Concert Photography Masterclass for Beginners

1. Welcome!: Hi, My name is Mathias Humber, and I'm a pro Music for Tora, for you found your passion and you've trying everything to get your name out there to make it in the concert photography business. However, the big problem is it's hard to know which camera kill you should buy in the beginning, because there are so many options and it's difficult to decide. It's hard to figure out all the camera settings to get the best shots in front of the stage . It's hard to be that your first portfolio. I started my career from scratch and fell into every pitiful I encountered on my way to become a rock star photographer. And believe me, I made a lot of mistakes. But finally I figured out a way that can save you years off. Struggling as a concert photographer, I spent years as a frustrated PhD student in molecular biology until I discovered my passion for photography. At the age of 28 music always played a big part in my life, and combining both music and photography was the most natural thing to do, So I started out from scratch, talked myself all the secrets in concert photography and finally, after eight years, found a way to make a career in this business. Now I'm an internationally acclaimed rock star photographer working directly with artists like Iggy Pop, Prodigy, think, Calexico, Fed Muslim and many more. I'm also the two photographer of a lot of bands and travel with them all around the world. However, that can be a lot of challenges and frustrations. In the beginning, you won't know where to start, which equipment to buy first or which camera settings work best. All these new challenges can be quite overwhelming. And if you don't find someone to guide you, it can take you years until you get started. Since I know that most of you don't have to time to waste years off your life for fearing all this out, I'm offering you a step by step video guide that will help you to become a successful music photographer to 2. 5 Myths About Concert Photography Revealed Part 1: you might have heard about some off the counter photography muth our yourself. A lot of them are not true, and therefore I want to reveal the most common misunderstandings when becoming a concert photographer. One. You need professional photography training. I receive a lot of demons asking me if professional training is needed to become a concert photographer. Let's start with three hard facts. Being a music photographer, I never attended any professional photography training and need a have most of my colleagues. And guess how many clients asked me which photography school I attended? Zero another? No, I agree that you need to know the technical basics about photography that you will learn in school. But what will set you apart from 1000 other photographers? Other skills. And guess what? These skills won't be provided at any photography school, so I'm not totally against getting a proper education photography. If you are the type who learn best by having a strict timetable, attending classes and needing exams to get yourself going, then there is nothing wrong with it. You can learn the basics and get to know if photography is very a passion. It lies on the other hand a school won't help you much. If you want to become a music photographer. It's not only about to know your gear Xterra other aspect including, for instance, how to behave in the photo pit. How to get the press accreditation. How to not freak out. When you have to take photos off your idols and so on you will learn all of this are actually getting out there and shooting concerts, learning from other photographers or getting to know the Bend members. The good thing about it is that you can start right now, so there is no one and nothing holding you back, becoming a music photographer. What would make sense, in my opinion, is to get a good education, maybe in another field. If for some reason your photography business doesn't work out, you can always go back and get yourself a proper job. It's important to have a safety net, so I would say you don't need to attend the college to become a music photographer. You learn more by actually starting to shoot concerts and sitting in the classroom to you have to be the best photographer shooting life music is something few photographers do really well. I just discovered one day I was good at it because it felt natural to me. The recipe is as follows. One part photography, one part love of music, one part love off theater and theatrical lighting. One part hero worship, one part timing and 95 parts instinct. That's a quote from Neil Pressing, the former Led Zeppelin photographer. We all started out with the camera in our hands with no idea what to do with it. Once I knew all the dial's and settings off my camera, I still wasn't able to get decent photos, which looked like all the awesome concert photos have found on the Internet. A lot of people might tell you that photography as a hobby, but that you can't make a living from it. They will tell you there are so many great photographers out there. So why should someone book you? Let me tell you a story that blew me away when I heard it. You'll probably never have heard of a young guy called Economic Donald. I hadn't either. A friend and guitarist in a small band from UK told me that this Connor guy wanted to take photos off the geeks, so they just invited him and gave him the opportunity to learn and shoot for them. My friend told me that the pictures turned out awful and they couldn't even just any off them. So you would expect that column. McDonnell would give up frustrated with photography and would have just walked away. Instead, it seems he's still believed in himself and stayed in the game. Some years later. His name flashed up in the news because he was the one instead of any libel writs, for example, who shoot Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's wedding. So what can we learn from this story? Everyone's that's out small as a beginner, as someone facing challenges dealing with Drop X, getting up again and fighting for the things that they love doing the most. 3. 