There are no secrets or shortcuts, and it may be difficult to measure your progress, but you will be happy that you are doing it and meeting many amazing and interesting people on your way.
Filming concerts is always reportage photography. The photographer’s task is to convey the atmosphere of the concert, to show the emotions of the artists, the emotions of the audience, to capture the whole drive, so that everyone, looking at your photographs, deeply regrets that they missed this concert. The task, frankly speaking, is not an easy one, which most likely only an experienced photographer can cope with. However, we will tell you in our article what professionals do to achieve high results.
Preparing for filming
The golden rule of any reportage photography is getting to know the place of work. If possible, visit the filming location in advance, find out what lighting conditions will be at the concert (which will help you decide which additional equipment you need to take for shooting), choose suitable shooting points, look at the angles and plans that you will be able to capture.
One more important work is to watch ready-made videos of concerts with the artists you will be filming. Pay attention to how they move around the stage, how fast they move, and whether they move at all. Some pop divas, such as Madonna, organize entire show programs, in which case you need to get acquainted with this program, evaluate how the light changes, whether dance groups are involved in the program, etc.
Many famous photographers who regularly photograph concerts maintain their own blogs in which they share their impressions of the performances of certain artists and important observations from a professional point of view. Try searching for such a recording about your artist’s concert and you will receive it on a silver platter ready-made solutions complex tasks in the work of a photographer at a concert.
Such preliminary work will allow you not to burden yourself with unnecessary equipment when going to a concert (which will again ensure freedom of movement during the concert) or, on the contrary, will allow you not to forget an important “lot” and will give you more opportunities to realize your creative ideas.
Hardware setup
Before we start filming, let's look at the camera settings for working at concerts. Anyone imagine the light conditions that a photographer has to work with when stars or bands perform? That's right, most often it is in the dark, in a closed or open room, with a large number of spotlights.
Under such conditions, willy-nilly, you will set the iso to the most great value, for example, 1600. And if you have expensive equipment in your hands, then this will not prevent you from taking excellent photographs, but if it is a cropped camera with a kit lens, you will have to put up with an impressive amount of “grain” in the pictures.
Also, do not forget that at concerts no one will pose for you, this is a dynamic live process where you need to catch every emotion in motion. You can easily take high-quality photographs in such conditions thanks to the huge model range expensive telephoto lenses with vibration reduction or fast lenses, thanks to which you can set the fastest possible shutter speed. A fast lens will also allow you to skip the need for flash, which photographers are often prohibited from using, and get sharp, bright images.
As we mentioned earlier, at a concert you cannot do without a short shutter speed; only it can save you from blurry photographs that can throw all your work down the drain.
- The maximum f-number you can use on your camera is f|125 - no longer! You can use a faster shutter speed if your camera and optics allow it.
Choice of optics
Let's take a closer look at the optics that professionals choose for filming concerts of legendary bands. At such events you can’t do without a telephoto lens, which is natural, because no one will let you on stage to photograph the star close-up and show all the emotions and drive with which she is trying to ignite the audience! A telephoto lens in this case will be your most best friend, choose this friend with a focal length from 70 to 200 mm. If you add aperture with a value of, for example, 2.8 L to such a lens, then it will be ideal option for all occasions of club life. The only disadvantage of such optics is their high cost; the price of such lenses can reach several hundred thousand.
There are options that will be affordable for many and will also provide good image quality, but with a higher ISO value. This is a 70-200 mm telephoto lens with an aperture of 4L and a 70-300 mm telephoto lens with an aperture of 4.0-5.6 L. With such a lens, only a well-lit stage will save your photos from “grain”, and as practice shows, most often at concerts they don’t skimp on electricity.
Let's look at a number of fixes that can be used if you manage to position yourself close to the stage. The cost of primes also depends on the aperture ratio of the purchased optics. You will get the brightest and most colorful pictures if you purchase inexpensive 50/1.8 and 50/1.4 lenses. For close-ups, the 85/1.8 lens is ideal. In addition to a low ISO value, you can get a perfectly blurred background thanks to these lenses.
How to choose a shooting locationThe first thing to consider when choosing a shooting location is lighting. The artist's face should be well lit. Ideally, you are in front of the stage and can capture the artist from a forward angle. You can catch the spotlights in the background, which will be directed at the camera and shoot the musician in contrast with the backlight. Often, light fixtures turn on the backlight of different colors at the same time; if you catch this moment, you will get a very interesting effect in the photograph.
