Learn To Be A Concert Photographer (TIPS)
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- Опубликовано: 29 май 2017
- Ever wondered what it takes to be a concert photographer? Is there a right and/or wrong way to photograph a concert? We give you tips and tricks for photographing your next concert, rock show, or live event!
Steve has photographed literally over 1000 live concerts and has a lot of information to tell you!
You then will see us as we photograph the Eli Young Band as they performed in South Lake Tahoe!
www.panopticchopsticks.com/
Join us as we break down concert photography into the "C's" You will learn how to make a great image in any light. When to shot and when to not shoot and what makes an image that the band will be proud of.
Follow us along as we put it all into action shooting images of the Ely Young Band in concert.
#concertphotography #concertphotographer #eliyoungband 
Хобби
Can you post the link to the earplugs and the blue flashlight?
I was about to leave this video because of the fooling around at the beginning, however the advice and clarity when you got into it was worth hanging in there for. VERY informative Steve.
Thank you, and thanks for watching! We know sometimes we goof around too much!
Steve is the guy who leaves a party when the dj doesn't want to play the song he requests 😂
Thanks to your short brief at the begining of the video, about concert photography; i realise why i'm so moved n driven to do it again n again!
Awesome, thanks for the feedback!
Love how much fun you guys have when you're doing your videos! This one was great!
Thanks for watching! We love what we do!
Amazingly helpful! Thank you, not just the technical stuff, but also the parts where you show how to provide profesional service :-)
Not touched a for camera 30ys. New camera, new Pc off I go! Use to stick to macro. Friend at photo club said come with me to photo local gig.
1st wk- camera stayed in bag, I did a review of place, lighting & where I could stand.
3 gigs later, I've got the bug. Used your tip to photo on base note 🎶 TOP TIP! My friend was amazed at my photos. Now struggling with editing. Learnt to be a photographer nowadays, you also need to be a computer whizz! I'll get there! Anyway, out again on Thursday. Much appreciation!
Glad the video helped you get back on the horse again. Wishing you the best as you shoot more music.
Thanks you this is all I wanted I start my concert photography.
Thanks guys, it’s been a few years and I needed a refresher course!
Thank-you guys 🎉
Great information that’s presented well!
This video is absolutely fantastic. Great tips, amazing photos. Thank you !!!
Thank you, and thanks for watching!
By far one of the best videos on concert shooting I’ve seen. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words! And, thanks for watching!
Good information here, thanks for putting this together.
Great shots in point. Most time, if I shoot Shows or Akteurs in a Circus my settings are F2.8 on 24/70 or 70/200 ISO 1250 on Canon 6D . If I take Pictures in time of shot I close one eye for a second the open both to see what’s going on... sometimes got two body’s with me. Second is a canon 7D
I may be shooting my first concert tomorrow night so thank you for this. It has been very helpful!
How did it go I'm about to shoot my first
Insightful 🙏 Thank you for creating such good content.
Thanks for all the rules and tips for covering concerts.
This is such a great hands on video. Thanks
I shot my first concert about 3 weeks ago it was a Benifit concert for a friend's family, 2 night event 19 bands best concert I have ever seen I wish I had seen this first but it turned out really good. I learned more in that shoot than I have in 3 years of shooting. I have never charged $ for any picture I want to just keep it fun. SUBSCRIBED
I just shot some pictures last night and you're so right about the ear plugs and the mic stand. I just subscribed
Thanks! Concerts require patience to get a shot without a mic in the face....
It's the 1st time I got so emotional while watching a video. I felt like I was shooting with you in the Ely Young Band concert. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing video. Indeed the most fun is concert photography. All photographers I know, love playing drums. I wish I could go shooting with you. You guys are so fun and I learned a lot from both of you. I really feel grateful I found your video. What about using the Flash mode even if we don't use the flash. I never tried myself but I heard that can give us consistent WB. I suppose we should not use the Flash as this can distract musicians even if we use some settings not to flatten the image.
Fantastic Video. Thank-you to you both. :-)
Thx for the tips guys I normally don't do concerts but got asked by a friend because he likes my pictures I take at sport events and f1 but haven't done concerts.