5 Myths About Concert Photography Revealed Part 2: a popular beginners trap is to think that the more expensive to camera, the better your images will be. I have to admit that I am no exception. I started out with my first digital single lens reflex camera, which was of Minolta. I wasn't really interested in photography back then, and my photos don't excited me much. This camera stand in the drawer for years until I switched to a Canon 40 with the 17 to 85 millimeter leads. This was the camera I used as I started getting interested in concert photography. Wasn't it the best camera around? Definitely not, but it got me started and helped me to build my portfolio. I believe that building up your agreement should go hand in hand with learning photography . If you don't know the basics are photography and a hand you a face one digital medium format camera worth $40,000. Do you think you'll make better photos? And your neighbor, who is Ah, hobby photographer with an iPhone? I bet you want. Therefore, don't believe people who tell you that you need the best equipment to get awesome shots. I shot this photo from vintage trouble with the $300 manual focus lens. Sure, you can get such a lands also for $2000 from Canon or Nikon. But will it be better? Maybe the corners of your photos are tick shop advise. You hardly see any difference. Don't be fooled by people who tell you that the equipment makes the photographer. I'm going to talk about all the great stuff in this course, and I'll advise you on which gear to get if you're on a budget and what camera equipment works best if you want to take your concert photography to the next level. Four. Concert photography is easy. Sorry, but it's not. In my opinion, concert photography is well off the most challenging fields in photography. Unlike other fields such as fashion photography, you can't change your environment, the movement off the artist and the stage lighting is out of your control. The space your work is limited, and the business side off things follows different rules than in all other professions out there. Some people think that concert photography is just occupying the best space in the venue and taking some photos. But when you're just starting out, you will find out that there is a lot of preparation to be done in the background and the actual time spent shooting is only a fraction off the total time you'll spending on the job so overnight Success is a move. Five. Concert photography will make you a lot of money. Just because you might be shooting rock stars who earned millions of dollars doesn't mean that they'll give you their money. Rocks does seem to have a different few off the road from other people. No off them, admittedly. But this is the same with celebrities terrorism, who is still pretty down to earth, whilst others think there from outer space. But the musician management aren't the only people who play an important role for you as a music photographer, Xterra other, such as promoters collapse and media outlets like magazines, agencies, newspapers and Internet blocks. The truth is, it's getting harder and harder to earn a living with the get everything for free mentality around now. This holds especially true in the creative industry. However, I'll teach you all I know about the music business and discussed the fact that we as concert photographers, have probably helped to establish this system by ourselves. There are already some solutions available to get out off this rabbit hole, and I'll talk about this in Model five. So this sums up my five myths about concert photography. With this information in mind, I would like to tell him more about the mindset you will need to become a successful music photographer in the next list. 4. The Mindset Part 1: being a music photographer is definitely my most favorite shop in the world. Not only do you have to master the technical skills, but you also need a unique mindset to be successful. One has studied out. People said photography is just a hobby at a real chop like everyone else. So I thought to myself, Either I can get a day job I probably want, enjoy, live from recon to weekend and not find the time to do the things that are really love. Or I just follow my gut feeling, trying to establish myself as a photographer and make my hobby my chop. It was very difficult for me in the beginning, and it took me almost two years before. I must brave enough to make the final step towards becoming a freelance photographer. You might have already had similar responses from your own family or friends, and though good advice from people in your industry is important, sometimes it isn't correct. Ask yourself how many off the people giving you advice actually work in the industry you want to go into. How many of them are photographers and how many are actually music photographers. Advice from a wedding photographer might be useful if you want to shoot weddings, too. But she or he might not be able to give you the information you need to know for your future career as a concept for telephone. Therefore, it's important to talk to people who are already specialized in your field. I also realized you need a special mindset for working as a self employed photographer isn't only holds true for photography in general, but is the case for all business or you're your own bus and you're the ball who is responsible for its success or failure. You can't blame anyone else if it doesn't work out, so it can be the coolest job in the world. But it can also become a nightmare. Frustration, anxiety to help you get started and find the right mindset is a concert photographer. I want to talk about seven proven steps you can easily implement in your life. They helped me establish myself as a music