- Choose a shooting point that will help you capture both close-up portraits of the star and long shots. To snag such a stunning spot, you'll have to arrive early and stick around until you've taken the best photos.
How to get accreditation?
Large concert venues are usually well guarded and no one with professional photographic equipment will be allowed to enter without special permission. How can a simple photographer who wants to learn how to shoot concerts get to a performance? There are several ways.
Working with a compositionEmotions, the movement of a musician, this is of course the main thing that a photographer must capture, but all this must form a harmonious frame. The key to a successful composition of concert photography can be diagonals. The diagonal in the frame can be the neck of a guitar, the rays of spotlights, or the movements of musicians’ hands.
The nuances of working at a concertIt's time to give some important advice from professionals who will help you work comfortably at concerts and capture the most important moments of the event.
Many photographers forget to take into account important point- it’s loud at concerts! Often, in order to get closer to a star, you have to film near sound equipment, which can have an extremely negative impact on your hearing. Just a few of these shots are enough for something irreparable to happen. Before filming a concert, be sure to purchase earplugs or professional earplugs that musicians use.
Friendship with journalists or the artist’s press service will allow you to be in the most “trump” places during the concert, perhaps even look behind the scenes and shoot exclusive footage. Also, such acquaintances can provide you with subsequent free visits to the group’s performances, for example, in exchange for photographs. However, to do this you need to have a portfolio with concert photographs.
Big concerts with stars always have a special photo zone where you can photograph the most famous people who attended the concert and the artists themselves. To get into this zone, you need a special photo pass. Make sure to get it in advance so as not to miss a great opportunity to take photos that could end up on the cover of some magazine.
Don't neglect filming the band performing in front of your artist. This will give you the opportunity to set up your camera properly for the star's performance, get used to the lighting, and prepare for unexpected situations.
Lighting during a concert can change dramatically, even an experienced photographer in such conditions can “screw up” shots, but the RAW format, like a magic wand, will save the situation and allow you to extend the exposure during processing.
Concerts are always a hectic environment, and moving through the crowd puts you at risk with expensive equipment. If you decide to walk around the hall and photograph the group from different angles, be as polite as possible and take someone’s place only after asking permission.
Many concert photographers do not take a flash with them and this is not entirely correct. It can be used as additional light. Turn the flash down a few notches and use it as a fill light, angled slightly towards the scene. You will be surprised at the interesting effect that will result.
You'll get incredible shots if you position yourself directly under the stage and take a few shots with a wide-angle lens.
All professional photographers know the advantages of a monopod, that it is easy to use and quite mobile compared to a tripod. Take a monopod to film concerts and nothing will hinder your movements around the hall.
Post-processingOften photos of a filmed concert are needed here and now, especially if you were shooting for a specific publication, which is vitally important to be the first to please its readers with photos from the concert of their favorite band. Try to immediately look through the resulting frames and take notes on them so as not to waste time at home.
Large concert venues set up special tents for photographers and journalists, where they provide a computer and Wi-Fi. Thus, the photographer can send his work to the editor in between songs.
If you are in no hurry and you were shooting just for your archive or the archive of the group, do not rush to give away the photos in their pure form. Concert photographs almost always lack exposure, and you can easily fix this with a photo editor if you shot in RAW format. It’s also worth working on the color rendition of the photo; by tweaking a few settings you can achieve truly “delicious” colors.
Is it possible to make money from concert photography?Unfortunately, in Russia, photographers for photographing concerts only receive free admission to performances and nothing more. So if you photograph concerts, chances are you're just a huge music fan. It’s rare that a photographer works for a fee, and if he does, it’s a one-time job. This was affected by the underdevelopment of the music industry as a whole and the insignificant number of serious printed music publications.
However, if you just love great music and live performances, concert photography is a great way to gain experience in reportage photography and attend performances of your favorite performers for free. So quickly read this article and put all the tips on concert photography into practice!
Friends, we are pleased to launch a new Nikon Master's Degree! This time let's turn to musical theme. Throughout February we will be learning how to photograph concerts and musicians! Every photographer who has at least once attended a performance of his favorite rock band probably wanted to capture all the drive that people experience at such events. And our experts Anna Ulyanova, Yulia Raskova and Margarita Fazylyanova will help you understand concert photography inside and out!
And a traditional competition: we are waiting for your photos from the concerts of your favorite performers in the comments! We remind you that photos must be taken on Nikon - sign what the shots were taken with :) And good luck to everyone!
