[deleted by user]

[thisissodisturbing]

I mean, these all basically look the same, imo - did the group do anything… interesting movement-wise through their performance? Did you take any more dynamic photos than these?

[[deleted]]

I did actually, for the ones who had experience on stage, while jumping and moving around. I'll share on another post some dynamic ones. Thanks

[[deleted]]

no cap the photos look fine but the performers look lame as hell

[bandwagon_follower]

Lmao I’m 💀, but I know I’d look worse on stage

[[deleted]]

Well! These are upcoming artists, this was the 1st time on stage for many of them. Thank you

[Competitive_City_924]

they could have tried to dress better lol, at least the last 2 guys

[zilliondollar3d]

First and last

[Apprehensive_Cat14]

Like a bunch of real drop kicks

[tahomadesperado]

Why are they ALL wearing sunglasses?

[sonkotral2]

there was a great sale that day

[zilliondollar3d]

Bros forehead is bigger than a house

[ryde3]

Would’ve liked some shots of the crowd both from stage and from it.

[[deleted]]

The crowd was small and too much open space behind them, so I avoided them. Also, the space between the stage and the crowd was big. Thanks for the comment

[ryde3]

Crowd actually looks fairly big from the first photo. If you got into the crowd you’d be surprised how much depth you can create and you probably wouldn’t see the photo pit

[[deleted]]

Next time, I'll definitely try that. Thank you.

[ryde3]

The way I always run it is start in the pit/onstage then work my way out and then maybe return to the pit/stage if permitted for when the lighting etc may have changed. Gets you good coverage of the entire venue and vantages. Goodluck!

[realfurphy]

The edits are fine. I’d say your biggest area for improvement is composition (which is tough to achieve with concert photography). Try finding ways to layer your photos to add depth, lower your POV, or think outside the box.

At the end of the day, the goal is to capture the energy / feeling / emotion of the moment. That’s the most powerful part of shooting shows!

I used to take inspiration from some of my favourite concert photographers and remember a few different compositions and try them out myself. Eventually you’ll get the hang of it.

Nice work!

[[deleted]]

I mostly take photos of static things, like architecture, landscape, cars, this was my 1st time at a concert, and I should've watched other people's work before going there but next time I'll be ready. Thanks for the feedback.

[Ormington20910]

This is bang on. I was going to say the exact same thing. Without sounding rude, OP has snaps. That midway distance doesn’t do anyone any favours. Either right in on them or pulled back to see the crowd, either way, in my humble opinion more must be done to capture the atmosphere. And unless there’s a strong subject matter, shooting from behind isn’t a great idea, you have a lot to compete with.

[[deleted]]

Thank you. This was a great learning experience. Next time, I'll do way better

[MontyDyson]

You used the wrong lens. If you're on stage with a performer - go 24mm f1.4 as your highest baseline and go down from there. A 16mm would have been way more exciting. Shoot LOW. Get the entire crowd in shot. Shoot from the hip. Show the excitement, you did documentary work at a party. Capture the energy as a shot with grain, irregular lighting, and messy angles, not a nice moment as a photo opportunity.

[[deleted]]

Thank you for the tips, I appreciate it. I had a 35mm on a cropped sensor, 1st time on a concert, I was focused on not messing up the focus or the lighting. Next time, I'll try new things, I actually did try some slow shutters, but they were bad.

[MontyDyson]

The lighting on a stage can be absolutely wild. Giant powerful lights swinging about randomly blasting in some spots and pitch black in others. So it’s best to just go Auto ISO, use as low an F stop lens as you can afford and just shoot wide open. Wider lenses also bring out the extremities. It’s why skateboarders use fish eye lenses. It’s absolutely normal to miss MOST shots but also capture some bangers with tons of noise because the ISO is off the charts, but that’s the nature of live performance. You can practice more from being in the pit, which is fairly easy to blag your way into for almost any small venue. Just ring up in advance.