photographer, and I'm sure you will help you to stock your project. Now start your project now seems like an obvious point, but most people will suggest that you should stay in your present job for the next 30 years until you retire. And then you will have to time to live your hobbies and dreams. Are you kidding me? What happens if you die two days before your 65th birthday? What do you have to realize is that life is short and that if you don't live in the present , you will miss out on the best times off your life? Sure, it involves taking some risks. You might struggle. In the beginning, you might fail all off us. Experienced that. But at least you can try to follow your dream and find out This is what you want to achieve in life. Have a look at all the big rock stars like the Rolling Stones or Iggy Pop. They committed themselves to the higher goal of becoming musicians. If they had waited until they were retired, they would have missed the whole career and wouldn't be the icons off a generation. So if you make the decision to start your career as a music photographer, go for it Now, start from scratch. You can't immediately be a superstar at what you're doing. Like the Red Hot Chili Peppers are with the music They also started out small recently a red that Ramsden, for example, played the first concert in front of 15 people. They didn't start out playing in big stadiums, burning the whole stage down. It takes time to evolve your ideas and get comfortable with the new situation so you don't need the most expensive camera gear when you're just starting out a crop sense. A camera with the right lens is enough to get the chop down at Giffords concert. Leave your comfort zone, leave your comfort zone is the single best advice I can give you. What does it mean? Leaving a comfort zone means doing something you're normally afraid off with the aim off, overcoming that fear and letting your personality grow. Most of us feel insecure and almost have a nervous breakdown. If we do something that pushes into our personal security soon 5. The Mindset Part 2: I once attended a road trip with Jonathan Can Listen Brighton and we were given the challenge off, talking to strangers on the street and taking the portrait's with our Anila cameras, you might be able to imagine how this felt. You see someone walking towards you, You think, OK, this is the right person to ask. Then, when the person is just a few steps away from you, you start feeling an insecurity popping up within you. This belief follows, and in that second of hesitation, the person happily passes you by and it's gone forever. Sound familiar? This is quite normal reaction when we're forced to challenge ourselves. But the good thing is, once you brave enough to take a photograph of a stranger the next time, it will be easier, and it will continue getting easier each time you do it. This is just an example of how to learn to leave your comfort zone, which is something which holds true for every situation, life, but especially as a music photographer, Have you ever been in front of the stage and take photos of your idols or your favorite band like Metallica? It will freak you out At first you have to think about so many new things, such as camera settings, composition, where to stand, how to deal with the audience and security cards, how to behave in front, off the stage and so on. But guess what? If you never leave your comfort soon, you will never learn from your mistakes. So the best thing you can do is get out there and overcome your fear. Be active, not passive. This one goes hand in hand with leaving a comfort. Soon as a successful person, you have to learn to be active. You have to learn to ask questions and articulate what you really want. The truth is that there are thousands of concert photographers out there who all have the aim to make it in this business. Everyone wants to shoot for the big stars and tour with them around the globe. So if you're sitting at home and waiting for the manager off Peter Gabriel to call you, then you're 100% guaranteed to fail. You'll sit there forever because the phone won't ring until you're a world famous photographer. Nobody will take any notice a few if you act in a passive way you have to take your future into your own hands, create your own luck and actively make it possible for you to live your dreams. Deliver the past quality possible. You have to stand out from the crowd and get noticed. It doesn't matter what kind of work you're doing, but there are a lot of folks around who do similar work, especially concert photography. You will notice that there are always a bunch of guys hanging around that concerts with the camera equipment. Taking photos off depends music. Photography is a very competitive field, and you'd better have kick s work. Otherwise you'll never make it to the top. This is one of my all time favorite shots off the prodigy when I was working with them on stage, each stay committed. Once you have committed to becoming a music photographer, stick to it. The trick is to stay on track for a long time, becoming a music photography. It's not a short term goal, and the thing is not to give up. After facing the first few challenges, I guess you've heard of the smartphone game called Angry Bird. It was at the top off the bestselling games lists in the APP stores and stayed there for a long time. What people don't know is that the Swedish softer company who developed the game failed 51 times before, with the other games 51 times. Can you imagine how many setbacks they had, how many times they discussed the strategy over and over again and how much energy it costs to finally succeed after years of trial and error, And that example is to film back to the future. The script for that film initially got rejected 40 times, but they stayed committed and back to the future was a worldwide success. So see your career is a concept photographer. As a long term goal, be yourself. I personally think this last point is the most important one in the list. You don't have to pretend to be someone else. Be authentic, be real, and people will appreciate you for who you are and what you produce. It's good to have a look at what other photographers are up to, and it's great to seek inspiration from them. But you have to find your own way. I believe that everyone has her or his own voice find it, and you will be able to communicate your vision to others. Take these seven points as a tool kit to use on your journey to becoming a music photographer. These seven points have worked for me, so I'm sure they will work for you to when starting out with the career as a concept photographer. 