I have a concert that i'm shooting in a few days, and this tutorial has been incredibly helpful!!!!
Thanks for watching. We are glad you found it helpful.
Most informative concert photography video I've come across so far! Saving this for future reference 👌
Thank you, we love hearing that!
This video was extremely helpful!! Thank you!!
Awesome, glad you got something from it!
Well that was just awesome, entertaining and informative. Liked and Subbed. Now I'm stoked to go practice shooting some concerts.
Thanks! Go shoot some concerts!
Brilliant video thanks guys!
thanks for watching
Just watched! Learned a ton. I would ♥ the link to ear plugs and flash light. Thanks so much!!
This is the best video on concert photography on RUclips. I will be shooting my first concert this Saturday :)
Thank you for the compliment Steve! Good luck on the concert!
shooting with the kickdrum!! brilliant!! I'm a musician and I have a show tonight, my wife is an amateur photographer so we're here getting some tips for tonight and that is an amazing tip!!
Thanks for watching. Hope your shoot went well.
These are some great tips. Best ones I've seen so far. When it comes you editing the blue or red lights, can you use a local adjustment for the skin? I use luminosity masks for a lot of my editing in Photoshop to target specific luminosity and colors. I was thinking you could make a selection on the skin and then use a hues/saturation adjustment. By the way, I'm getting a pass to take pictures of Jefferson Starship tonight at the Helen Keller festival at a park in the city. They will start just before dark so lighting will come into play. Also, do you ever under expose for the highlights on the singers and musicians?
great advice... never shoot with AWB either, on the GH5S that I use for lowlight, it can really change the color lower to a blue tint, so I'll test it out. Great advice Steve!
Thank you Micharl, and thanks for watching!
What an incredibly valuable content. Absolutely mindblowing.
Glad you enjoyed it.
@@PanopticChopsticks one question, now that I think of it. There is a common talk about the need/benefits of talking with the technician managing lighting during the event. My question, as a newbie, is: what shoul we ask? What matters and helps us working better, that the techician could share with us? And more generally, how do you approach them, usually?
Got the earplugs. Thanks for the tip!
You are welcome!
Woow, this a great, useful video! Thanks a lot
Thanks for watching!
Looks like a fun pair to work with. Happy shooting
Thanks for watching Pat!
Great video!
Thanks for watching Kim!
Interesting!! I never shoot with Auto WB as I like to set a value and bulk edit. It helped me edit faster in batches. That way my images capture the change in lighting but keep the same tones.
We deal with a lot of lighting directors, they want the stage (lights/color) to look exactly as they set up. Shooting Auto White Balance gets it very close, too many variables that can go wrong when shooting a multiple color stage.
This was a great video. You covered so many things that I keep thinking about and found myself agreeing with you on. The two bad light colors for example. I shoot some of the local bands who cover name bands and I hate seeing water bottles on stage. Usually two or three at any given time. They usually end up in the shots and I have to try and crop them out and then lose a bit of my composition. New subscriber and look forward to seeing more videos.
Thanks Mark, glad to have you watching!
Very good video wish i watched it earlier. I failed my first gig using f4 ending up full of noisy pics, only other option for the next is 50mm 1.8 ...any tips ?
I like how you mentioned about not being bothered all that much about the rule of thirds etc. I like to think yes remember it but I think at the same time breaking all the rules can make an amazing image as well. As someone who is trying his best to overcome some personal issues and maybe get into concert photography great advice! I've got a question though, although others may not care as you'd be focusing on your own work. What goes through your head when you see a new/amateur photographer in the pit etc?
Most of the time I am thinking.."why is that guy just shooting from the same angle over and over. you really need to move around to find the best shot. Thanks for watching.
I shoot a lot of local, small metal bands and the lighting designs are usually awful for these little bars. Talking about red and blue for fill, have you ever shot an entire set where the back and fill lights are either all red or blue? I resisted black and white for quite a bit because much like you, I had this idea that it was being used to hide bad photographs, but I would work, work, work a show and try to wait and get different and good light but it would just never come. Now, when I do my edits, if I've shot one of those "one color sets" most of my pictures will be black and white because it just isn't really possible to make them look great.