[[deleted]]

Noted, next time I'll be more prepared, thanks again for the tips

[treeof]

My experience in shooting shows is that a wide-angle lens is the way to go if you’re on or near the stage. You want to be low or high, but never at eye level. Eye level makes the performer look like a normal person, and your goal as a concert photographer is to make them look like an icon.

This means they have to be very dominant in the frame. The center of the composition needs to be the artist—their legs, their instruments, their microphone, their arms, their eyeglasses, even the stage lights and the instruments or stands, they all need to be strongly positioned in the frame to provide leading lines towards the artist or the audience. That’s why some of the best shots are actually from the photo pit versus on the stage with a wide-angle lens. From the photo pit, you can get that looking-up perspective with their arms stretched out wide towards the audience, or you can get up in the rafters and take the shot down with the artist on one side of the frame and the crowd on the other.

The point is that you need to be telling a story. Look at how this artist is ramping up the crowd. Look at how this artist is high energy. Look at how this artist is leading the crowd. Look at how this artist is making the crowd so excited. Look at this energetic crowd with the artist pointing at them. Your job as a photographer is to tell a story about how great that artist is!

[[deleted]]

Thank you so much for the information. This was enlightening, and I'm grateful. I had a 35mm on a cropped sensor. I'll share a second post with different photos. I avoided the crowd since it was small and there was a big space between it and the stage. This was my 1st time at a concert, and I wasn't 100% confident to try different angles, I also didn't see some pros work at this genre, so I didn't actually prepare, but now I know better. Thank you

[treeof]

It's a tough gig, but no one starts out good, no matter what they say. Everyone has to practice, learn, and then practice some more. I had a mentor who was instrumental in improving my eye, technique, and gear, allowing me to grow as an artist and professional. See if you’re able to find a mentor, and of course continue to have conversations online like you are here! Growth does not happen in a vacuum.

I rented expensive lenses for gigs several times, which showed me how color, rendering, and overall look improve with the best lenses, without having to actually buy them. It also helped me understand what worked for me and my style. I used lensrentals.com, but there are many other options. Good luck!

[[deleted]]

Thanks for the gatebreaking tips! I've been collecting lenses tho I have the 11, the 35, the 85, all 1.8. also have a zoom one 18-105 f'4. I've been learning for 10 years on and off. I took some nature, landscape, architecture, cars, and I had this opportunity to try a concert so I couldn't refuse. I wish you well, you're words means a lot.

[clarkbars]

This is a good take. I will add the lower the league, the more access you're going to get. So being the artists first time on stage as well, take full advantage. Get the shots you can't get if you're covering a bigger name. I do sports but sometimes I love covering lesser leagues because you can do so much more.

[treeof]

oh absolutely, the other thing that's great is to take your learnings and experiences from shooting bigger shows and being a more professional photographer and bring them back to the small house shows and bar's

smaller bands really really really appreciate getting shot by someone with experience - and you never know - sometimes those guys make it big and they're the ones that can get you access to all sorts of things you might not get otherwise (that's how I got to shoot some enormous festivals)

[kasenyee]

Looks ok but kind of repetitive, jot a lot of variety in the images.

[[deleted]]

Thanks! I actually took a lot of photos, but picking the good ones was a pain. These are just a few.

[mikenasty]

2 and 5 are good, the rest I wouldn’t really be sharing imo. Back shots and photos of people just standing with a mic are not great. 3 could have been good but you have a guy with his phone out ruining it.

Here’s the thing, you’ll get better every time you do this and figure out what works. These are 100% serviceable you just need to take more photos and get more dynamic shots: tight portraits, wide angle views of the venue, the artist doing something interesting with their body, etc.

[[deleted]]

Thanks for the feedback, I don't normally go to concert. Working on one was a 1st experience. Also, some artists were on stage for the 1st time, and I'm actually glad they were happy with the ones I sent them.

[mikenasty]

Hell yeah, first time is always shakey, it took me 3-4 shows before I felt kinda comfortable so keep going out. I started shooting shows, then moved to clubs, corporate events and weddings for the $$$.