6. Aperture: Before you start your journey to becoming a rock star concert photographer, you need to master the basics of photography. In this lecture, I'll explain the three pyramid ISS aperture shutter speed and I so in a way that you don't have to fear them anymore. Let's start with aperture. The aperture is the opening or whole located inside the lens, and allows you to decide how much light hits the digital sensor off your camera. This hole is formed by a serious of overlapping metal plates or a diaphragm, and can be trusted with their camera to make the opening larger or smaller. The larger the opening, the more light is allowed to hit the sensor, also called large aperture. The smaller the opening, the less light can enter small aperture. The same principle is behind the way the iris works in our eyes. Temperatures are also denoted by F numbers. The smaller the F number, the larger the opening in the lens in the beginning to Islamic later can lead to some confusion, and it took me a while to figure out how F numbers work. Technically speaking, the F numbers are gracious and a determined by dividing the DIA meter off the lens, opening by the focal length after lens. As I want to explain this to you in a way that it doesn't require, too, have a PhD in physics to understand. I leave you with this explanation and rather focus on the practical aspect off how to use these F numbers to your advantage. F numbers like one point for 22.84 or 5.6 denotes divided openings depending on your lens, which will admit the greatest amount off light F numbers such as 8 11 16 and 22 reflects the smallest openings, which lets in less light. When you set your lens to the smallest EPA tree number, you're shooting by it open. If you choose larger aperture numbers, you were stopping the lens down when you increase the F number by a full stop or one stop increment, for example, from F two to F 2.8, the lens let's in half assed much light as it did before. This means that F four allows half assed much light as F 2.8 and F 5.6 allows half as much light as F four On the other hand, F eight lets in twice a smudge flight as F 11 and F 11 that's in twice as much light as F 16. Why would you want to change the opening in your lens? Well, you might think that it's just about controlling the flow off light hitting the camera sensor. It sounds obvious that when shooting on a sunny day in bright sunlight, you should make the whole or the EPA tra in your lands. Smaller Paris when you're shooting a concert in low light conditions, usually said the aperture and provide open as possible to let enough light into hit the camera sensor. But the aperture has an even more important function, namely to control the depths off field, simply speaking steps off field. Is the area off sharpness within a picture? I'm sure you've already noticed this in magazines, off photography books by professional photographers. Some photos contained models where only the eyes off the person are in focus, whereas the background is blurry when focusing your lands. On a certain point, everything in the image on the same plane is in focus as well. Everything in front and behind this point focal plane is not in focus, so the depths off feed determines the area that's in focus. The aesthetic quality off the blur produced in the out of focus areas of an image is referred as okay, Japanese for Blur until you can see a poetry of freedom do well off Alice in chains. A did a festival and only his eyes are in focus. PARIS The background is out of focus. What influences now? The steps off field? There are three factors. Aperture. This, for me is by far the most important factor in determining that off field. A small F number or large aperture not only lets in more light, but also decreases the stepped off field. This would result in a very shallow focus area in your picture and then out of focus, foreground background divided the aperture. The smaller the F number, the smaller the depth off field. So portrait photographers often use an aperture off F 1.4 or F 2.8. To achieve this effect, subject distance the distance between you and the subject also determined steps off field. The closer you are to your subject, the shallow at the Tepes off field makes a huge difference if the artist on stage is two meters away from you or if he leans over to you and things into your camera. And the focal length, the third component that influences depths of field is the focal length off your lens. The longer the focal length. For example, 200 millimeter. The shallower the taps off field two short of the focal length. For example. 35 millimeter. The deeper the taps off field. And that's also the reason why landscape photographers use an F number off F 16 or F 22. Custom want to have the whole scene in focus. 