Reconnaissance of the concert venue
Experienced photographers know to do some scouting on the spot before filming an important shoot - especially a concert. It is necessary to know in advance what kind of equipment is needed, whether there will be a place to store this equipment. It is also important to know whether there is room for maneuvers, what angles can be chosen for more successful shooting, from what place it is worth shooting. You need to think about how to get closer to the speakers for zooming. Having answered all these questions for yourself, you can understand how to photograph concerts.
A problem with a lack of light? I need a fast lens!
When shooting in closed dark rooms, as usually happens at concerts, you need to stock up on high-aperture lenses. After all, a flash is often completely useless. In addition, the flashes are very disturbing for the artists - they cause inconvenience during the performance (well, this is, of course, if you manage to get so close). The way out is to take high-aperture lenses and the stronger the lens is, the better. For concerts can be used. This lens makes it possible to use it at lower ISO values. Thanks to this, you can not only avoid unnecessary noise, but also focus faster. There are many lens options. Another one is this.
Spot metering
Before how to take pictures in a nightclub it is necessary to set up spot metering, as, most likely, you will have to take portraits of individual singers or group members. Spot metering is the most realistic way out of the situation in such lighting. Because with multi-zone or center-weighted metering, all unlit areas will be automatically compensated by the camera. And this will ultimately lead to overexposure of the character in the photograph.
Automatic or manual mode?
The spot metering value will decrease in proportion to the selection of the value.
Shooting concerts rather, it requires manual selection of parameters and settings, since in the automatic mode, a very high contrast of illumination is obtained. Often, camera automation overexposes either the lighting or the group member. With the help of the manual mode, strict control is possible with rapidly changing lighting.
Experimenting with ISO
Before how to take pictures in the club it's worth experimenting with the ISO value. The ISO value directly affects the shutter speed, because most concerts are shot with a shallow depth of field in order to get more light. It is necessary to set the shutter speed according to what is happening on the stage. In the case of very moving scenes at a concert, it is necessary to set the shutter speed shorter than 1/60 to reduce blur, and if there are few movements, then the shutter speed can be set to a longer one.
For example, when the ISO is raised to 6400, the cameras will generate a terrible noise, at ISO 3200 the value is compensated for by the shutter speed of the order of 1/10, which will lubricate the people on the stage. If you use low ISOs (for example: 200, 400) together with a flash, you get a standard photo. Using different modes: reducing power, filling with light, most likely will not give any results. In addition, when working with a tripod at the same low ISO values, the picture is quite possible to be attractive and static, but with blurred images of people.
When using ISO 1600 and M (manual) mode, you can get decent photos but with high noise. However, this is not so scary, since the resulting noise can be easily suppressed in RAW on a computer. With all this, remember that it all depends on the camera and lens. The settings must be selected either in advance or already in place.
Creation of atmosphere and mood
The person with the camera creates all the mood of photography himself. This is the essence of the author's photography. If you don't see interesting moments, then none of them will help you make a good shot. It is worth trying to look for something unusual on the spot. Something that could accurately convey the feeling and atmosphere of the concert. It can be a play of light and shadow, people and speakers, maybe find an interesting angle of view.
Broadening your horizons
Of course, the presence of several lenses is welcomed, among which there will be a wide-angle one. With its help, the photographs will turn out to be very indicative and effective. For example, a photo of the whole group at once or the crowd in the hall. Pictures of the entire audience present in the hall always look very effective, only you need to capture the moment of good lighting and visibility of the hall.
In search of the extraordinary
It is necessary to prepare for the concert in advance. Maybe there will be an opportunity to find out what will be at the concerts, what zest is expected, what effects will be. This often enables the photographer to be prepared for the unexpected that he can capture.
The closer to the performers, the better
If you need to photograph each member of the group very close, then it is worth using. This will help to highlight individually each member of the group. Photographing the drummers can be a problem as they are often in the center of the stage and surrounded by a lot of equipment. In this case, you can either get behind the scenes (in case there is a pass), or use the zoom.
To take pictures in a club and at various music events, you need to be able to work in low light conditions (the topic of low light is so painful that it is already over it). In most cases, the use of a flash is prohibited by the organizers, so the photographer must shoot with light specially modeled for a club night or concert - this is the kind of light that suits the event best.