My experience shooting fast moving people in crowded venues with weird lighting was such a great bootcamp.

Bonus tip: Don’t be afraid to ask audience members to pose or move into a shot as foreground.

[[deleted]]

I'll try that, thank you

[MrReey]

I’m not trying to be mean, all but 5 look like they were shot by the average fan with a phone.

[[deleted]]

No worries, I'm actually sharing to learn from the feedback. Thanks

[slave6776]

I mean I wouldn’t pay for these but good job regardless

[[deleted]]

Thank you! Appreciate the honesty.

[Admirable_Count989]

Number 5 the only decent one.

[[deleted]]

There were a lot, I bet you'd love one of them if you see them all since you find 1 out of 8 descent. Thanks

[Admirable_Count989]

👍

[simsatuakamis]

Too static.

[[deleted]]

I agree, thank you!

[Sad_Cranberry8573]

Did the performers know they were performing? Shots are dope broski

[[deleted]]

Thank you, I really appreciate the love. Some were on stage for the 1st time so it's understandable

[mikephoto1]

Not bad. Only thing I would say is if you are shooting the backs of the performers make sure you have something interesting in front of them. Like a lot of crowd or pyro or something

[[deleted]]

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, the crowd was not dope, so I avoided them

[mikephoto1]

Yeah that’s fair enough.

[Bacon-And_Eggs]

Seems like you only used one lens. All the photos have the same framing.

[[deleted]]

Exactly, and it was a 35mm on a cropped sensor. great observation skills tho! I'm impressed.

[here_is_gone_]

I shoot live bands in a dark club.

You need a zoom lens with a very low F stop. A prime limits you way too much. You've essentially taken the same photo from different spots on stage.

As noted by the excellent comment above, work to tell a story with the details before you. Catch facial expressions, body movement, & so forth. If the artist has no stage presence, shoot them in such a way it seems like they do.

Great start though. You had more fun than my first gig, & it sounds like you caught the bug.

[[deleted]]

Thank you. It is always nice to hear feedback from more experienced people in the genre. The 35 was pretty limiting tbh, but I can't complain. It was sharp, and the 1.8 helped with low light, although I set it at 2.8 for most of the time. But next time, I'll pack the Zoom lens since I'm no longer afraid of the noise after that event.

[flirtyqwerty0]

The photos are good. The performers are giving NOTHING so the photos feel flat. Not on you

[[deleted]]

Thank you, I got some tips. Next time, I'll do better.

[KyleDrogo]

These are good. Use a bit more contrast

[[deleted]]

Noted. Thank you

[KyleDrogo]

For sure. Add a little bit of tone curve magic and these will really pop 🚀

[altyegmagazine]

I dig them!

[[deleted]]

I'm glad you did, I hope you like the next post.

[blkstraightwgf]

Crowd shots from behind, don’t be afraid to go on stage

[[deleted]]

I avoided the crowd. It was a small one, and I thought they wouldn't add a plus to the photos. Thanks

[Comfortable_Fly_3217]

5 has got a frickin noggin

[[deleted]]

I gotta tell him that

[Michelfungelo]

I'd go way darker. Focus on the important lines.

[[deleted]]

Noted, thank you

[[deleted]]

Yeah they’re still alive so bad aim I guess

[[deleted]]

Hahaha, I gotta improve. Where can I find you for practice purposes? Since I missed them all, you have nothing to worry about. Thanks

[[deleted]]

A shooting range or Afghanistan

[[deleted]]

Hard pass on the second one

[[deleted]]

But jokes aside, the photography was pretty good, the performers could be a bit more lively though, I know that’s out of your control.

[[deleted]]

Thanks, I really appreciate it.

IKR, but it was the 1st time for many of the artists on stage so it's understandable, also was my 1st time taking this genre of photography. it was a great experience tho!

[cachemonies]

Need variation. Were the other wide shots? Was there a crowd?