Use a custom white balance. If you can get the lighting people to set up the white light, take a white balance from the stage. Get someone to hold a white or grey card for you. Everything else comes from that.
Hands down, the most informative video I have watched about concert photography! I'm going to put these tips in to practice tonight. Cheers!
Thanks, and thanks for watching!
Super great video btw. I forgot to say
Thanks Julie!
I have had the opportunity of photographing Eli Young in Concert!!
They are a blast to shoot!
GREAT video. Very informative..
Thanks, and thanks for watching
Great video! Im fairly new to concert photography and knew some of this but very helpful. Would love to see a concert photography editing video (if you don't already have one). I can get the settings and all that but when it comes to editing I don't even know where to start. Thanks!
Edit: What are your thoughts on back button focus for concert photography?
Thanks for watching, we have been talking about doing another concert video which would include editing.
Great video. Maybe the best tutorial about concert photography here on RUclips. Often i bring de colortemperature down till max 2300 Kelvin. Blues and reds are more acceptible then/not that harsh. This setting is nailed on C2 on my mirrorless camera.
Thanks for watching Perry!
First concert gig in 2 weeks. Thanks for the starting points guys. My initial reaction on the booking was anxiety tbh 😋
Hey! I hope it went well! I have my first one tonight and I am SO anxious...
Hope it helped
Um, in the video you stated that you would post the link to the little blue flashlight, right? I read all the comments and responses and couldn't find it, am I missing something here? Thanks a bunch!
F*** aperture-priority. I totally agree Manuel is the way to go. If you're not any good at manual practice more. You'll get there.
I often take concert pictures at Reggae events... So most of the lights are red and green. I like red, so it looks cool to me, but when it comes to green, it is very awful. Some concerts in clubs have a terrible lighting too, so I have to use ISO higher than 1600
any advice for shooting with a 85mm 1.4 Sigma ART
Sir thanks for this excellent video...!
I was using a Nikon D7000 for shooting concerts and recently I sold off the camera and the lenses too as I was looking forward to take the Sony Mirrorless series....!
Need your advice if mirrorless (SONY A7 iii) are a good option or should I stick to DSLRs...
We are huge fans of the A7iii, that is coming from two Nikon guys! The Sony would work great for that kind of photos!
this is a very good video, very well put. One question on your iso you mentioned 1600, do you also use auto iso, or just set as so.
I was hoping to get some insite on the iso settings auto iso or fixed. any help please.
I thought you guys were going to link products in the description.
Cade Crippin
1 second ago
I was hoping to get some InSite on the iso settings auto iso or fixed. any help please.
Guys, would you put informaion on your photos, such as type of camera, iso, speed, lens. SO we can learn more. Thx
It was awesome seeing the Christian artists! Pretty rare to see that.
I am going to do my first concert, very small, of a friend. I want a 24-70mm for my Nikon but can’t afford it. Or even come close! I might rent one depending on price. Great tips in here. Thank you.
Another great option is the Tamron 28-75mm 2.8, you can find them used for a very good price! This is a great lens. Good luck on the concert!
Do you guys always use a lens hood on the 70-200mm as those hoods can be quite large and wondering if you need it indoors with the stage lights.....Thanks.
Yes we do, one of the main reason is they are the best way that we have found to protect the front glass. Not using them to prevent glare, just protection.
I've been taking photos at church services. Church services looks like concert. Lighting is purple and red though out the whole service. It's very challenging to Photograph. Thanks for the tips..
We just got finished with 4 weeks of photographing a camp with that exact problem. We finally sat down with the lighting guy and worked through it with him. Sometimes the person running the lights just need to be gently educated on what is going on inside the cameras.
First time here and enjoyed the "interview-style" followed by on-scene video and tips.
Question: at free Summer outdoor concerts, is it OK to take lots of images without a press pass or band permission?
I'm new, and want to combine my lifelong love of music with my new-found love for photography. Would like to start building a portfolio of concert photos that I can point to when I do ask for a press pass at a concert where people pay. Thought local, smaller outdoor summer concerts would be a good place to start
Hey Mark - After shooting hundreds of concerts in a wide variety of locations I have always found it best to talk to someone, whether its the band, promoter or venue. Nothing worse than getting permanently banned from a location or just get a bad reputation in the industry. You would be surprised at how open people are if you are just open and honest upfront.
