Concert photography

DEVELOPING POTENTIAL IN YOUNG PEOPLE

CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY:

Date: 23/01/2011
Venue: The India Habitat Centre

Key points of discussion:

How do you start out?

Technique:

1. Need specific techniques for concert photography
2. Entry level is the DSR Camera
3. Kit lenses
4. The key is that you need to know your gear well
5. To be able to change settings on your camera, while being aware simultaneously of what’s
happening.
6. Practice helps you prepare for the bigger gigs/concerts and become better
7. Be aware of the limitations, the nois
8. 1/15 – can’t capture motion that easy
9. Absorb the scene before you begin shooting. Slow the process and take your time
10. Quality over quantity, fewer frames work better
11. To capture the essence, it’s important to observe the performance of the bands and their stage
presence
12. Make the composition first and then use your gear
13. Get to the venue early, check out the setting
14. You have to know the music you’re shooting, so that you can anticipate the moments, for example,
the guitar solo
15. Lighting extremely integral
16. What distinguishes a good photographer from a bad photographer is the selection process.
17. Every performance requires a different technique with respect to rock music, dance, jazz
performance
18. Who are you shooting for, is important to keep in mind
19. Carry ear plugs
20. The usability of flash; Need to know when to use the flash and when not.

Getting down to the basics:

How do I gain Access?

 It’s easy to get access to bands and pubs, difficult to get bigger bands and photography rights can
be an issue sometime.
 Journalists get easier access. Organizers will sometimes give photographers access to shoot the
performances
 Shooting for a sponsor can ensure band access.

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BEFORE the Gig:

1. Understanding the camera
2. Understanding the lighting- patterns + Waiting for the light + Metering + adjusting settings + RED
light
3. Aperture priority/Shutter Priority or Manual? Focus modes? Pre focusing/focus locking/
4. Have a look around. Wait for a couple of songs so you understand the band, the lighting etc better.
This is if you’re shooting small local gigs
5. Don’t forget the drummer, Know who you are shooting, research about the band, knowing the
music, Getting to the venue early, knowing the musicians+ music. Anticipating- Solos, Jumpsetc.
6. TIMING

DURING the Gig:

7. Horrible front light, and be nice sidelight if you’re shooting from the side, and wait for the artist to
turn towards you, or it can be a proper backlight if you end up behind the artist-Change your
position and the relative position to the light to see where the light is looking the best.
8. Avoiding Microphones/Stands etc- Composition. (Maybe get some stock shots in, or get some
photographs with the headstock to give to guitar companies etc)
9. Working the venue—Angles + perspectives + crowd shots
10. Using flash? Mixing ambient and flash light-
11. Etiquette- Not spoiling the show for the fans, not blocking the video crew, not coming too close to
the performer, Small footprint, Camera bag can hurt/distract people, move away if you’ve made
your shot, changing lenses on stage or in front of the performer, checking your LCD,
12. Jazz or classical gig Vs Rock gig—Movement, sound, position, when to shoot when not to shoot,
anticipating etc
13. Holding camera correctly for minimum blur
14. Paying attention to the background
15. FULL band shots
16. When to press the shutter- ‘in the moment’ shots. Not the usual poses, something personal,
something different.
1) ISO?
2) At f1.8 you’ll be able to shoot at faster shutter speeds because the camera is letting more light
into the lens. But there’ll also be a smaller area that’s in focus so you have to be very exact with
your focus point.
3) Checking focus etc
4) EAR PLUGS- Important.

AFTER the Gig:

1. Photo Pass
 Do you need one? How do you get one? : Building Connections- Emails- Photos in exchange for
access- Being associated with a publication.
 What you are offering the band: Social Media/Shooting for the venue?
 Importance of building a varied portfolio.
 Different approaches to shooting- Editorial+for the musicians+ for the Publicist + for your self
 How to get published? Where to get published? Knowing your market? Who buys concert
photographs? Documentation?

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N-204 Greater Kailash, New Delhi – 110048. T.: +91.11.46792243

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1) Editing- Making TIGHT edits, getting it down to say 12-20 photographs from a full night of shooting
bands.
2) Editing differently for Magazines/publicists/ bands
3) Image archiving
4) Photoshop Vs. Aperture/Light room
5) Black and white conversion etc.
6) Down to the best 3. If you’re going to show other people your photos don’t show them everything,
just the very best. They’ll assume all your shots are that good.
7) Spend time shooting small gigs/local gigs to perfect technique before you reach out for those press
passes and larger gigs.
8) f you spot a particularly bright spotlight behind a performer move around till it’s directly behind
the subject. It’ll give them a warm halo of light.
9) Upping the contrast/blacks—Exposure—vignettes –Color cast

How to get your images PUBLISHED/SOLD etc:

1. Emailing magazines
2. Regularly updated archives
3. Sources: Liveshots, NH7/Indiecision, Indianrockmp3-email.
4. Mail music journalists/photo editors with links to your work- but do not spam. You need to know
who uses pictures of the local scene, and get in touch with those people. But before that making
sure your images are of the top quality is important, because they’re busy, and do not usually end
up looking at the same portfolios over and over again.
5. Selling prints through the bands fanbase?
6. Roycin--- Calendars
7. Shiv- Prints/ Signed prints
8. Vijay Kate- Shooting for the sponsor—But need to get the branding in.

Whose copyright is it anyway?

1. Does the copyrighting with the photographer?
 There’s a legal aspect and ethical aspect.
 The rights lie with the creator, unless the photographer chooses to sign it off.
 Need to take permission from the band you’re shooting; ethical issue
 Flicker: Non commercial use is allowed, as long as the credit is given
 If credit is not given, there’s no point in giving your photograph to any newspaper. The organizer
cannot give out photographs without the photographer’s permission.
 How do we ensure that the pictures are not misused?
 PDF is a better format to send the photographs in.
 Watermark your photographs

So, will I make Money?

 It’s tough to get money out here.
 Bands find it difficult to make enough money to pay photographers
 Ideas on how to get income; Customized calendar of the band/ Prints/ Signed prints/Shooting for
the sponsor: Including their branding./ Merchandise with the band’s signature.

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AUDIENCE INTERACTION

Questions:

Q1: How do you read a lens, specifically F 28 (Aperture)

 If you don’t understand a certain thing, Google it 

Q2: When you want to publish your photographs, how do you approach the media?

 Select the best 5 frames out of the 300 frames you shoot in night. Research on the magazine
where you want to publish, to see their work
 Send a tight set of 5 – 8 pictures to the media.
 Spread out and find out the target magazines that are looking to publish.
 If you’re assigned to a shoot, get a brief on what the editor wants and follow the deliverables.

Q3: Is noise a problem?

 There’s no problem, the moment is more important than the noise.

Q4: Most of the pictures are zoomed in, and focused. Why?

 The distance from the stage could be a reason. But there are no such hard facts, wide angle is also
used

Q5: Do you shoot at 2.8?
 If the lighting is good, I reduce the aperture (5.6)
 I like wide angle shots. If you’re shooting a band, I’d want the whole band. The band also likes full
shots.

Q6: What is the process followed for post processing?

 Using Photoshop is tedious, just fine tune your photographs and use original picture as much as
possible

Q7: Personal inspiration?

 Face book, where one can get in touch with other photographers, get a good critique and craft
your style

Q8: Careers in Concert Photography
 Can be difficult for school children because they aren’t allowed inside bars and pubs. Other venues
can be explored
 Rules are meant to be broken, if school kids can get inside they should!
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Concert photography

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