Being that I’ve been digging up some old stuff, I’m finally getting around to making a post I’ve been meaning to get done for a while. Most of our readers know we are into concert photography here at CameraPorn, and this post is shares my most memorable experience in that realm. Last summer I had all-access to shoot The Wailers.. yes those Wailers, at a performance at the House of Blues in Hollywood. Photos and tips after the jump…
Elan Atias
As you may or may not know The Wailers are still touring, now with L.A. native frontman Elan Atias, a brilliant reggae artist in is own right. This show was definitely my biggest concert shooting experience, and undoubtedly the most exciting… I mean who doesn’t love this music. The following, all shot with the trusty Canon 30D, 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS and Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L, are some of my favorite shots from the show in all their high ISO goodness…
In addition to the photos here are 5 tips to getting solid shots at a concert:
- Have the Right Gear for the Job
Fast lenses are a must (f/2.8 or better) due to the low light conditions and fast movement on the stage. If you want closer cropped shots, a 70-200 or similar is ideal. - Pump up the ISO
A camera that produces usable shots at high ISO is helpful. The Canon 30D performs really well at ISO 1600 - which is pretty much what you need in combination with a fast lens to get shutter speeds fast enough to freeze motion on the stage. - Choose the Right Shooting Mode
Depending on conditions Aperture Priority (AV) or Full Manual (M) are gonna be the way to go. I’ll shoot AV in high speed burst mode with AI Servo autofocus for rapidly changing lights and fast moving musicians. If it’s a calmer show, or the lights aren’t changing much, go full Manual. Meter your exposure, set your shutter speed and shoot away. - Position Yourself
Try to get to the show a bit early to find the right places to shoot from. Look for creative angles, and ways to shoot around mic stands and people. If you’re lucky enough to get into the photo pit, you are in an ideal spot. If not, don’t be afraid to nudge members of the crowd gently to get the right shots. Generally, if they turn around and see a guy with a giant camera they’ll move happily and let you get your shot. - Be Patient
This is probably obvious to some, but don’t just shoot away haphazardly, frame your shot, and wait for the right moment… the right look on a musician’s face can make or break a shot.
For even more tips, check out some of the other concert photography posts we’ve written here on CameraPorn.
Nice pics, again
I agree with the general ideas of your recommendations, but have noticed that a f/4 lens works quite well when the ISO is cranked up to 800. I also noticed that about one stop of under exposure evens out the balance between the dark background and well lit subjects in most cases.
Of course with this setup, a song with more sedate, or atmospheric lighting, will cause problems - especially with a longer lens. Then the solution is either to crank up the ISO or get a faster lens (as you suggest ;).
I really like the pictures, specially the one with the woman.
Hey there
I like the fact that there are some ideas out there on live music photography.
I do disagree on two items:
ISO: The ISO relates heavily to moise as we know, so if you’re not aiming for a grungy 90’s feel, I believe that you’re ISO should max be pumped to 800.
AV: The thing with aperture priorty as we know is that the variable is shutter speed, now when shooting live acts, as you mentioned, they move. So that means thats the light and depth of field is constantly changing, thus the shutter speed is changing. This can lead to heay blurring and out of focus shots.
If one looked into shutter priorty, then you can gauge if your shots are crisp or not. I know that lighting is the main problem in live photography, but there are ways to get around it.
Lights work on cycles, one can count out the colour cycle and time cycle. Another point, is to have your subject block out the direct light, providing an amazing back lighting effect.
Well, thats a few thoughts from what I’ve experienced.
@jarrad-
re: ISO - for me this really depends on the gear you are using in combination with the light. For example, every Canon camera since the 30D has amazing high ISO quality. This has only improved with 40D as well as Nikon’s latest round of DSLRs. This makes ISO 1600 very usable. I’d love to keep the ISO at lower than 1600, but when shooting at 200mm trying to capture a quivkly moving artist in the dark, that just isn’t always possible.
Just out of curiousity, what gear do you shoot low-light concerts with?
Re: Shutter priority, you are 100% correct, shutter priority works great in some concert situations, but on that topic, my favorite lens to shoot concerts with is a 70-200mm. If i was to set my shutter to 1/200th or similar to insure a shake-free shot that would only be benefiting me when fully zoomed in. If i quickly zoom out to 70mm, i can shoot at a much slower shutter speed to capture a sharp shot, and as you know, in the heat of the moment, you’ll miss the shot if you stop to adjust settings.
There are obviously many ways to go with this, and its important to stress people should always take what they read here as guidelines, understand it, and develop a technique that works for them.
Also, checked out your site, some great stuff in there!!
Re: Gear
Hey there, well now I’m blessed. Nikon D300, 18-200mm lens.
Ah, it’s an amazing camera.
I shoot at between 30 - 120 mainly, depending on what I want to get out.
A great thing to try at times is, to shoot at 30shutter on a instrument, if you grab the lighting, the blur effect aids the photo, giving it depth and character.
Yeah, the article is cool man, at then of the day it’s a passion for some, and you’re sharing your ideas, and now we have this forum, and ideas and tips of flowing.
So props to you for that.
Thanks for checking out my blog site, really appreciate it.
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