If you are going to a club or a concert with a camera, remember the following factors:
The size of the event
Large events and concerts have their advantages - usually famous performers perform on the stage, and the evening itself is interestingly organized and very interesting in terms of the plot for photography. If you intend to observe the main scene, be aware in advance that you will most likely be standing far away from it and will need a telephoto lens to shoot. Modest parties and concerts are good for the more cozy atmosphere, as well as the opportunity to come closer to the stage in order to capture the emotions of the artists.
The main disadvantage of such concerts is that besides you, there will be other reporters near the stage, as well as the security of the institution, which can hamper movement from one point of shooting to another. To shoot the photo below, I had to climb the ledge because there were so many people near the stage. However, I managed to get an excellent shooting angle - as a rule, these shots are often taken from a low angle when shot directly below the stage.
Lighting
The lighting at small concerts can be disgusting. Sometimes all the light falls from behind or from the side, and the performer is not illuminated at all from the front. Shooting silhouettes, of course, has its advantages and its own charm, but if the entire photo session consists of silhouettes, and the faces of the artists are nowhere to be seen, the photos will be boring.
As you enter the club prior to the start of the event, look for spotlights and other point sources that can further illuminate the performers. This will greatly save the situation. If you have permission to film the concert, do not miss the opportunity to film the "warm-up" band. Even if you are not interested in this group, a few frames of their performance will help you adjust to the light.
It is very important to remember that in clubs and concerts the light is constantly changing, so the built-in camera is practically useless - you will have to get used to it. By the end of the evening, a lot of technical "garbage" will appear on your map, but there is nothing to worry about. In 90% of cases, you will be banned from using, so prepare the necessary equipment in advance. In addition, flash photography is not that interesting because, by giving a bright light, the flash, although it illuminates the artists, spoils the club atmosphere and leaves ugly shadows:
Since shooting will take place in poor lighting conditions, the first thing you need to do is open aperture and high photosensitivity... The newer cameras do a much better job of shooting at high ISOs than the older models. The fastest aperture can only be obtained using a fixed focal length lens. Therefore, for shooting in a club, it is better to choose a lens with an aperture value of f / 1.8, 35 or 50 mm. Hopefully you already know that the wider the aperture is, the lower the aperture value, and the more light gets into the lens and camera.
Shoot RAW: Raw format photos are easier to process, RAW format gives you more control over image quality. For shooting in the club, only suitable auto white balance since the correct colors cannot be obtained under such conditions even with a gray card. The color cast can be corrected later in Photoshop.
Install burst shooting if provided in your camera. It's hard to predict when the right light will hit the frame, so the more frames you take, the better. Also, it is better to use AI-Servo focus mode or "focus tracking" (on Nikon, this is AF-C focus mode). Finally, the photographer himself must be sober in order to get the sharpest possible shots.
If the performer is very mobile, it is better to set short exposure... However, a slow shutter speed should not be neglected either; sometimes it can help you get interesting pictures.
And now about the shooting modes. For photography in the club, it is best to use manual mode, as well as shutter priority and aperture priority modes. Manual mode is good for predictable lighting. Shutter priority mode I turn it on when the artist is very mobile, or there is some fast action ahead of the script, and a long shutter speed can blur it. When the lighting is bright enough, I use aperture priority mode because I know the shutter speed will stay short enough for the scene I want.
Finally, special attention should be paid to cropping your photos. Using prime lenses (fixed focal length lenses), the photographer often defines the edges of the frame with their feet - they just move closer or further away, but sometimes even this is not enough - an unexpected scene can lead to the fact that the framing will fail. Take a look at the photo below: the left knee went out of the frame, and I was not ready for this. Therefore, for shooting in a club, a fast zoom lens (for example, 24-70, f / 2.8) is better suited.
Performers
Think about who people will want to see in their photos. If you are not familiar with the line-up of the group, film the lead vocalist. Usually his emotions are the most expressive and the easiest to notice.
Pay attention to which hand the singer is holding the microphone in, and try to photograph it from the other side: the hand with the microphone usually covers half of the artist's face and figure, so it is better to choose the opposite shooting point. Don't ignore this advice if you are looking to sell photographs - agencies like Getty Images usually accept simple half-length portraits from these angles - they can be sold to large fans.
