Concert Photography Masterclass

Stage photography article

For issue 46 of Digital Photographer magazine i wrote an article about concert photography. It gives an overview of everything an aspiring live music photographer might want to know.

I republish it here across two posts. I’ll outline the preparation you’ll need to do before you get to the venue, the process for acquiring a photo pass, the gear you’ll need, the settings you might want to use, some thoughts on technique, etiquette and editing.

Iggy Pop by Daniel Boud

Iggy Pop

ISO 800 | f4.5 | 90mm | 1/250 sec

Imagine you’re at a concert and instead of finding your seat at the back of the arena or contending with hundreds of sardine-like punters, you’re ushered to the very front, right at the performers’ feet.

If you score a photo pass, that could be you.

But you’re not there for fun; you have a job to do: to quickly capture on camera the essence and energy of the performance.

Several factors make stage photography a challenge, including unpredictable action, low lighting, a moving subject and a restricted time limit.

If you have a photo pass you’ll likely be set with the industry standard ‘three songs, no flash’ rule. That gives you about 10 minutes to quickly judge the stage light and capture the action on stage. Without a pass you’ll be physically constrained and annoying other punters while you’re shooting.

The upshot is, you’re photographing a performance, which by its nature ought to be dramatic and visually appealing. The performer is on stage to entertain, looking their best under atmospheric stage light, giving it their all.

While this article is specifically geared to live music, much of the advice is applicable to any low light or stage photography.

The Scare

ISO 800 | F2.8 | 30mm | 1/160 sec

This relatively unknown band called The Scare may not be high profile, but a shot this dramatic can make a great addition to your portfolio.



Before the show and choosing gear

If you’ve never shot a live performance before, be hesitant before pulling strings to request or accept a photo pass for a big concert. Photographing action on stage is quite different to any other type of photography, and until you’ve practiced enough, you may not be ready for the big stages.

If you do get a photo pass for a big gig, you’ll have to work very quickly, in the dark, surrounded by other photographers, security and fans.

You’ll want to feel totally confident about your ability to choose the right gear and settings so you don’t stuff up a big assignment.

Spend some weeks (or months) shooting events at small, local venues.

You’ll have to get used to working with stage light and anticipating what makes a good shot before requesting pit access.

Getting a Photo Pass

Once you’re confident in your ability to take stage photographs you’ll want to aim to get access to the photo pit for bigger performances. It’s a tightly guarded area in front of the stage.

Access is usually controlled by the concert promoter, and can be gained from the band’s manager or the tour manager, but rarely the actual venue.

Your role as an accredited photographer is to capture the performance on camera in order for those images to be published.

You’re part of the give and take of the publicity machine; in exchange for access to a show it’s expected your photos will be published to further promote the act.

That means in order to request a pass you need to be accredited via a publication or photo agency. It’s unlikely you’ll be granted photo pit access as an unaffiliated freelance photographer.

If you don’t already work with a publication that could seek photo access, you may have to start at the bottom and begin sending your portfolio to different publications advertising your services as a concert photographer.

Many concert shooters start out working for free for online publications or street press before they migrate to more mainstream media outlets.

It’s probably the best way to start out and improve your skills.

ISO 800 | F2.8 | 28mm | 1/60 sec

Shot from the crowd at a Dandy Warhols concert. You don’t need a photo pass to get some great shots.

Preparation

Being prepared doesn’t just mean having the right gear. If you’ve got a photo pass it means double-checking the pass is confirmed before you get to the venue and knowing the name and number of the tour manager or promoter should any problems arise at the venue.

If you’re anticipating having to change lenses, have the other lens out of your camera bag ready to switch. Some photographers shoot with two cameras slung over their shoulder, one mounted with a wide-angle lens, the other with a telephoto. 

You also ought to have a spare battery and flash card ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Gear

The Camera

Nearly all concert shooters work on digital SLRs. Because much stage shooting is in low light, you’ll often be using an ISO setting of 800 or above.

When choosing a camera make sure you get one that performs without too much digital noise in that range. The Canon 400D (aka Rebel XTi) or newer 450D (aka Rebel XSi) is very capable, as are most of the newer model SLRs.

Lenses

It all depends on the venue and the light but generally my preference is for large aperture (f2.8 or below) prime lenses. They’re the fastest lenses you’re likely to find and are often just that bit sharper than zooms.

There’s no excuse for not having a 50mm f1.8 lens in your kit, they can be found new for around $100.

Once you’ve got that mid-range covered you’ll want to look at the other extremes: a wide-angle and a possibly a telephoto.

Keep in mind that if you’re shooting from the front of the stage a long telephoto isn’t usually necessary and you’re better off with something wider. You’ll find yourself shooting less than 100mm most of the time.