Anna Ulyanova :
The most important task concert photography - conveying emotions and the “effect of presence” at a concert. To do this, it is absolutely not enough to simply take a close-up of the artist and a general plan of the hall.
Lumen
Camera: Nikon D700
Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter speed: 1/160
ISO: 1000
Focal length: 20mm
1. Use everything you see
Show dynamics, capture expression and the moment. Here the guitarist performs a soulful solo, and the drummer threw up his stick, the vocalist pointed the microphone into the audience. These shots will make up a real concert report.
Lumen
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED
Aperture: f/3.2
Shutter speed: 1/125
ISO: 1000
Focal length: 20mm
As with any other report, do not forget about wide, medium and close-up shots taken from all available points in the club.
“Kurara”
Camera: Nikon D700
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/160
ISO: 800
Focal length: 180mm
2. Preparation
Don’t be lazy to spend time and study how the artist behaves during a concert (photo on the official website, in social networks, videos on YouTube) to be prepared for the vocalist jumping into the crowd, dousing the front rows with fake blood or volleys of confetti.
Metallica
Camera: Nikon D700
Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter speed: 1/250
ISO: 1000
Focal length: 85mm
3. “3 songs without flash”
Often at large concerts there is a time limit on shooting for accredited photographers. That is, in three songs you need to make a full-fledged report, successfully capture all the band members, the audience in the front rows and capture the moments. Flash is prohibited so as not to blind the artist and to preserve the light design of the show, because no one wants flat pictures with a head-on flash.
IOWA
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/800
ISO: 640
Focal length: 20mm
4. Try to be invisible
For some this may seem like news, but the concert was made primarily for the audience and fans of the artist, and not for the photographer. You shouldn’t (even if you have a great friendship with the band) be on stage for half the concert, stand in front of the vocalist and take selfies with the band members. Be stealthy, be fast. Think about appearance: You shouldn’t stand on stage (and in the press zone) behind musicians in bright acid-colored T-shirts - you’ll only ruin the shots for your colleagues.
Don’t forget about the musicians’ fans and the audience; they, like no one else, can help convey the mood of the show in the footage.
"Pilot"
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED
Aperture: f/1.8
Shutter speed: 1/400
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 20mm
5. Make the most of your camera
If you (like me) use primes in reporting, take advantage of the opportunity to open the aperture as much as possible and get more depth and “air” in the frame.
Forget about automatic shooting modes, you should be in control of absolutely everything. Your task is to learn how to use all the capabilities of your camera to get the most interesting pictures.
"Nerve"
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G
Aperture: f/4
Shutter speed: 1/400
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 85mm
Remember that the longer the lens, the shorter the shutter speed, otherwise “shake” cannot be avoided.
Don't be afraid to experiment: multiple exposures, ultra-wide lenses, lensbaby - all this can diversify your reportage.
Converting a frame to black and white is not a panacea. No inherently boring photograph will become better if you deprive it of color.
"Psyche"
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G
Aperture: f/2
Shutter speed: 1/400
ISO: 800
Focal length: 50mm
6. Sampling
Don’t overload your report from the concert: the optimal number of pictures is 20-30, then the viewer’s eye will get tired and scroll through everything else without stopping too much. For example, having selected 50 technically successful photographs, select 25 emotional ones from them, removing repetitions, frames of questionable timing, frames where the artist’s emotion is more like antics, leaving photographs that are unique in angle and moment.
Papa Roach
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF Zoom-NIKKOR 80-200mm f/2.8D ED
Aperture: f/2.5
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 135 mm
7. Remember relevance
Don't forget about the relevance of the photos. In our world of social media, no one needs even very good photos of the show six months later.
Find your style, study and look at the works of famous music photographers, go to concerts more often and listen to good music!”
“Megapolis”
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 200
Focal length: 180mm
Yulia Raskova :
“Concert photography should tell something more about the concert than is visible to the naked eye. Excellent concert photography can convey everything: the atmosphere of the concert, the mood of the audience, the character and personality traits of the musician himself. The photographer’s task is to be able to catch and combine all this in one frame.
