No matter what kind of entertainment you might like you can easily take great concert photos using these simple-to-apply tips and techniques. Whether for personal pleasure, for sale or to complete a concert photography assignment, here's the scoop on getting impressive, salable concert photographs.
What Kind of Concerts Do You Like?
What kind of concert music do you like? Rock, Pop, Classical, Jazz, Bluegrass, Country and Western, the Blues, Soul, Gospel or some other type? No matter what your favorite kind of music might be, you can relive the great moments of a music concert through a series of well-composed digital photographs. Concerts aren’t confined to solely musical performances either. There are performances of drama, poetry readings, stand-up comedy as well as other types. Here are some suggestions on how to take the best pictures at a concert or performance.
Pre-Concert Photography Preparations
In preparing for a series of concert photographs, you should consider a bit of pre-concert or performance preparation. You’ll need to ensure your equipment is cleaned and in good repair and working order. An equipment failure of any kind during the concert will leave you sans photos and disappointed. But it’s not only your equipment that needs preparation, you do as well. What is the concert seating arrangement? How close can you get to the performers? Can you arrange for a photographer’s or backstage pass? Will you need permission to shoot photos during the concert? What about model releases and copyrights? These are but a smattering of questions which may require investigation and resolution prior to concert day.
What instruments will be used during the concert? It’s often a good idea to visit a music store, instrument rental facility or a school of music well before the concert. Why? This will afford you an opportunity to get a good series of instrument and musician close-ups which would likely be impossible to get during a performance even with a photographer’s or backstage pass. Musicians and store clerks are usually quite helpful in demonstrating instrument playing styles and allowing those essential close-up photos that will flesh-out your portfolio of music concert digital images.
During the Music or Concert Performance
The concert day is here. The performers have arrived in town. Were you there to greet them and get photos of their arrival, signing autographs and making final performance preparations? A quick call or two to their agent, newsroom staff offices (the entertainment editor might prove helpful here) or the concert facility offices should yield key information on the band or performer’s itinerary.
Get to the concert performance facility early. It’s possible to get brief access to the performers and stage area during a warm-up or rehearsal to snap a few well-composed digital images before the main event. A few publicity shots are usually welcomed too.
If you’ve no backstage or photographer’s pass, you might be required to shoot your images from the seating area fringes. You shouldn’t try to do so from your seat (if you have one). It’s disturbing to all to interrupt or block the other concert patron’s enjoyment of the concert in any way. You won’t make any friends with the concert facility staff either. You’ll have to cultivate their goodwill for future concerts held in that facility. Crowd pictures and scenes may not require model releases, but if you take photos of people in which they are recognizable, you may need to get signed model releases in order to be able to use or sell the images. If you have a quantity of prepared model releases including all your contact information on them, it’ll be much faster and easier to get the ones you need on the spot.
Please continue on to page two, where you will learn tips on how to capture great concert photos, what to do when the concert is over and tips on marketing your concert pictures.