7. Shutter Speed and ISO: so get the fastest lens within your budget and with fast lenses. I'm referring to lenses with a small aperture number such as F from point. For a farm 0.0.8 or F two point it. I should 95% off my concert shoots with lenses with small F numbers. Most of the time. You have to deal with ultra low light situations during concerts, so the only way to get a decent exposure is to let as much light into your cameras possible . This you can achieve by setting your lens to the smallest F number. Additionally, your photos will have a shell adapts off field, which helps blur out distracting stage elements behind to subject you're shooting. For example, if you focus on the eyes of your model using an aperture of F 1.8, the years will be already out of focus. That's why it's important when using small aperture numbers toe always focus on the eyes off. The musicians on stage shut a speed. The shutter speed is the second component in achieving a correct exposure. When you press the shutter on your camera, a device called the Shutter Inside your camera opens and allows light to pass from the lands into your camera body to hit the camera center the time the shortest is open, allowing light to hit the sensor is cold. Shut the speed. This means that the shutter speed controls the effect off motion in your photo. Amongst other things, fast shutter speeds freeze the action, and you can see here a photo of apocalyptic ER, where I used a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. Slower shut the speeds allowed the action to be recorded This blur. The various shutter speeds are indicated as whole numbers, such as 6125 or 250 in your few finder or on your camera display. However, these numbers are actually a fraction off a second like one over sixties of a 2nd 1 over 125th of a second or one over 200 fifties. Off a second, most new cameras have the ability to set the shutter speed between very slow. For example, 30 seconds toe ultrafast like 1/8 thousands of a second shut. The speeds over one second are marked with a quotation marks after the number. If you go from a shutter speed off one over 125th of a second to one over 200 fifties of a second. The shutter stays open for half the time. One over 125th off a second is twice as long as one over 200 fifties off a second, so half the light will hit the camera sensor. This might sound complicated, but once you've thought this through, its simple the high end of one over X time is the faster to shut the speed. So run over 200 fifties of a second is faster than one over 125th off a second, whereas 1/5 hundreds of a second is faster than one over 252 for a second. So in concert photography, I shoot 99% of the time with a fast shutter speed off around one over 200 off a second to make sure I get sharp images off the artist. Sometimes I set a slow shutter speed to player parts off the image. One great example is to play the trump sticks of a trauma. The drama usually sits relatively still, but his hands and trump sticks are moving fast so you can capture a shop image off the person with blood drumsticks, which gives the feeling off motioned action. The same applies turkey. Terrorist who's strumming hand is moving fast as a rule of thumb. One over the focal length off the lens is too slow a shutter speed. You should use one hand holding your camera because of camera shake. So, for example, for using a 50 millimeters lens, you should use at least one over 15th of a second when you're using a 200 millimeter lens. Then you should use at least a shutter speed of fun over 215 off a second, and so on. If the subject of moving and talking and the baton band members usually are, you'll need even faster speeds. So remember, you'll get blurry photos because of your camera shaking or because the subject is moving too fast. But in both cases, your shot, the speed is too long or slow to freeze the action. Another important setting on your camera is the eyes over you, Aiso rivers to the sensitivity off your sensor in any luck times to sensitivity off the film was measured in ISO, the higher their eyes, so setting, for example, 800 the less slightest needed to achieve the correct exposure. However, the higher the I so value, the warmer the camera sense it gets and the more noise or crane as it was known and locked times you will encounter in your photos. There are ways to reduce the noise during post production, but the aim is to keep the eye so a slow as possible. Typical in concert photography are Aiso settings off 1,610,400 depending on the stage lighting and the venue. Discomfort picture is from solar cheeses, and there was almost no light on stage. Therefore, I had to use a high I so setting off 6400 to get a decent exposure, you can see the crane, especially at both sides, off the light beam. However, crane doesn't have to be a bad thing, and the fact of grain is working create when converting your photos into black and white 8. Aperture, Shutter Speed And ISO Interconnected: Okay, let's have a look at the Holy Trinity and how aperture shutter speed and I so work together . If you change one variable, you will have to adjust the others as well to get a photo with the right exposure. Say you said the aperture to F 1.8 and then I so setting off 1600 the camera sets a shutter speed off one over forties off a second. This shutter speed might be too slow, resulting employed photos so you can't reduce the apple tree number since its limited, for instance, were using a 50 millimeters f 1.8 lens. However, you can crank your eyes. Oh, up to, let's say, 3200 and from ice a 1600 to 3200. It's one stop. Therefore, your shutter speed will be one stopped faster, so it's not 1/40 2nd Any more insulin over eighties. Second, it's one stop, so I want you to get a feeding for these numbers, so we now have an aperture of F 1.8 I. So 3200 the shutter speed off one over eighties off a second. I was still with me. If there is an action on stage and the musicians are moving fast, you need a faster shutter speed. So guess what? We'll have to crank the I. So up to 6400. But remember, hired I. So the more noise you're getting the resulting photo. So if we use I so 6400 we get a shutter speed of one over 106 teeth off a second, which will probably get the chop down, but you'll get more noise in the final image. Another way off Looking at it is that you get exactly the same exposure in