10 Basic music photography tips - Concert photography 101
New to the world of live music photography?
Here are ten essential concert photography tips every new live music shooter should know, whether you're shooting from the crowd or just scored your first photo pass.
Think of this as a follow-up to the completely non-technical post, “6 Tips Every New Music Photographer Should Know” – but if you are new to music photography, be sure to check out that post as well.
Here are 10 simple, tips anyone can use for live music photography - but don't worry, they're all simple and no fancy photo equipment required.
1) RAW
Shooting in RAW provides the greatest flexibility and the highest image quality. With the cost of flash memory and hard drive space so affordable, there's little reason not to shoot in RAW. If you're more comfortable with JPG, consider shooting in RAW + JPG to ensure you're fully prepared for both immediate use and future needs, maximizing the quality of your images.
2) Auto White Balance (AWB)
People often ask what white balance (WB) should be set, but there is no specific Kelvin temperature - if you use the automatic white balance, this is always a good choice. For most indoor shows, auto WB generally gets you in the right range, with the occasional exception of very powerful mono-color LED lighting or mixed light sources. If you're shooting in RAW, you can easily adjust the color temperature later with minimal impact on image quality.
3) ISO
Don’t be afraid to crank the ISO!
While higher ISO can introduce noise, a sharp, grainy image is far better than a blurry, noiseless one. If noise is your biggest concern, it means you’ve done everything else right. With early digital cameras, noise was very pronounced even at low ISO values. But the noise produced by most modern cameras at high ISOs values is absolutely acceptable.
4) Autofocus
Contrast is everything with accurate autofocus. In low light, autofocus errors often arise from competition with higher contrast objects, like lights behind your subject or nearby objects like microphones. AF sensors can lock onto these false targets because they’re larger than indicated in the viewfinder. To avoid this, Giving potential competition a wide berth or changing your angle slightly to give the clearest view to your intended point of focus. For precise focus, target high contrast areas. This might mean autofocusing on a pattern on a subject's shirt instead of their face, or a sharp shadow on their ear instead of the eyes. Make sure they as close to the same distance away from the lens as your intended point of focus. This will improve focus accuracy and give better results.
5) Shutter speeds
Shutter speed dictates how motion appears in your photos. The more active and energetic the artist, the faster your shutter speed will need to be in order to freeze the action. Try to maintain a shutter speed of 1/200 or faster. Anything slower can start producing blurred images. Of course there will be some exceptions to the rule. For very dynamic and high-energy artists, the shutter speed should be as fast as possible. A calmer singer/songwriter sitting still, you can go slower, like 1/80. However, the deliberate use of slow shutter speeds and the resulting motion blur can also be used to create very dynamic images of moving subjects.
6) Aperture
Concerts usually have a quite poor lighting situation, especially in small venues, so it is crucial to set your aperture to the smallest number on your lens e.g. f1.8 or f2.8 (which reflects a big aperture). This allows the most possible light to enter the camera sensor. The best prime lenses generally have an aperture of f1.2, f1.4 or f1.8 whereas good zoom lenses usually have an aperture of f/2.8 and is therefore work great in low light concert photography. That's why it's important to invest in fast lenses when you first start in concert photography. For beginners on a budget, a 50mm f1.8 is always a no-brainer, and is not only a great lens for concert photography, but also perfect for portrait photography.
7) Burst mode
Set your camera to multi-shot (burst) mode. This allows you to rapidly shoot at least three, four or five frames per second (fps) in a row. Modern cameras can also take 10 fps, 11 fps or much more. This increases your chances of getting at least one razor-sharp photo out of several, especially with fast-moving subjects. While not essential, this setting can be a big help, especially when starting out in concert photography.
8) Manual Mode
Apart from strobes and other very short duration lighting effects, most concert lighting stays fairly consistent. Shooting in manual mode allows you to maintain full control of the light around you and helping you to achieve consistent, repeatable results. Sudden changes of bright and low light can easily throw a camera off course and lead to incorrect exposures. Light meters can be misleading and are rarely accurate for every scene or situation. This is especially true in concert photography, where unpredictable lighting makes it even more important to trust your instincts and experience.
9) Flash
In general, you are not allowed to use a flash when shooting concerts. For good reason!
Imagine what it's like when several photographers burst their flashes almost simultaneously - this can be very distracting and quite annoying for the artist on stage. This is probably one of the reasons why there is a “NO FLASH” rule in the stage pits. I always recommend learning to work with the available light, as it’s a key skill in concert photography. And while I don't generally recommend the use of flash in most cases, it's worth experimenting with it to see what results you can achieve if the artist is okay with it. In small, low-light venues, flash can be a game-changer - for example in capturing high-energy jumps with incredible clarity.
For more background informations about ➡️➡️➡️ “The Three Song Rule (First 3 songs, no flash)”!
10) Earplugs
This is the one equipment recommendation I’m going to make - it’s not optional, it’s a must!
Forget everyhting about better photo equipment if your ears are overwhelmed by eardrum-crushing decibels. I highly recommend earplugs for new shooters! Most earplugs are affordable, comfortable, and offer solid noise reduction.
When I was young, I thought it was cool to be at clubs and concerts without earplugs, enjoying the loud music in front of the speakers. Seeing security with foam earplugs seemed uncool, and though my ears would ring after every show, I figured it was just part of Rock n' Roll. I was wrong!
I learned about hearing damage when I found out musicians like Neil Young and Bono suffer from tinnitus - a constant ringing caused by loud music. Spending just 30 minutes in a noisy club can harm your hearing, and rock concerts are even worse.
So don't be an idiot and protect your ears!
For your safety: ➡️➡️➡️ Read my review of these extremely effective plugs!
Conclusion
Now you have it - my 10 essential tips that most pros follow every time they're in the stage pit, but which might not be obvious to new music photographers. Even better is that you can apply these tips regardless of the photographic equipment you use. Whether you're using a point-and-shoot camera or a high-end DSLR/mirrorless.
Check out the following photography informations too
➡️ The great stage pit etiquette guide for music photographers
➡️ Best earplugs for concerts, festivals, sporting & other loud events
Do you have any recommendations or personal guidelines that you find helpful?
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