Time
Usually a group's performance is limited to three songs - this is no more than 10 minutes. Therefore, you need to prepare in advance and remember all the above factors. Sometimes, after a party or concert is over, you will hardly have good photos. Do not be upset, shooting in a club is a difficult business, and at first not everything works out. By the way, do not forget to take earplugs, there is a very loud sound near the stage, and it may interfere with you. If you are not allowed to the stage, step back - good shots can be taken from afar:
Respectful attitude
If you come to the stage, the word of protection is the law for you. Do not come into conflict with the staff of the institution, otherwise you may be kicked out. Most likely, other photographers will be working in the hall, so try not to get into the frame. Finally, do not disturb the performers: if the use of a flash is prohibited in the club, do not turn it on.
Where can I get a permit?
To take pictures in the club, sometimes it is enough to ask permission from the guards or managers of the establishment. Concerts are more difficult - you may need an official pass. From experience, the easiest way to get it is by working as a freelance reporter for a local newspaper. Be persistent - even if the publication already has a journalist, sometimes the newspaper needs a second photographer. Agreeing on permission to shoot through an agency or suggesting your candidacy as a photographer to the institution where the event is held - the paths are more difficult. However, it should be remembered that in order to apply for a job in the newspaper you will need.
Another way to get permission to shoot is to write to the group itself or to the group manager. At the same time, you need to clarify who you are, with whom you work, for what purposes you need photos, and how many people will see them later. If the group needs photos of the event, they will get in touch.
Conclusion
Photographing in a club is challenging and interesting: it combines two tasks that a photographer needs to solve - adapting to poor lighting and filming a reportage. Once you learn to shoot in poor lighting conditions, even the most difficult gig will no longer be a problem for you.
Article from Expert Photography
Translated by Ekaterina Simachenko
Shooting concerts, like other types of reportage photography, requires a photographer to have an excellent command of the equipment. The dynamics of the event does not allow you to waste time thinking about technical parameters - decisions to change them must be made instantly. All the photographer's attention is focused on the ever-changing image in the viewfinder, and the camera must provide the ability to capture the frame at the right time.
When filming a concert event, it is most convenient to use an SLR camera.
In order to be able to get high-quality shots in both general and close-up indoors, it is best to use a pair of high-aperture zoom lenses that will cover the focal length range from approximately 18 to 200 mm. For example, the normal zoom is 24–70 mm and the tele zoom is 70–200 mm. For those who cannot afford to purchase such expensive optics, one versatile, but less fast lens with a focal length range of 18 to 200 mm will do. A faster aperture will allow you to use faster shutter speeds, and as a result you will have fewer blurry shots.
In addition, the shutter speed is influenced by the set sensitivity of the camera sensor. Before shooting indoors, the ISO value must be raised (usually use the sensitivity 800, 1600 and higher, if necessary and the camera allows). When shooting concert events in an open area during the day, the lens aperture is not decisive, and the sensitivity of the matrix does not have to be raised too much.
Taking pictures in a dark club room
Even though indoor clubs tend to be very dark and floodlights constantly change color and direction, try to use flash as little as possible. It negates the artistic value of dynamic lighting and flattens shots. If you decide to use a flash, adjust the power of the light pulse down.
For a creative trick, try using slow sync and rear curtain sync modes. In this case, moving objects will leave a smeared trail along with the “frozen” flash image.
Let's move on from the technical aspects of creating a concert reportage to the artistic ones. The photographer must continuously analyze the image in the viewfinder. Before pressing the shutter button, it is important to have time to correctly frame the frame. Therefore, choose such angles that will allow you to exclude objects obscuring the artists from the frame - microphone stands, wires, speakers, and spectators' heads. When filming in a club, the ever-changing lighting creates a stunning ambiance. It is very important to display the emotions of the artists in your frames. Watch their movements, notice the characteristic poses and facial expressions. Do not forget about the audience, they are often even more emotional than those on stage.
Finally, let us turn to the general issues of preparing and conducting reportage photography. Please bring extra batteries, batteries, and flash memory cards with you. Be careful when shooting. Shooting concerts carries a certain amount of risk for you and your equipment. This is especially true of rock band performances where the audience is very active. When filming in the hall, you need to constantly monitor what is happening next to you so that inadvertently someone's elbow, head or leg does not break your camera. Most importantly, shoot continuously!