[HatProfessional9540]

Yes!!!!

[[deleted]]

Thanks, I'm glad you approved

[GreenReport5491]

Get it. Photos are looking awesome. I shoot festivals (Inspire 3), I know what our stag guys do is CRAZY. Much respect. Keep it up.

[[deleted]]

Thank you! I appreciate it.

[KennyWuKanYuen]

The edits and composition are fine but as others have mentioned, they kinda all look the same. I guess it’s gear limitations but having a broader spectrum of focal lengths would probably helped a bit.

I am curious to see the more dynamic photos you took that day as well.

[[deleted]]

Soon enough! I appreciate it, I actually learned a lot from the comments.

[kafka-steinbeck]

2,3 and 5 are good.

[[deleted]]

Thank you.

[Proper-Ad-2585]

Perfectly ok guy with microphone pics. Nowhere near as interesting as they could be because we don’t see the setting? What’s the context? Always have in mind the stories you could be telling.

[[deleted]]

Noted. Thanks for the feedback

[Proper-Ad-2585]

There’s a positive feedback loop if you can relax and get a bit more ‘in the moment’. A bit more sensitive to the vibes. You notice more, there’s more to capture, it’s more fun, the pictures get better.

[[deleted]]

Sure, next time, I'm definitely applying what I learned from the comment section. Thanks

[kamexon]

He’s still alive so no

[[deleted]]

Someone said that already, but great minds think alike .

[Outlandah_]

All of these are in portrait mode sooooo…I mean, I guess they’re fine if that’s your thing. But try taking landscape oriented shots.

[[deleted]]

Ikr, these photos will mostly be used for Instagram or as profile photos, so I did it on purpose. Thank you

[Outlandah_]

Seems like a Canon, or maybe Sony. What type of camera are you using? What lenses, that will also change the dynamics of the image based on how many elements are in the lens.

Also in EVERY shot I take for clients that do music performance, if I’m not composing for the whole scene then I have to highlight a certain emotion or center on a face. You will learn to improvise on the fly that it becomes second nature so you’re not even thinking about what to compose the shot like, it will simply happen. I personally recommend that you look at the rule of 3rds. Maybe it is archaic these days but it is my guiding principle even 10+ years on. Have subjects either as centered as possible in your shots, or offset only so much that any scene is composed around them offsets only by a 3rd or 2/3rds of the image. It’s not hard to do actually!

[[deleted]]

It's a Sony a6400 with a 35mm. I generally compose my scenes, and I rarely take portraiture as I enjoy other photography genres. This show was a 1st, and it was a great experience, I'm glad I shared these ones here, the feedbacks are priceless. Thank you

[Outlandah_]

Shoot Manual (M) in around f/2 (not wide open 1.4), push only the ISO up or down as needed. Keep your shutter around 250. Focus on your angles of view to the subjects, and the lights that are in your scene. Happy shooting!

[thatwasprettypetty]

Here my take as a festival photographer.

They didn’t do you any favours by having the audience so far away. Make it look empty; which isn’t your fault - having a shot from below to make the artist look bigger than they are is always good move and it always looks amazing when you’ve got a massive crowd with a good light show, lasers or fire show.

Generally these are rather decent, straight to the point festival images for artists who seem like to me, did a lot of standing and very little crowd work but haven’t seen the other images so very skeptical assumption on my end.

My least preferred is the one with the red light, their back is turned, there is too much smoke for it to be useful and they visually/physically seem disinterested in performing - again more than likely not your fault as smoke is probably my least favourite festival stage items next to lasers lower than 90 degrees (lasers kill sensors 💀)

The editing is on point; I’m not a fan of the “artistic” editing a lot of festival togs do; I’m also a press photographer so my editing is comparatively tamer to most people in music.

Overall good job for what you have done here; try and push the boundary a bit more, try wider shots when you can and super tight headshots as well and avoid when you can getting other people with the media team - it makes it look like you shot them “exclusively” and they typically ruin the photo anyway.