1. Preparing for shooting
It is best to prepare in advance for filming, get acquainted with the composition of the group, identify permanent and session members, watch videos from concert performances of musicians in other cities, note which part of the hall the frontman mainly works for, in which hand he holds the microphone, the behavior of other participants on stage . Of course, it is important to know and feel your photographic equipment on an intuitive level, to know the approximate exposure values, because lighting conditions can change every 10 seconds, and in this case it is important to quickly and accurately set the required aperture, shutter speed and ISO values, so as not to lose the moment and have time to make high-quality frame. You can also think in advance about the techniques that you consider appropriate for a given concert: star filters, multiple exposures, zoom shooting, and others.
Korpiklaani
Camera: Nikon D610
Aperture: f/ 2.8
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 24mm
“Porn films”
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 3200
Focal length: 62mm
Misha Rodionov
Camera: Nikon D600
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/125
Focal length: 200mm
Lighting plays a huge role in concert photography. The ability to work with initial lighting conditions, navigate colors, the direction of light and use all this to create an image of a musician is very important in the profession of a concert photographer. Additional light at concerts, as a rule, is not used for several reasons: firstly, at concerts there is usually beautiful and varied light, which creates a unique atmosphere of a musical event, emphasizing the texture and color of the artists. Secondly, the flash can distract musicians from working on stage and disturb the audience. At the same time, I will note that the ability to work with additional light sources (where this is allowed by the organizers) is very important, because with proper work with them you can create wonderful shots and solve problems of insufficient lighting. For example, at concerts of small local groups.
"DDT"
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/125
Focal length: 200mm
Dima Bilan
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/500
ISO: 1000
Focal length: 122mm
3. Finding an angle
It is important not to be nervous and not to make unnecessary movements that will interfere with both your colleagues working with you in the photo pit and yourself. Sometimes the best shots come out when you stand in one place, even if you stand there for half the concert. Musicians tend to be emotional and active on stage, the light changes frequently, so even if your movement is limited, don't worry - there is always the opportunity to take many different shots from one shooting point. For example, the three frames below were taken from the same place and angle.
Lumen
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/250
Focal length: 50mm
Lumen
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/800
Focal length: 70mm
Lumen
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/160
Focal length: 24mm
4. Location
Lighting conditions, working style and choice of photographic equipment, of course, depend on the venue where the concert is taking place. These could be medium-sized chamber halls, large concert venues or a small local club. And if sometimes in a huge concert hall, where there is a lot of light, it is quite possible to get by with a standard telephoto lens, then for all other venues the presence of a wide-angle fast lens greatly simplifies life and shooting. But even if there is very little light in the room where the concert is taking place, you should not be upset - even with such lighting you can take atmospheric shots with a mood that the artists will surely like.
“Mumiy Troll”
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 120 mm
"Crematorium"
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal length: 200mm
Lumen
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 120 mm
5. Interaction with viewers
The success of a concert is 50% or more due to the energy of the people who came to it. It is worth making every effort not to interfere with people's enjoyment of the concert. In addition, there are special moments in the interaction of artists with the audience, thanks to which you can take bright, memorable shots.
30 Seconds to Mars, Jared Leto
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/800
Focal length: 200mm
Eskimo Callboy
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/200
Focal length: 58mm
Eskimo Callboy
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/250
Focal length: 24mm
6. Post-processing
As a rule, after shooting, frames are corrected for brightness and contrast, saturation, white balance, work with light and shadows, and sometimes - conversion to black and white or toning the image where appropriate. In this case, each time the original frame is of paramount importance, because no processing will give true beauty to the frame if the source was not compositionally integral, or if it lacks the moment for which, in fact, the photographer pressed the button. In this case, when selecting photographs, it is always important to answer the question: what is remarkable about this or that frame, why do we skip it into the final report, which is then presented to millions of viewers? Photo editors allow you to highlight the advantages of photography. At the same time, there are different degrees of permissible interference in the frame. If the shooting is carried out to order, then the degree of such intervention should be discussed with the customer; the media, as a rule, have their own requirements for possible image adjustments. If you are shooting for your own portfolio or interference in the frame is not limited, then you can give free rein to your imagination. But don't forget that good processing- the one that doesn’t catch your eye.
Diana Arbenina
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/400
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 145mm
“Sea&Rails”
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/320
Focal length: 36mm
7. Decide on the purpose of shooting
Of course, your main goal is to convey the atmosphere of the concert, the mood and energy of the audience, and the talent of the artist. All this can really be done in one frame.
Concert photography is still a type of reportage photography and is subject to all the laws of this genre. But the view is absolutely exceptional, special, which is determined by the specifics of the event being photographed. You shouldn’t expect that you will come home from a concert with a whole bunch of great photos - it’s a great success if you can select 1-5 photos from one concert for your portfolio.”