Shooting 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 photos, deeply regretted that they missed this concert. The task, frankly, is not an easy one, which only an experienced photographer will most likely 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 shooting location in advance, find out what lighting conditions will be at the concert (which will help you decide what additional equipment you need to take for shooting), choose suitable shooting points, look at the angles and plans that you can capture.
Another important job is watching the finished videos of concerts with the artists you are going to shoot. Pay attention to how they move around the scene, how fast they move, and whether they move at all. Some pop divas, such as Madonna, arrange whole 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 celebrity photographers who regularly shoot concerts maintain their blogs, where they share their impressions of the performances of various artists and important observations from a professional's point of view. Try to search for such a recording of your artist's concert and get ready-made solutions to complex problems in the work of a photographer at a concert on a silver platter.
Such preliminary work will allow you not to burden yourself with unnecessary equipment during the trip to the concert (which again will provide freedom of movement during the concert) or, on the contrary, will allow you not to forget an important "gadget" and will give you more opportunities for the implementation of creative ideas.
Hardware setup
Before we start filming, let's take a look at the camera settings for working at concerts. Does everyone represent the light conditions that a photographer has to work with during performances of stars or groups? That's right, most often it is a dark time of day, indoor or outdoor, a large number of spotlights.
Under such conditions, willy-nilly, you put iso on the highest value, for example, 1600. And if you have expensive equipment in your hands, it will not hurt to take excellent photos, but if this is a cropped camera with a whale 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. A huge range of expensive telephoto lenses with vibration suppression or high-aperture lenses, thanks to which you can set the fastest shutter speed, will easily allow you to take high-quality photographs in such conditions. A large aperture lens will also allow you to bypass the often forbidden flash, and get a sharp, bright picture.
As we mentioned earlier, at a concert you cannot do without a short shutter speed, only it can save you from blurry photos that can put all your work down the drain.
- The maximum f-value 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.
Optics selection
Let's take a closer look at the optics, which are chosen by professionals for filming concerts of legendary bands. At such events, you cannot do without a telephoto lens, which is natural, because no one will let you on stage to shoot a star in 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 best friend, choose this friend with a focal length of 70 to 200 mm. If you add to such a lens aperture with a value of, for example, 2.8 L, then it will be ideal for all occasions of club life. The only drawback of such optics is their high cost, the price of such lenses can reach several hundred thousand.
There are options that many will be able to afford and will also provide good image quality, but with a high iso value. This is a 70-200 mm telephoto lens with 4L aperture and a 70-300 mm telephoto lens with 4.0-5.6 L aperture. electricity.
Let's take a look at a number of fixes that you can use if you managed to get close to the stage. The cost of fixes also depends on the aperture ratio of the purchased optics. You will get the brightest and most colorful pictures if you buy not cheap lenses 50 / 1.8 and 50 / 1.4. For close-ups, the 85/1.8 lens is ideal. In addition to the low iso value, you can get a perfectly blurred background thanks to these lenses.
How to choose a locationThe first thing to consider when choosing a shooting point is lighting. The artist's face should be well lit. Ideal if you are in front of the stage and can capture the artist from the front view. You can catch spotlights in the background that will be directed towards the camera and capture the musician in contrast with the backlight. Often lights turn on the backlight of different colors at the same time, catching this moment you will get a very interesting effect in the photograph.
- Choose a vantage point that will help you capture both large portraits of a star and general shots. To take such a stunning location, you have to arrive early and stay on until you get the best pictures.
How to get accredited?
Large concert venues, as a rule, are well guarded and no one will miss you with professional photographic equipment without special permission. How can a simple photographer who wants to learn how to shoot concerts get to the performance? There are several ways.
Working with compositionEmotions, the movement of a musician, this is of course the main thing that a photographer should capture, but all this should add up to a harmonious frame. Diagonals can be the key to a successful composition in concert photography. The diagonal in the frame can be the neck of a guitar, the beams of the spotlights, the movements of the musicians' hands.
Nuances of working at a concertIt's time to give some important tips from the professionals to help you work comfortably at concerts and capture the most important moments of the event.