The Butterfly Effect

ISO 800 | F8 | 28mm | 1/160 sec

As with all photography, it’s all about the lighting. Good lighting, a great pose and click, you’ve got yourself a killer shot.

Gear Guide

Here is some camera equipment that might come in handy shooting live music. It’s a mix a some high end professional gear and more affordable but very good mid-range gear.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
The ultimate festival or arena companion. It helps get closer to the action on the bigger stages, and the image stabilisation helps in the low light.

Nikon AF-S VR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED
For the Nikon shooter who needs a telephoto zoom. With handy vibration reduction.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
A great low-light performer with a wide aperture. The Canon 50mm f1.8 also offers excellent value for money.

Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4
Very good in low-light, which is essential for stage shooting.

Tamron SP AF28-75MM F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF)
Much better value than the Canon or Nikon equivalent. This versatile lens covers the useful 28-75mm range.

Canon EOS 450D
You don’t need the top of the line digital SLR to successfully a capture live performance. This little gem performs well at high ISO’s necessary for low light shooting.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III N
For the professional who requires a fast and rugged camera. This beast has 21.1 megapixels and shoots 5 frames per second.

Camera Settings

ISO

You’ll probably want to set your ISO level to 800 or 1600. At 1600 the images will be getting grainy, but that’s sometimes unavoidable. If you’re in a venue with plenty of light set your ISO lower.

Metering

If your camera allows you to change the type of light metering you should set it to spot mode if available, or partial metering if not. This gives a smaller defined area where your camera will evaluate the light, so the background light won’t affect an accurate exposure of the subject.

Aperture

To let as much light into the camera as possible you’ll need to shoot at relatively wide apertures, often f2.8 or lower. In that range there’ll be a smaller area that’s in focus, so you have to be very exact with your focus point.

Shutter Speed

In a low-light situation you’re going to need to shoot at low shutter speeds in order to get enough light in the camera. Remember the slower your shutter speed the more likely your shots won’t be sharp, either because the subject moves or your hands move.

Sometimes the images may be underexposed, but if the image is sharp and slightly underexposed it can be rescued in Photoshop. If the image is not sharp then there’s no amount of Photoshopping that can rescue it.

Also, if you’re using a telephoto lens you’ll need to shoot at a higher shutter speed, as camera shake from your hands will be more evident.

The Black Keys

ISO 800 | F2.2 | 50mm | 1/320 sec

When you can, try shooting at higher shutter speed or lower ISO. There was enough light on stage to shoot The Black Keys at 1/320 second.

Aperture and Shutter speed combined

If you’re new to stage photography, set your camera to shutter priority or aperture priority and take some test shots.

Once you get to a setting that’s got enough light and is still sharp, stick with that. On shutter priority the aperture will adjust automatically depending on the available light.

Don’t forget to intermittently check your shots on the camera screen and have a glance at the histogram. You want to make sure they’re correctly exposed. If you have to, err on the side of underexposure.

You can always give the brightness a bump in photoshop but nothing will fix your shot if all the highlights are blown out.

All digital photos have Exif data stored in them, this records all your camera settings for each photo. When you’re reviewing your photos later look at the Exif data and note the aperture and shutter speed of your shots and you’ll begin to work out why the shots turned out the way they did.


That’s it for part one. See part 2 for tips on technique, editing, flash and ettiquette.


76 Comments

  1. Hey good article, it’s always interesting reading another photographers perspective on this subject. Nice work!

  2. Nice work, Daniel!
    You think the Tamron is better than the Canon 24-70? That’s crazy talk!

  3. Tal – Not better, but cheaper and very capable. I wanted to show a range of gear. You don’t need an L series lens to get great shots.

  4. Ahh yeah, I read the ‘value’ part after I had left the comment. I have to agree. I took loads of great shots on my kit lens.
    To digress a bit, are you shooting Soundwave?

  5. No i’m not. Although i’d like to – simply to get shots of Juliette and the Licks.

  6. I’ve actually got this magazine, I didnt know who you really were at the time but I really dug the article….
    If only I remembered it for when you and Matt were up in Newcastle for your Music Week talks I could’ve gotten it autographed. πŸ˜‰

  7. It’s an old one, the August issue from 2006. So you’d find it hard to find in newsagents right now.
    I took hi-res photos of the pages in the magazine which are linked off Flickr.

  8. Hey Dan, just a observation on your gear line-up list. I would suggest to change it from a Mark II 1DS to a Mark II 1D N, the N is much faster and is used for sports and action. Congrats on your article. Very well done! ~Trav

  9. Hey Travis – thanks for picking that up. In the printed article i wrote the 1D N, not sure why i changed it here. I’ll change it back again.