Local is a great place to start. You will want to have a good sized web based portfolio built up before you ask for a pass. Many promoters will want to take a look at your work before they issue a pass or permission to shoot a "big" act or a ticketed event.
It is the best place to start, if the concert is public then you do not need permission to shoot. These events are the best way to build a portfolio, most concert photography is unpaid unless you are hired by someone up front like the band, the venue or promoter (can't beat the seats!). If you do a good job, obey the venue rules make it easy to have people get the photos (no watermarking) then they will seek you out!
Thanks guys. Yeah, can't hurt to ask even though it is free and open to the public. Can't wait to get started!
Hi great video!! What focus point do you use eg single, 9 points ect
Hi Jonny - For Concerts you will always want to use single point focus and use back button focus and re-compose or move your single focus point to your desired subject.
Panoptic Chopsticks Any recommendations for a D850 and nikon 24 70 f2.8 g af-s ed set up? I just starting to get into Theatre photography and and concert photography. Basically dark rooms with rubbish lights as these are not professional lighting rigs.
Great tutorial guys...thanks for sharing....one question, do you recommend shooting one shot auto focus or continuous auto focus?
Paul Glass we both have our cameras set to back button focus which allows us to both lock focus by releasing the back button or holding it down for continuous. We shoot Nikon, I believe Canon and Sony has the same options.
Hey Paul great question. We always shoot single shot auto focus. The lighting is just too dynamic in most cases to use continuous. The camera would struggle to lock focus. Happy shooting!
Thank you for the reply. Have I grasped this right for shooting with my Canon 6D.
1. Configure the * button on the rear of the camera to perform and lock autofocus. (back button focus)
2. Configure the shutter button to lock exposure when pressed halfway down.
3. If required recompose the shot with focus and exposure remaining locked.
4. Press shutter button fully down to complete the shot.
Do you ever use an extra flash if the faces are not lit properly by the venue. Some places have terrible lighting
We never use any type of flash at a concert.
Hi and thanks for the great tips, super important specially for beginners like me!
I just shot my first concert ever (been into photographing only for 6 months) and I totally ruined about 70% of my pictures with too high ISO (6400 in most pics), I didn`t see the noise from the cameras small screen during the concert:(, so I learned that my Canon 77D can only do ISO3200 or under, I also ruined some photos by burning skin in red and blue spotlights, so I learned to hate those color lights on the first gig:D, is there any way to prevent that burn?
I mean the skins in some pics were just burning, no way to save them afterwards.
My second question: what picture setup do you use for low light concerts, auto, normal, portrait, landscape, neutral, details? And why?
Thanks!
-Janne
Hi Janne - Color burn happens with the new led lights that the concerts are using and it is hard to avoid. Just try setting your iso as high as you feel comfortable with and run your shutter speed up. That will help. Our cameras are always set on the Standard picture control but we only shoot raw so the picture control setting has no effect on the raw image only on the image preview.
@@PanopticChopsticks Thank you for your answer. That led light was terrible news, my ISO was all ready too high (6400) for my camera (77D), I shoot raw too so no need to worry about the picture settings, thanks!
I was 100% with you on your video until you said that black and white was simply impatience. Sure, I've shot shows in some truly awful lighting and black and white was the only way to "save" the photos. But a lot of times, that's what you get when you have only three songs to shoot in the pit. But that has nothing to do with patience. Most often, I use black and white because sometimes the contrast is beautiful. I use black and white to bring out textures where a color version would have downplayed them. I'll use black and white to emphasize an emotion or a mood. We learn photography starting with black and white on film. We learn to see just the lights and shadows? Why would that stop just because there are colorful lights? I try to see things in b/w just as much as I see them in color when shooting a conert.
is everyone else here because they’re shooting their first concert soon
ISO 1600, Wide open, ride shutter speed, hold camera steady. Check. Thanks.
You got it! Thanks for watching!
I want to shoot black metal gigs and the kick drum tip confuses me
timely video...