Many photographers forget to take into account a very important point - at concerts it is loud! Often, in order to get closer to the star, you have to shoot with sound equipment, which can have an extremely negative effect on your hearing. Just a few of these shootings will be enough for the irreparable to happen. Before filming a concert, be sure to purchase earplugs or professional earplugs that musicians use.
Friendship with journalists or the press service of an artist will allow you to find yourself in the most “trump” places during a concert, perhaps even peek behind the scenes and shoot exclusive footage. Also, such acquaintances can provide you with subsequent free visits to the group's performances, for example, for photographs. However, for this you need to have a portfolio of concert photos.
Big concerts with stars always have a special photo zone where you can take pictures of the most famous people who attended the concert and the artists themselves. To get to this area, you need a special photo pass. Take care of getting it in advance so as not to miss a great opportunity to take photos that can appear on the cover of any magazine.
Don't neglect filming a group performing in front of your artist. This will give you the opportunity to set up your camera properly for the performance of the star, get used to the lighting, prepare for unexpected situations.
Lighting during a concert can change dramatically, even an experienced photographer in such conditions can "screw up" the footage, but the RAW format, like a magic wand, will save the day and allow you to stretch the exposure during processing.
At concerts, the atmosphere is always excited, moving through the crowd, you risk expensive equipment. If you decide to walk around the hall and take pictures of the group from different points, 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 an additional light. Reduce the brightness of the flash a few stops and use it as fill light, pointing it slightly at an angle to the scene. You will be surprised what an interesting effect the result is.
You can get incredibly effective footage when you sit right under the stage and take multiple 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 the shooting of concerts and nothing will hinder your movement around the hall.
Post-processingOften, photographs of a filmed concert are needed here and now, especially if you filmed for a specific publication, for which it is vital to be the first to please its readers with photographs from the concert of their favorite band. Try to immediately review the resulting shots and mark 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 have nowhere to rush and you were filming just for your own archive or the archive of the group, do not rush to give the photos in their pure form. Concert photos are almost always lacking in exposure and you can easily fix this with a photo editor if you shot in RAW format. It is also worth working on the color rendition of the photo; by twisting a few settings, you can achieve truly “tasty” colors.
Can you make money on concert photography?Unfortunately, in Russia, photographers for shooting concerts receive only free admission to performances and nothing else. Therefore, if you are photographing concerts, then most likely you are just a big fan of music. Rarely does a photographer work for a fee, and if he does, it’s a one-time job. This was affected by the low development of the music industry as a whole and an insignificant number of serious printed music publications.
However, if you just love great music and live performances, concert photography is a great way to develop a reportage experience and see your favorite artists perform for free. So read this article and put all the tips on concert photography into practice!
I recently filmed a concert "Arias" for the group's future photobook. And in the process of processing these photos, I got the idea to write an article about simple but very effective techniques for shooting concerts, which I often use.
My five techniques for photographing a concert:
1. ISO / Shutter speed / Aperture
With exposure settings, everything is simple and depends solely on the capabilities of your technique.
Does the camera calmly "hold" ISO 1600? Great, we're working at 1600.
Do you have a vibration suppression telephoto? Super, which means that the shutter speed can be set a little longer, without fear of ruining the picture with a stir.
Are you shooting with high-aperture optics? This means you can open the aperture harder and get more depth in the frame.
Do you have an entry-level DSLR with whale optics? Sadly, but not fatal - I started filming concerts with a camera that didn't even hold ISO 640, and I could only dream of high-aperture optics. And before, musicians were filmed on film and nothing, good shots also happened.
So, you are at a concert, standing in front of the stage in the photographer's box.
What exposure settings should I use?
I have one very simple recipe:
Forget about automatic and "program" shooting modes, turn on manual - manual mode.
We set the maximum possible comfortable ISO (some cameras have 800, others 2000), shutter speed 1/125 and "hole" 3.5.
We make a test shot. We look.
Is it too dark? We make the shutter speed longer, say, up to 1/80 or 1/100.
Is it too light? We set the ISO below or close the hole to 4.5, or even 5.6.
Now a couple of nuances:
When shooting with long-focus optics, remember: the longer the focal length, the shorter the shutter speed will have to be set. Shooting from 200 mm, the shutter speed is 1 / 160-1 / 250. At slower shutter speeds, shake is almost guaranteed.