  10. Wow! I just discovered ur site. Im in love with what you do. That article is sooooooo helpful, thank u.
    ash

  11. wow…!
    ive been looking for a tutorial like that since AGES…! thanks a lot…i really want to get into this stream of photography,the lovely pictures and great tips have really inspired me to get out shooting,
    anyhow i have
    80-200mm 2.8 ed
    24-85mm 3.5-4.5 ed with a nikon D100
    you think thats ok to start out with?
    please point me in the right direction….

  12. @Shiv – the D100 with 80-200 F/2.8 is great for concert photography. In 2005 I used a D70 and that lens and got some pretty good results at the Woodford Folk Festival: http://www.hybridvision.net/photolog/index.php?date=2006-01-13
    I also was back there in 2006 with a D200 and 70-200VR: http://www.hybridvision.net/photolog/index.php?date=2007-02-10
    Like Dan says, it’s really about understanding of photography and not the gear (once you have reasonable gear, which you do).

  13. Hmm… how does the tamron compare with the Sigma AF24-70mm f2.8 EX DF Asph? I’m trying to decide between the two but they’re pretty new to me. I’m mainly interested in how their focus speed and performance at f2.8 compare.
    thanks for any comments πŸ™‚

  14. Greg – i didn’t mention RAW because i never shoot live stuff using it. The processing time and storage requirements are too great for me. I only use RAW for studio and portrait stuff. But each to their own.

  15. this is an awsome site i shoot with a canon 5d and i shoot in raw for concerts i shoot mostly reggae concerts and festivals but would expand and shoot some rock and roll and some jazz how would you suggest i expand. thanks in advance diane

  16. Thank you for writing this guide – it’s perfect!

  17. Ive just bought a 400D and have been taking photos for my mates band in the uk. After reading your info i now know ive been doing it all wrong.ive adjusted the settings on the camera and wiil see how they turn out. Cheers for the valuable info Dan.

  18. Love your work! Thanks for the helpful info!
    Cheers, eugene

  19. Respect for the article and shots, respect man!

  20. Dan, putting together a bonus Canon camera package together on a limited budget to compliment the camera I’m already working with.
    *Between Canon 30D, Canon Rebel XT, and Canon Rebel XTI, which is the best for low light performance?
    *Is it safe to assume the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens will suit my all-purpose general needs?
    *Regarding the Canon Speedlite 420ex flash, it’s unavailable to me in time for my flight on Monday. Which flash could I substitute it for? The 430ex perhaps? What do you think?
    Your input would be especially appreciated. I’ll be shooting in clubs as well as on the beach. Thanks in advance.

  21. I am officially in love with your photo of Dan Auerbach!
    I shoot with a Rebel XTi (400 D) as well, and I love it, although my lenses leave a little bit to be desired! I take concert photos, too, and they generally come out quite nicely. Having shot with non-SLR cameras before, it was very important to learn to anticipate movement!

  22. I like to brag that, like the Black Keys, I am from Akron, Ohio!

  23. Great Stuff!
    I’m an established sports photographer making the transition to concert photography. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve been able to shoot several shows with a flash. I only use fill flash, so its only a wink and I always ask the band if it was distracting. So far every one has said they didn’t even notice it.
    I just had the humiliating experience of being hired by a national act to shoot a gig in a venue that forbids the use of flash. (I found out later that I could have if the artist had cleared it with the house) My shots were perfectly composed & exposed and looked great in the thumbnail browser. But when I opened them, most were motion blurred. I tried every metering, and focus mode and couldn’t get dialed in. (I also only had 3 songs in which to do so) I did get a few decent shots and the artist was stoked, but I was really upset with myself for failing so miserably.
    You’re article was great… really confirmed that most of what I am going is correct. I have been centerweight metering instead of spot, and opting for a too slow shutter speed instead of going a little under exposed and compensating in my raw editor. Those two tips alone will probably save me a lot of shots in the future. Why didn’t I think of that!
    Thanks Again
    Rich
    MySpace: PhotoNC
    http://www.kwikshots.com

  24. Great article πŸ™‚ i have just got my first digital SLR , a D200 with a Nikon 18-70mm F3.5-4.5
    Do you think think i need to buy any other lenses ?
    Ollie

  25. This was a great article, very well writen and informative. I am a budding photographer and I’ll be trying my hand at some concert photography for the first time this summer. I’ve been doing my research and I know my technical stuff pretty well, as I’ve been shooting for years…
    Thanks for posting your tips and experiences!