Great to hear! Thanks!
Very interesting video. So much videos on youtube just saying fast shutter, wide open and high iso, like if nobody thought of that xd
Thanks for watching!
customs made music ear plugs are amazing. I don't go anywhere without ear plugs.
About the auto white balance... wouldn’t it be better to have it sit at 5200k so that the camera isn’t fighting with the original colors of the concert? Seems like a nightmare to try to edit them all with possibly different colors. Just my $0.02
Hi Rodrigo - Concert lighting is so variable that setting it to a daylight balanced k would not give you an accurate picture of what the concert really looked like. Auto does the job most of the time.
Mic Stands.... PURE HATERED OF MIC STANDS! AND OMFG RED !!!! RED LIGHTS!!!!! ARGHHSSSS!!!!!!! OMG I'm not alone with Blue also! When I did my first gig and it was blue and green.... The blue flooded the stage, I dropped out the blue and kept the green to least make the photos look good. You dunno how many photos I've lost to Red or Blue flood lights that never change.
Thanks for watching! Down with the red and blue!
Great tips. Looks exhausting. Unfortunately a singer sounds best when they’re on the mic. Best to take shots of them as they back off for some band members solo then turn get that. I’m a musos wife so I have advantage of knowing the songs and understanding their habits.
I mean... the video content was great. But the intro was so cringy... barely survived...
Glad you made it, we just like to goof around and sometimes our idea of funny just doesn't translate to everyone, we get it.... Thanks for watching!
I have been shooting mostly locals for 5 years. My photos have made promo posters for shows, radio stations and even a couple CD inserts. All local stuff of course. Every concert photo I have taken has been with the wrong camera. Which I knew the day I got my camera. I didn't have much money so I got a 70D. I have gotten shots that Sevendust asked for and a couple Breaking Ben asked me to take down. :-(. In the next 4 days I am getting a Sony A7RIII. And all new glass. I am so incredibly frightened. The 70D is rubbish. I am hoping the only thing I have learned was how to shoot better because of the limitations and challenges of my equipment. I do use a fisheye. A plucky little Sigma EXDG 15mm 2.8. Which sadly I will be giving up as they do not offer one for the A7 series. And it doesn't work with the Sigma MC adapter. I shoot in small venues and I love the dirty punk feel the lens gives me. Otherwise I shot only on the Sigma 18-35 1.8. It's been faithful glass for 4 years. My settings are almost always 1.8f, 50 to 80 at 800-1600 iso. I don't need to tell you how limiting and unforgiving those tight tolerances are in a small venue using few front of house LED cans and LED side stage light strips and lots of movement. Brutal. Post correction is zero fun. Add theatrical fog and I just put my camera away and start drinking local IPAs. I have never tried hard to get photo passes. I do not have a connection with a local print media outlet. Mostly I have shot at small venues as you stated and taken locals up on national shows if they ask. But I want to do the national large venue shows. And hopefully reach the level of art you have. I want my art to matter. Though the bands rave about what I have done for them, I hate all the photos. I think that's because I'm never happy because I always want better. And hopefully that's a peak I will never summit. So AAALLLL that being said, thank you for the video. Almost everything you talked about are the things I stumbled across on my own through much pain and artistic anguish. But hearing it from pros silences many of my inner self doubt demons. I vomited all that out to you because even down to the blue pen light, I know all your truths. Its nice to know I am sort of heading in the right direction. I feel oddly vindicated. If that is not too bold of me to say.
PS Drummers suck! And I love them so because of it. Bass players are the easiest cause they all have an inferiority complex. And they try way harder to give you an amazing shot. But one thing I have found as another truth you didn't mention. And I hope you agree. I don't just talk to the lighting engineer when I can, I go out of my way to shot them. They work so very hard and they totally soak up that love. I will also take to the merch table. Getting the genuine street style candids of non-headliners interacting with the fans can be gold. I don't shot for money. In fact I always turn it down. Locals have no money anyway. I do it because live music is why I was born. Oh and because I am totally tone deaf, cannot sing a lick and if I tried to play an instrument it would sound like 3 horny rabid weasels in a burlap sack. Thanks again.