Don't get carried away by open holes. The depth of the picture, the beautiful bokeh is all great, but open aperture = shallow depth of field, which means it will be more difficult to focus on the desired area. Therefore, when shooting a close-up portrait shot, you can set the aperture 2.8, but you should only open up to 1.8 / 1.4 in cases with very low light or using a shallow depth of field as an artistic technique. And if you take a general shot, it is better to cover the diaphragm to 5.6.
By the way, if the words shutter speed / aperture / ISO do not mean anything to you, but only raise questions, I recommend reading our article "Exposure Basics", everything will immediately become clearer.
2. Contrast
Don't be afraid to increase the contrast of the picture. Sometimes only by increasing the contrast and you can "stretch" a boring picture. The colors will become brighter, the picture "clearer", and even the most dull frame can become interesting.
Pay attention to the shots of different photographers from the same concert - some have bright and juicy photos, others boring and dull. That's right, because everyone was shooting in the same conditions (with dull lighting), but those photographers who finished off the contrast got a more interesting picture.
Another very simple and effective processing technique is to add more contrast, and then “dilute” the picture. Shadow / Highlights(in Photoshop or RAW converter). Thus, we will get a contrasting image at the same time, while retaining the details in the highlights and shadows.
3. Experiment with color
Was there poor lighting at the concert? Do you really want to break the hand of the light in three places? And what is the saddest thing - the photos turned out to be absolutely no color?
So change the picture! Feel free to change the color of your stage lighting if you feel your photography will benefit from it.
This can be done in 1000 different ways (like everything in photo processing). The simplest and most effective is working with the white balance settings in the RAW converter.
We have a typical shot spoiled by poor lighting (the whole picture is filled with one color).
Let's see what you can do using the white balance settings.
I work with the Capture One Pro converter, but any decent RAW converter has the same WB processing functionality.
Obviously, with magenta in the frame, we have an overkill - move Tint to the left and add greenery.
Magenta was gone, but the colors of the picture were unhealthy cold. Not a problem - we increase the color temperature to 12,000 Kelvin:
For clarity:
Of course, you can still work and work on the color here, but this is just a couple of passes in the Raw converter, a matter of minutes, and the picture has become much more interesting.
Speaking of color. Simple trick: make the foreground cool and the background warm. Or vice versa.
This is the same contrast, only in color, and works for the viewer just as flawlessly. Of course, lighting at a concert does not always allow you to use this technique, but if you succeed, be sure to use it, and enhance the effect by processing the color.
And always try to enhance color accents.
During Helavisa's speech, photographers could not fail to please the blue back color, but by enhancing it during processing, you can get an even prettier picture:
For such manipulations with color, there are also hundreds of ways in processing. I recommend working with Selecive Color in Photoshop or Capture's Color Editor (which is Capture One Pro). You can also read about the tools for working with color in the article “Photoshop Tutorials. How to create vibrant and saturated colors in Photoshop ”, who is interested, of course.
4. B / W
When there was absolutely no lighting at the concert and the picture looks very dull in color - convert it to B / W, and the photo will immediately become more interesting. If it doesn’t, it means that this frame will not save anything.
B / W pictures have one interesting feature - a black-and-white image focuses the viewer's attention on the details of the frame, a photo in b / w wants to be viewed especially for a long time (if there is something to look at, of course). That is why black and white portraiture is so popular.
How does this apply to concert photography? Take a shot that is full of details, such as a photo of a crowd of fans, and convert it to black and white. The picture will immediately become more interesting - the color does not distract the viewer's attention from the details of the frame.
5. Take, take and another take
Do a lot of takes. Are you shooting a lot already? Shoot even more. Flash drives are now sold in bulk, cameras can quickly "thresh" RAVs. All conditions have been created to make 5-7-10 takes of each "key" moment.
How else? You can, of course, be lucky, and you will be able to “catch the moment” from the first take. Or you may not be lucky, and you will be left without a good photo, you will regret it later. I prefer to rake a ton of RAVs after shooting, but don't miss the shot.
A concert photographer cannot put lights on stage or communicate with musicians like a model in a studio. He can only shoot. That is why concert photography best illustrates that it is not the camera that is shooting, but the person. There may be a dozen photographers at a concert. Everyone is filming from one point, with similar equipment, the same scene and the same musicians on it. And everyone's photos come out different.
