17 Jun 10 Suggestions for Great Concert Photos
Are you going to see the band you’ve loved since eighth grade this weekend? Was your best friend planning to go along, but had a family emergency go down? Whether you’ve promised to document the experience for him, or you’re simply among those folks that prefers to take quality pictures when you attend something cool, this article gives a number of pointers that can help you capture those action photos of the band you love.
• You’ll want to arrive at the venue well before the band goes on stage to allow time for you to scope out the venue, decide the best locations for what you hope to capture, and consider what each vantage point will offer you. And hey, ideally you’d take many photos in each of these locations, as opposed to one or two. You’ll come away without tons of photos from essentially the exact same spot, but with a variety of close-ups and more panoramic views to choose from.
• Except if you’re at an outdoor venue with the concert starting earlier in the evening, it could be hard to catch good photos because there’s generally not a lot of good light to work with. However, being that there are lots of lights on stage, you can still get a good photo. When lights are especially bright where the musicians are and snap away, take advantage of!
• Speaking of light, eliminate using a flash. Not only will this dramatically alter what the stage actually looks like because it makes everything look as though the lights are on (not to mention that it can create red-eye issues, too), it will undoubtedly be obnoxious to the folks sitting by you. Even if you’re aiming to get some sweet photos, you still want to keep in mind that other people are trying to enjoy the show as well.
• One more piece of concert-picture-taking etiquette? You don’t want to be documenting the entire time. Since other folks are all over you, be mindful to stop and relax every now and then. If you’re continually reaching your arms up or to the side to capture some variety (and just moving around in the process), you’re likely compromising the focus and experience of the person beside you.
• Consider taking photos when the band isn’t in the middle of playing their lead hits. If you want more candid, authentic photos without all of the crowd factor (though sometimes you do wish to capture that), take photos when it isn’t as ramped up inside the venue.
• And lastly, you don’t have to be a professional to make great alterations to your photos. If the lighting in your shot isn’t just what you want, or you’d like the whole photo in sepia tone or a specific color pigment, you can make these changes by a simple tap with your fingertip.
Getting to see the band you love in concert isn’t something that happens each day, and hopefully by following these several simple pointers, you’ll come away with some great documentation and awesome memories.