  26. Great article. I found it after I shot a gig last night.
    Haven’t used film SLR in a long while, or shot concerts.
    I have a question. I used iso 400 film on the same iso setting, I’m worried it wasn’t enough although stage was better lit than usual ones. Is there anything I can do while developing? well at a lab?

  27. Hi great article.
    covered a few concert and Jazz gig shoots .
    If you dont work for a paper of mag. then having work printed in the press and a web site portfolio can help.
    lens’s: nikon af-s70-200 2.8 and old 35-70 2.8
    Camers 2 x D200
    But one which I found was a good alrounder is 80mm 1.8
    Noise is a problem but clean images up using neat image.
    Thanks again for advice. Peter

  28. One of the problems I constantly have is that purples turn out blue-ish and I don’t know which type of white balance to use. Any comments? If I use cloudy, everything is yellow; with fluoro or lightbulb (indoor light), everything is blue; with auto, nothing looks right. I use a Nikon D200 and D80, with a Nikon 18-200 f3.5-5.6 lens, usually fully zoomed in, so minimum fstop is 5.6.
    A

  29. Great site by the way! i was just wondering, i really want to take some decent shots at some festivals during this summer. As i have nowhere to store my gear i cant risk taking my D200, can you think of a compact digital camera that would get good results or advise me on what im looking for?
    I was thinking of a large zoom and wide aperture. One of the problems that im facing is i will have nowhere to recharge a battery? I’ve been looking at the Fujifilm 6500 & 9600 as they take both AA batteries and rechargable ones, but was wondering if there was anything similar but more compact?
    Any advise? Thanks.

  30. Hi Dan.
    Thanks for the very useful tips for music photography on your site. I’ve been practising and getting more passionate about my photography in general, but haven’t done much music photography. I have a Fuji FinePix S5600, 5MP camera (the bridge type, that looks like an SLR, but isn’t quite). It has all the various shooting modes (Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, Programme, etc) and one can control the ISO (from 64-1600), Manual focusing, 10x Zoom and other various settings.
    I’m on a tight budget and can’t (yet) move into DSLR territory, but I really would like to get into music photography. In your expert opinion, do you think the S5600 can be used for such photography? I realise that photos won’t be as good as with a DSLR, but nonetheless what settings can I use to make the most of my camera in such instances?
    Thanks a bunch and I hope to hear from you soon.
    Regards,
    Jovan

  31. Thanks for all the advise. I’ve been looking into concert photography and had a ton of questions, you covered many of them.

  32. Dan and Gregg… on the topic of use of Raw vs JPEG’s I have found that combining the use of the two can work out very well. Especially in my case where I have been shooting at festivals recently where you get a wide range of light souces, ranging from daylight to stage lights.
    When shooting with daylight, or good stage lights where you can use lower ISO’s I shoot with JPEG’s to conserve space. But on the otherhand, when shooting in lower lighting conditions I go back to RAW as this format will allow for greater latitude in post production. Just my two cents.
    Shoot on shutterbugs & Jam on live music fans
    A.Hill

  33. Like Shiv above I’ve been looking for an article like this for ages and it’s been very helpful. I have a Fuji S9600, I know technically it’s not an SLR but it’s as close as you get to one!, the only thing it lacks is the facility to remove the lense. I also have a Metz external flash. Do you recon they’re up to the job?
    thanks
    Sam

  34. Fantastic article and just in time for my next round of Police concerts. I’ve just moved into DSLR and need to decide on a lens. Thanks for clearing things up for me.

  35. Is there anyway of replicating the lighting at home to practice?

  36. Thankyou sooo much for these tips! I just got back from my first ever gig with a photo pass and by following the settings you recommended, the pictures came out so well! I am a very happy bunny!

  37. Is there a lens (doesn’t have to be Canon or Nikon) that covers a wide range for indoor concert photography? Like maybe an f/2.8 (or bigger aperture) that ranges from 15 or 18mm to 150 or 220mm? Or am I expecting too much? Thanks!

  38. great shots!!!! at what point did you feel you were getting somewhere? theres that leap from being your own kind of success to being a wanted success where people seek your professionalism. do you just do it so much that your work becomes recognizable?
    sorry if this comment sounds more like an interview. i am sincerely curious and you seem like the perfect brain to pick.

  39. Ah man, your advice was so sweet you made me buy a Canon 50mm F1.8 for my EOS 30D =D

  40. Thanks for the tips – I’m off shooting my first gig tonight – It’s a small enough venue and a band I hadn’t heard of before but they seem cool – I’m quite nervous, but excited at the same time. Taking my Nikon D50 and my new Nikon 50mm F1.4 lens – I don’t own a decent wide angle lens yet, and I won’t get far back enought to use my 70-300mm zoom (I think it would be too slow anyway)

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