Sunsay
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 200mm
"Crematorium"
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal length: 24mm
Natalia Oreiro
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal length: 200mm
Margarita Fazylyanova :
“I get asked quite often what concert photography gives me. This is an opportunity to capture and convey emotions, a means to relive and feel sensations again, a way to give others the “atmosphere” of a past concert. I would also note that this type of shooting is one of the most difficult in reportage photography: the light, time, space provided, and the subject itself are not under your control. It is not within the power of a concert photographer to dispute with the event organizer or artist the amount of time allotted for shooting or the size of the photo pit. It is unlikely that you will agree with the lighting director about what kind of light will be used during the concert. Well, in the end, you can’t dictate to a musician how he should move on stage, when he should freeze, and so on.
Terror
Camera: Nikon D750
Aperture: f/2.5
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 85mm
1. Accreditation
Where does concert photography begin? Of course, with obtaining accreditation. There are several options here:
1) Find an Internet portal dedicated to musical events or such events. The most important thing is to establish contact with the editor. To do this, you must have a portfolio/work (not necessarily in the concert field), by which you can determine your level and make a decision regarding cooperation. In this option, the editor will do everything for you;
2) Connections. Yes, in concert photography informal contacts are also needed, the main thing in this case is to be sociable and not be afraid to write a letter first. This option also requires the availability of examples of work. You can contact a band member/performer, the PR manager of the band/concert venue, or the event organizer. Of course, it all depends on the popularity of the band, as well as the place where the concert will take place. There is no specific pattern of actions in this area - with accreditations everything is decided individually.
But what to do if there is no portfolio and you are just starting your journey? At the very beginning, I bought tickets for small concerts and learned how to capture shots, practiced editing photos from events and posting them on my LiveJournal page. The main thing is not to forget to check with the site regarding the possibility of taking photographs without accreditation, so that an unpleasant situation does not occur in the form of seizure of equipment at the entrance. Only after I gained a certain skill in concert photography and experience working in small clubs did I dare to contact the editor of my first Internet portal. Having changed a couple of music sites, since 2013 I have firmly settled on Metalkings.
Andrey “Mechanic” Opletaev, “PsiHea”
Camera: Nikon D7000
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 50mm
In general, the approach to choosing a concert photographer is different on each portal: in some places it is important to “clog” a concert before others, in others the quality of the material provided is valued. In order not to count on chance, it is better, of course, to try to contact musical groups directly. The main thing is to decide where you will publish the footage and under what conditions the group will provide you with accreditation (most often, in return for photopass, you will have to provide the material to the group and allow them to publish it in their official communities and on the website). There are a wide variety of resources on the Internet for publishing pictures, even writing your own website: it all depends on your desires and plans for development in this area.
Important. If you come to an accredited concert, you should check how many songs the group/performer can film. As a rule, many foreign groups limit filming to three songs from the photopit or from the audience (again, it all depends on the venue). After this, it is better to remove the camera and not violate the established conditions, as this may lead to the fact that later you will simply be denied accreditation.
If you received a photo pass through a group, there is a chance that you will be allowed to photograph the entire concert without space and time restrictions.
“PrinceZZ”
Camera: Nikon D750
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/80
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 16mm
2. Technique
I shot on different cameras: Nikon D90, Nikon D7000, at the moment this is a Nikon D750 (as you can see, I’m an avid Nikonist, the cameras really fit into my hand from the first touch). Regarding lenses, from the very beginning I preferred fast lenses with a fixed distance. The decision regarding which lens to choose - a fixed distance or a zoom - depends on your personal preference: it is a matter of convenience and habit. The most important characteristic remains aperture, because when photographing a concert there is often not enough lighting.
I use AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D, AF NIKKOR 24mm f/2.8D, AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G, AF Fisheye-NIKKOR 16mm f/2.8D. Lately I have been giving my preference to the fisheye, especially in small clubs: I really liked the pictures obtained with it.
Ali Tabatabaei, Zebrahead
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: AF Fisheye-NIKKOR 16mm f/2.8G
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/125
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 16mm
In three songs I manage to change lenses several times. I have one rule - 1-2 minutes for each lens, plus at least time to walk from right to left (left to right) along the stage at least once. If the number of songs allowed for photography is limited, before entering the photo pit you need to prepare all available equipment: check the settings on the camera (I set ISO 1250 as standard, turn it up to 50 mm, set the shutter speed and aperture to 1/160 and f/2.5), unpack the lenses (that is, unscrew all the caps) and place them in the camera case (I also put soft cloth case to minimize the chance of the lenses hitting each other).
The AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D is one of the most popular lenses among concert photographers. It is suitable for photographing medium shots; I use fisheye and AF NIKKOR 24mm f/2.8D for general plans, and with the help of AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G you can manage to take a close-up shot (including this lens saves you when shooting from a crowd, if you can shoot after three songs or there is no photo pit available on the site).
Ilya Chert, “Pilot”
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 50mm
Nikita Muravyov, “SLOT”
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/160
ISO: 1000
Focal length: 85mm
Regarding zooms, the most commonly used lenses are 24-70/f2.8 and 70-200/f2.8.
By the way, a little about memory cards - you should have at least several of them in your pocket, especially if you are filming a festival.
It's a good idea to have little things in your backpack, like a cleaning pencil, which will be your lifesaver if water or alcoholic drinks get on the lens (especially for rock concerts, where musicians are not averse to leaving bottles of water or alcoholic drinks).
3. Preparing for shooting
I would rather classify this point as option advice. Some concert photographers watch footage of live performances by the band they plan to attend before attending an event. This allows you to roughly estimate what kind of lighting will be at the concert, as well as get acquainted with how the band behaves on stage, whether the musicians will have interesting costumes and show elements.
Well, literally one sentence about clothing: the main thing in it is comfort. Give preference dark colors, since during the shooting you can get dirty (this happens quite often; in my practice it happened that I tore my jeans and T-shirts a couple of times). Plus, dull clothes will not distract the performers and fans of the group.
Dmitry Protsko, “Epidemic”
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Aperture: f/2.5
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 85mm
4. JPEG or NEF?
Very often, photographers also wonder what format is best to shoot concerts in. Some people prefer JPEG, while others prefer NEF. Personally, I’m all for NEF, because it “lasts” much better than JPEG, and allows you to carry out quite a lot of post-processing actions (almost from the very beginning I started shooting in NEF format). It is worth noting that JPEG has a very big advantage over NEF - the most saturated and rich colors. Alternatively, for comparison, you can select NEF+JPEF (high resolution) in the settings, and then decide in which format you are more comfortable shooting.
Andy Marsh, Try Art is Murder
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D
Aperture: f/2
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 50mm
5. ISO, aperture and shutter speed
Three components that will determine your photo. Do not use under any circumstances automatic settings or shutter/aperture priority modes. At concerts, and not only, they are only applicable in full manual settings(As you gain experience in looking at the light, you will be able to adjust the appropriate settings faster and faster).
The ISO values I use most often are between 800 and 1600. The higher the ISO, the more noise your image will have, and vice versa. Full-frame cameras can capture quiet shots at higher ISOs than cropped cameras, so take this into account when deciding between buying a faster lens or a new camera.
For aperture, I prefer values from f/2 to f/2.8; I don’t think it’s relevant to “wind it up” to the limit, since the picture loses depth of field.
When it comes to shutter speed, most of the time I shoot at 1/160th of a second. When setting this parameter, take into account the focal length of the lens. In general, the shutter speed should be at least twice as fast as the reciprocal focal length (that is, when using a 50mm lens, the shutter speed should be at least 1/100, if not faster). The clarity of the resulting image almost directly depends on the shutter speed.
Andrey “AZ” Zyryanov, “PsiHea”
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/250
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 85mm
6. Post-processing
I use two post-processing programs - Lightroom and Photoshop. Using the first one, I carry out color correction and basic processing aspects. In general, for me personally, playing with color is my everything! In this program, I also increase the brightness of the image, experiment with shadows and light or curve, adjust the image contrast and saturation (usually separately by color), that is, I try as much as possible to make the frame “tasty.”
The second helps to finally adjust the sharpness of the picture, and when using plugins, you can clean up “noisy” photos.
Over time, you can hone your own processing style to make your reports stand out from others.
