As a concert photographer you must
be prepared to get good shots in a number of lighting conditions.
One you will be working with some of the best and most dramatic lighting
you could ask for, the next you’ll be photographing a band at the back of
your local pub.

Not every venue makes it easy to get great concert photos, but
here are some tips that will help you get the best shots possible not matter
the light situation.

Primes lenses 

Prime lenses are your friend when it comes to low light
situations, and if you’re just starting out, you don’t have to break the bank
either.

Photo by Brighton concert photographer Charles Shepherd at Room.C Photography | The Dome, London

Though primes lenses have a
fixed focal length, their wide apertures make them a must have for concert
photography. You can pick-up a brand-new 50mm 1.8 lens for as little as £100,
or even cheaper if you go for a second hand one. 

The Nikon AF-S 35mm 1.8 has proven itself time and time again
to be one of the most versatile lenses in my arsenal.  

Use a high ISO, but not too high

Depending on your camera body, working with a high ISO (2000 or
above) is no issue, but with older bodies like the Canon 5D Mk II or Nikon D90,
any ISO above 800 can introduce ugly amount of noise to your shots, which can
render them potentially unusable. 

Photo by Brighton concert photographer Charles Shepherd at Room.C Photography | Hope and Ruin, Brighton, West Sussex

Keep your ISO as low as
possible by keeping your aperture wide open and dropping your shutter
speed. Depending on the performance this can be easier said than done, but
that’s where the next step comes in.

Analysis your surroundings

As soon as the set starts, make a mental note of the lighting
patterns, how the band moves, and where they’re positioned on stage. Don’t get
into a mad rush to get as many shots as possible, slow things down (at least
for the first song) and take a bit of time to look around a see what’s going
on. This will make finding better compositions and dealing with the lighting
the venue offers much easier. 

Why not just use a flash gun?

“Surely it doesn’t matter if the lighting is bad, I can
just you a flash gun!”, unfortunately for most of the time, this isn’t the
case.

A lot of bands and even some venues these days have a strict
no flash guns policy during performances, meaning you can never truly
rely on your flash gun to save you when the lighting gets rough.

Photo by Brighton concert photographer Charles Shepherd at Room.C Photography | Sticky Mike’s, Brighton, West Sussex

But if you do get the chance to pull out your flash gun, for the best results be sure to bounce your
light. 

What are the benefits for bouncing your lighting? Direct flash can
leave you with uneven highlights and harsh shadows in your images (as
well as blinded band members), whereas bouncing your light off a wall or a
ceiling can help the light evenly spread across the frame, giving you softer
shadows, even highlights, and less annoyed band members.

Still worried about blinding the band? Keep your
aperture wide and your ISO high so you can reduce the power of your flash
gun.

Words and concert photos by Brighton based photographer Charles Shepherd at Room.C
Photography.

It can be daunting photographing your first concert. With so many angles to choose from, different members of the band to focus on, and a crowd of screaming fans behind you, it’s hard to know where you should be pointing your camera and which shots you should be coming out of that venue with. This is a quick run down of the main shots you need to get to assure you get the best photo coverage at a concert.

The action shot

Every band’s action shot is different. With some bands the most action you get is a hair flick and maybe a guitar raise, others like to jump into the pit and get in your face. In some cases this might mean getting up close and personal with a crowd of sweaty gig-goers and flying fists, but you won’t regret the outcome. 

Concert photography by Charles Shepherd | BAND-MAID @ MCM London Comic Con, London

It’s time for your close-up

Every band member has their time to shine in a set, and it’s your job to capture that moment. Check the setlist and choose your focus wisely. Work out when the solos are coming up and make sure you’re in the right place to capture the moment when that band member gives it all they’ve got.

Concert photography by Charles Shepherd | Joey Fourr @ Two Three Four Festival, Brighton

Don’t forget the drummer

It’s been said time and time again but seriously, don’t forget the drummer! They’re the backbone of the band and if you come out of that show with no good shots of the drummer, not only will the drummer feel bad but it’ll let down the entire photo set. 

Concert photography by Charles Shepherd | Crossfaith @ O2 Academy Brixton

The crowd shot

The staple of any good set of concert photos and arguably the most important shot of the lot. This is the photo the band and management are after, proof that they are capable of pulling in a crowd and showing them a good time. It doesn’t matter if you get a killer shot of the guitarist smashing his guitar over the amplifier, or the drummer tearing up his kit during a solo- if you can’t prove that people were there to see it, chances are the band will be disappointed.  

Concert photography by Charles Shepherd | Radwimps @ O2 Academy Islington

Words and concert photos by Charles Shepherd at Room.C Photography.

Worthing, West Sussex

Brighton, East Sussex