Photography tutorial: Taking concert photos
By Emily Price
If you’ve ever tried to take a picture at a concert you may have had some trouble. Dim concert halls with lit stages typically pose a problem for photographers who are not used to taking pictures under those conditions. Here are some tips to help you improve your concert photos.
Go Manual
The first thing you’re going to have to do to take good concert pictures is learn how to use the manual controls on your camera. The automatic settings in your camera more than likely will adjust for either the room you’re in, or the stage lighting….not taking into account the other as well. The result is often blurry pictures where you can’t tell what (if anything) is on the screen. Using your manual controls will enable you to tell the camera exactly what type of situation you’re working with and achieve the optimal picture quality.
Turn Your Flash Off
If you’re taking your concert pictures professionally, then the performers will more than likely not allow you to use the flash when taking photos. When we’re in a dark space our first leaning is to turn the flash on, but in this case the flash is not going to help your picture quality, and it’s going to be super annoying to those around you as well as perhaps (depending on your proximity) the people on stage. Turn your flash off.
Use a Fast Film Speed
Typically you’re going to want to set your camera at a high film speed around 1600 or 3200.
Aperture and Shutter Speed
These you’re going to want to mess around with, and will depend on your specific situation as well as the type of lens you’re using on your camera. If you have the opportunity, try a few test shots before the concert gets underway to set the perfect aperture and shutter speed for your situation. Once the show gets started you’ll more than likely have to tweak your initial settings into perfection.
Most of the time when I take concert pictures I have to work with my aperture quite a bit to find that sweet spot where pictures come out well.
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