Irina Sorokina, “PrinceZZ”
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/250
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 85mm
7. Preparation of a photo report
Which photo report will the viewer find most interesting? Firstly, it should be as informative as possible. Try to remove all group members if possible. Problems usually arise with drummers, as they are placed at the back of the stage and hidden behind numerous kits and gadgets. Secondly, try to take diverse shots: use different lenses, shooting points and angles (if you have an all-terrain vehicle, you can roam around to your heart's content). Thirdly, a little about the aesthetic side of the frame. I have one simple rule: before deciding whether a photograph will be included in the report, I imagine myself in the place of the performer and think how I would like it if I saw such a photograph of myself somewhere.
Dmitry Krivenkov, “Epidemic”
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Aperture: f/2.5
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 85mm
Slava “Slavon” Galashin, “PsiHeya”
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Aperture: f/2
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 85mm
“Cockroaches!”
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: AF Fisheye-NIKKOR 16mm f/2.8G
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/100
ISO: 1250
Focal length: 16mm
8. Mutual respect
At the very end I would like to give little advice regarding mutual respect:
Respect your colleagues. When shooting in a photo pit, try not to disturb your “colleagues”: you should not spread your arms and legs wide, push, or try to squeeze closer to the desired object. Remember, you're not the only one who wants to take great photos;
- respect musicians. When taking photographs, you should not raise your hands very high - believe me, this makes many musicians very nervous and annoying. If you have the opportunity to film from the stage, be careful, do not forget that there are a large number of wires from the equipment, and if you accidentally touch them, you can turn off the equipment. Don't run in front of the musicians trying to get a "cool" shot. And yes, flash. Try not to use it at concerts. I talked to performers about this: firstly, I’ll repeat myself a little, it’s really unnerving, and secondly, due to constant flashes, a musician can begin to “go blind”, this can also lead to feeling unwell(You don’t want to cause the concert to be disrupted, do you?). In addition, in most cases this accessory is, in principle, prohibited. Moreover, in my opinion, it distorts the atmosphere of the concert;
- respect your fans. You came to the concert for accreditation, you are just a guest, rather even a shadow. Fans paid for the opportunity not only to hear their favorite band, but also to see it: for some this is very important, and people line up several hours (sometimes even a day) to get into the front rows.
Finally, a couple of final words: most importantly, don’t give up and don’t give up; learn and develop, try to move forward, focus on “top” photographers. If you’re interested in concert photography, don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues for advice, and also read as many articles on this topic as possible.”
We hope you enjoyed our expert advice and photos! Share your concert photos in the comments and win prizes - and of course, don’t forget to add our blog to yourself
Choosing the right camera settings for concert photos can be a daunting task, even for experienced photographers. However, by bringing together all the knowledge and skills, as well as the nuances of concert photography, gained through experience, from professional photographers, we can offer you answers to all the basic questions about how to set up a camera for a concert in order to get great photos as a result.
Exposure mode
Nikon D3 and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 at 24mm. Shutter speed: 1/200 second, f/2.8, ISO 3200
Manual installation - best choice for photos of the concert. The concert assumes the presence large quantity bright highlights and deep shadows, which creates a large dynamic range, so the sensors of any camera in automatic mode can incorrectly read information, which will lead to disastrous results. In manual mode, the photographer has more possibilities influence exposure and get required quality images, relying on your own eyes, and not on how the surrounding space and the light in it are perceived by the camera in automatic mode.
Diaphragm
Nikon D700 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 at 190mm. Shutter speed: 1/500 second, f/3.5, ISO 800
With the diaphragm everything is simple. Choose the maximum value that your lens is capable of. Those. this will be the f-stop with the lowest number, which means more light needs to reach the sensor. Even at the brightest concerts, there is always less light than in daylight, which is why you need to open the aperture wide so that as much light as possible can be collected on the photosensitive element.
Nikon D3 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 at 120mm. Shutter speed: 1/160 second, f/2.8, ISO 2000
Filming a concert requires a high shutter speed. Getting a value of about 1/500 is only possible when photographing with coated optics and the ability to open the aperture to f/1.4 or f/1.8.
Shutter speed
Nikon D800 and Nikon 16mm f/2.8 at 16mm. Shutter speed: 1/400 second, f/3.5, ISO 3200
Whenever possible, try to use high shutter speeds. Values of 1/250 or 1/500 are optimal, although sometimes it can be difficult to obtain them, because you have to work not only in large rooms, but also in small clubs, where not only there is not enough space, but, accordingly, there will also be light less. For smaller club shows, try to stay in the 1/100-1/200 range at a minimum. This range should be enough to “freeze” moving objects. Everything taken off the strip.