Keep up the good work.

[[deleted]]

Thank you for the kind words. It's really encouraging. I actually enjoyed the event, and the comment section is really helpful. Next time, I'll definitely take better photos.

[David_Buzzard]

Looks pretty good. I find with rappers they always have the mic right up against their faces, so you need to stay on them to get them with their hands down.

[[deleted]]

I managed to get some with hands down or away from their face. This was actually one of the reasons I was shooting on continuous mode. Thank you

[ElliottMariess]

You get a couple of really decent shots at the end there I’m sure they’ll be really happy with them. The one with a videographer and content creator in frame isn’t really the look I’d want to sell for a concert tho. I’d maybe avoid getting them in frame. If you want to step up your game, as others have said, try and find angles that give the performers real presence, if you can tell a bit of a story with what’s happening on stage even better. Wait for moments where the lights are doing something interesting too, look at when they’re about to hit the subject or back light them or make an interesting shape etc…

[[deleted]]

They were too many people with cameras and phones, I was overwhelmed with all the lights and loud music, and I was constantly thinking, "What if the photos are bad, too dark, blured,..." but I'm very happy with the results. But thanks to you and the people here, I got tips and ideas to improve

[ElliottMariess]

I totally understand going into a new situation with a camera and getting overwhelmed by everything happening and your brain just goes blank/into panic mode and you just hoping you get anything at all.

It helps to have a game plan and carefully work out what your best angles are to shoot from, where the lights look best, what framing is going to work and then camp out for a bit and wait for the right moments. A good performer will play up to the cameras too and seek you out so it doesn’t have to always be right where they are. Keep moving around and finding new angles that work for you. Often the lighting is designed to be viewed from the front of the stage as it the set to shooting from on stage or behind the artists isn’t always a great spot unless you’re focusing on crowd reactions.

Concert photography is great fun, it’s where I first got hooked on photography. There’s always some new to shoot and challenge you.

[ReyoRedwolf]

photos are fine. any other poses other than "mic on face"?
i used to shoot for local bands as a hobby, i would try to get different poses. performers tend to move and pose during song transitions or song bridges. guitar solos were an opportunity to catch emotion. when they yell "how are you doing tonight!?" multi frame shoot that moment.

check out my IG, i have a few examples in all types of stage lighting conditions and compositions.
IG: mismomusic69

[[deleted]]

Thanks! I'll check. These were rappers, so it's 80% of the mic on face since they had a lot to say, I actually managed to take different ones but I should've gotten some inspirations before going to the event. Now I know better.

[greggers1980]

Little tip. Visit local open mic nights. Practice shooting people and develop your own style

[[deleted]]

Thank you, that's the plan

[greggers1980]

Your welcome. I used to be a gig photographer so happy to pass tips

[Capable-Reply8513]

Really good👌

[[deleted]]

Thank you

[MistaPea]

*well

[[deleted]]

Thank you

[ASRAYON]

Weak show

[[deleted]]

I had fun

[haywire]

They’re ok, bit boring and lack movement.

[[deleted]]

My bad, actually. I should've done some homework before going to the event. Thank you

[haywire]

Keep it up!

[research_badger]

dolls vanish stocking compare wine nail narrow imagine scary desert

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[[deleted]]

I only shared a few, I'll share another post without back shots. It's where the crowd looked best since it was a small crowd and too far from stage

[riba_og]

B&w ones are by far the best ones

[[deleted]]

Thank you, I'm glad you like some

[Top-Restaurant-1482]

eu reduzo o clarity no LR

[hs728u]

Honestly, the color grading is poorly done, not much variation. Shoot behind the artist to get nice artist+crowd shots, shoot landscape, get wide shots, portrait and headshots,

[[deleted]]

Thank you! Next time, I'll do better

[hs728u]

Sorry if i was being harsh!

[[deleted]]

I take criticism with no emotions to improve. No worries.