ISO
Nikon D3 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 at 150mm. Shutter speed: 1/500 second, f/2.8, ISO 1600
Go up to 3200. In almost all cameras where this is possible, you should choose high ISO values to properly expose the frame and not be afraid of digital noise. Better digital noise than blurry image!
Autofocus settings
Nikon D3 and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 at 24mm. Shutter speed: 1/400 second, f/3.2, ISO 1000
Use continuous focus mode. AF-C for Nikon and AI Servo for Canon DSLRs. Continuous focusing allows you to track movement until you press the shutter button. For live music subjects, continuous focus mode is preferred.
White balance
Nikon D3 and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 at 24mm. Shutter speed: 1/400 second, f/2.8, ISO 2000
If you don’t know exactly what light will be used, select the “Auto” mode. Auto WB saves about 99% of time. Of course, when shooting with a white balance preset, best quality images, but this requires more information about the quality of light, which the photographer usually does not have.
Nikon D3 and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 at 24mm. Shutter speed: 1/250 second, f/2.8, ISO 1600
RAW or JPG
Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 at 32mm. Shutter speed: 1/80 second, f/2.8, ISO 3200
Shoot in RAW. Now you can more than stock up on additional memory cards and not skimp on the size of your pictures. When one card runs out, insert another and continue working without any problems. If this is not your first time shooting, and you already have experience in similar photography, you can select the RAW+JPG mode - this will save time during post-processing and you will have the original file in case of an unexpected need to make adjustments to the exposure after shooting.
Nikon D3 and Nikon 14-24mm, f/2.8 at 24mm. Shutter speed: 1/500 second, f/2.8, ISO 1600
We hope that the twelve images presented in the material will give you a good idea of the parameters that are used by professional photographers and will serve as a starting point for creating your own own experience and working settings for photographic equipment.
Nikon D3 and Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 at 14mm. Shutter speed: 1/40 second, f/2.8, ISO 3200
Nikon D3 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 at 200mm. Shutter speed: 1/250 second, f/2.8, ISO 3200
Video filming a concert is a complex and very interesting process. With the advent of television, it became possible to transmit broadcasts from concerts and performances of famous artists and musical groups over long distances. However, television broadcasting is possible only to the broad masses of people, to the audience of a region or an entire country. Which often does not correspond to the wishes of a narrow circle of people interested in the work of a particular artist or pop music group. With the advent of the Internet, with the advent of Internet video channels on video hosting sites such as YouTube or Vimeo, the possibility of hosting concerts and performances has become real and inexpensive. The cost is only limited by the costs of organizing and holding the concert and paying the fees of the film crew.
Multi-camera filming of a concert allows you to show the performance from different angles, from different points. When the viewer is in the hall, he sees the performance on stage from only one point. When a concert is filmed in many cameras (not 2 or 3, but more than 4) using a filming crane, the edited reporting video sequence looks very dynamic and diverse. This reporting video shows the most delicious footage from places not accessible to the average viewer in the hall.
Video filming of a concert is a kind of business card for the artist and organizers for the subsequent presentation of the tour in cities across the country. On the Internet, people can watch a concert from another city and decide to attend the performance of the musicians when they bring this program to your city.
Organizers often save on video filming, limiting themselves to filming from one camera general view. Even the most inexperienced viewer will not watch this. Even a great performance can be ruined by poor quality concert filming. On the contrary, a boring and uninteresting performance can be turned into a bright and dynamic show by properly allocating the budget and focusing on shooting in several cameras with competent, complex editing at the post-production stage.
In today's world, not a single performance, not a single concert takes place without photos and videos accompanying the event. Organizers, producers, potential customers will want to look at the product in advance and make sure of the quality of the service provided in advance, make sure of the success of the performances with the previous concert program and draw the necessary conclusions about subsequent cooperation with the team.
Filming a concert, as a matter of course, is carried out by professional videographers who have been filming similar events with each other for decades. The team of videographers has known each other for a long time and they know who will do what and at what moment on the set at the concert, who is responsible for what actions, details, plans.
Filming a concert requires special attention, these events are unique, so any recording, even if it is not a significant performance, is very important both for a famous artist, a popular music group, and for beginning performers and little-known dance groups. Recording a video makes it possible to analyze each performance number in parts in detail, which in the future allows you to reduce the number of defects and errors, and therefore increasing the quality of the performance in the future.
Filming concert performances is a kind of chronology of an artist’s development. From the video archive of concert performances it will be possible to observe creative growth.