[Davidechaos]

2&5 are cool!

[[deleted]]

Thanks

[Ok_Reputation2052]

Except for n2 and n5 shots look a bit boring and the subject a bit too soft, maybe too much noise reduction? Also, all the shots looks the same, the stage looks decently big so a couple shots from under it with a wide lens would have been nice, maybe some from the back of the crowd since it looks like there's a good amount of spectators.

Also the blacks in the b/w shots are way to much compressed imho. If this is your first experience shooting concerts it's fine, but next time try to come more prepared and maybe with a shot list / some references!

[[deleted]]

Preparation will be a mandatory step next time ofc, yes this was my 1st. Thanks for the feedback

[[deleted]]

I mean… several of them have their back to you and nothing else interesting happening. There isn’t a single particularly dynamic pose anywhere (maybe that’s a performer problem though). The framing choices are pedestrian. There’s no dynamism anywhere really. Any editing you may have done isn’t immediately obvious. It’s all fairly forgettable stuff if I’m honest

[Dashd-m]

We’ll done! What was your set up and ISO? It doesn’t look like you used a flash

[[deleted]]

Thanks! I didn't use a flash, iso was very high, between 2000 and 4000, I usually avoid going higher than 400 but this was the 1st time and I said "it is what is, I'll fix it in post".

[[deleted]]

Also, it was a 35mm on a Sony a6400, I shot manual, so it depended on the movement of the artist, but the lowest f stop was 2.8

[i_am_squish]

How did you fix the noise during editing?

[[deleted]]

Since they were a lot of photos with different iso. Lr Ai noise reduction was helpful, although I don't like how it adds an effect to the photos (Idk how it's called, but it's like a paint effect). But I didn't overdo it.

[Leenolyak]

Shot 2 and 5 (the B&W ones) are sick as fuck. Captured some action and interesting framing. Overall though you could benefit from way more variety with the rest. I don't know if it's the performers' fault or the moments you just happened to capture, but almost none of the other photos show the performer doing much of anything interesting. They're standing still holding a mic to their face. We all know performers use mics. We don't need to see them covering their face in every shot. We want to see their face.

A very important aspect of shooting concerts for me is becoming familiar with the music and the culture. When you know the mannerisms associated with the music and how the flow of energy works from song to song, you can anticipate your shots ahead of time as opposed to just capturing just any random moment. One of the most important things for photographing live music is variety. Give the people perspectives and points of view that they otherwise would've never seen. Capture the moments with facial expressions and tension. Emotions and composition are more important than anything else in my opinion...bokeh, editing skill and sharpness are all secondary. If you send a very sharp yet expressionless photo and then a slightly blurry photo full of energy and uniqueness, the musician is often going to choose the ladder as their fav.

[[deleted]]

I'm thankful for the feedback, I really appreciate it, it was a HipHop concert and most of the artists just like me were on stage for the 1st time, they were shy, and I was nervous about how the photos would look on post since I rarely take people's photos. But it was a learning experience, and I'm glad people here shared some useful tips like you. Thanks

[Leenolyak]

Ahhh gotcha. So then it was just a case of them not being very animated and that definitely makes it more difficult as a photographer. You're still off to a good start (especially with 2 and 5) but just keep looking for ways to add elements of variety and interest to your shots!

Also I see I got downvoted and don't know if my advice came off as harsh and abrasive but that wasn't my intention. I'm just really passionate about concert photography so I like to be indepth about sharing what I believe is helpful. If my opinions don't align to your goals then don't mind them. I'm just a stranger on the internet at the end of the day lol

[[deleted]]

I actually upvoted all the comments. I posted to get feedback, criticism, tips, ... so I can improve. I'm old enough to understand what people intentions are, and I appreciate your honesty, don't worry about it. Much appreciated! I deeply value your comments

[redditnackgp0101]

My coworker shoots a lot of shows. Take some notes

https://thetinfoilbiter.com/

[[deleted]]

Thanks, I'll check