the following examples. So an example. One. We have an aperture of F 1.8. We have a shot, the speed of phone over 250th of a second, and then I saw setting of 200. We will get the same exposure when we set an aperture off F 2.5, shut the speed of one over 125th of a second and to say my so setting of 200. The same exposure applies when we're using F 2.5 a shutter speed off one over 250th of a second and eyes or 400 and we get the same exposure when using F 1.8 shut the speed of 1/5 hundreds of a second and I saw 400. However, the photo will have a slightly different look. So in example, one We have a very shallow depth of field because we're using aperture off 1.8 so very small. F number. We get a blurry foreground and background because off the wide open aperture in Number two , we're stopping down the lens toe F 2.5, which results in a less shallow taps off field. But possibly we get more blur off moving objects. Kustra using a slower shutter speed, in example. Three. We have the same depth off field compared to example to, but possibly we get sharper moving elements because we're using a faster shutter speed one over 250th of a second. Instead, off phone over 125th off a second we used in the example to. But we also get slightly more noise in the photo cause we're using now, and I so setting a 400 instead of 200 ending number four. We have the original Stella taps of field from example one, but we have quite fast moving objects, or element will be frozen shop because we're using a really fast shutter speed off 1/5 hundreds of a second, and we get the same amount of noise as an example. Three. So it's always a compromise between getting sharp images and having noise in the picture. 9. Cameras Part 1: you're in the market to buy a new camera. It's more than likely that you'll get overwhelmed by all the choices you will find when you're starting out. There are different camera manufacturers, different camera models with strange sounding names like D 5000 or five D mark three and even more confusing data sheets you will find at your local camera store or at the dedicated online shop. When it was started out, I was lost in this flute of information. Therefore, I will give you know a few off the different options and help you find the right camera. That's future needs. What matters most is which camera system you want to invest in. You might already have heard off point and shoot cameras, digital single lens reflex cameras or muralist systems. So let's have a look at what works and what doesn't point and shoot. Camera point and shoot Cameras are also called compact cameras and that by far the most used cameras for vacations, parties and capturing family events, they are small and inexpensive. However, they also have technical limitations such as fixed lands which cannot be changed and which are often not built to be used in low light situations. Lately, smartphones have taken over the point and shoot camera market, so for having fun and taking photos with their friends, this system might work for you. But it's definitely not the camera you want to invest in for concert photography. The bridge cameras bridge cameras are the next step up the letter off professional camera systems. As the name Bridge implies, they feel the niche between Point and Shoot and DSLR cameras. You might have seen these Super Soon bridge cameras, which have assumed capability impressive enough to take on safari with you. This type of camera type lacks the option off interchangeable answers, and therefore it's not the camera you want to buy for concert photography. The mirror less cameras, the mirror lists. Interchangeable lens cameras are in a class off their own. They don't have a mirror and therefore don't have an optical few finder, but do offer interchangeable answers. Over the last few years, there have been a lot of camera manufacturers like Fuji, Samsung, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic who have invested in this camera system. The companies are trying to attack the conventional digital camera market, but until now only food. She has a wide variation off lenses to offer. Recently, I got the food, she 61 which is capable of taking great photos in low light situations. However, they're still too expensive if you're just starting out and the out of focus system is still not as good as the one in the next category of cameras. And here we go, we've now arrived at the camera system you will want to invest in. May I introduce you to the digital single lens reflex camera system off a short DSLR in a DSLR camera, light travels through the lens, then to a mirror that switches between sending the images to either the few finder or the image sensor. This is the camera type that you will find most professionals using, and it's the only camera system that makes sense to using concert photography. At the moment, the advantage off the system is the fact that you can buy multiple lenses with different focal length and apple trees. You can get ultra wide angle lenses, which a great when you're directly in front, off a small stage, and you can get 500 millimeter lenses when you're shooting the rolling stones from 30 meter way in the stadium. The downside, though, is the price tag attached to these cameras. They range from a couple of $100 to tens of thousands of dollars. Nikon and Canon are still the market leaders and offer a wide variety of lenses, so you might as well stick to one of these two brands. I am a Nikon shooter, whereas other spare by cannon make sure you choose to brand you're most comfortable with. Take a look at the different camera bodies, the lands, options and accessories. Which brands do your photographer friends shoot with? They might have lenses you can borrow when you're starting out and will be able to guide you easier if you have questions. Once you start investing in a system, stick to it. A system switch will cost you a lot of money, which you might be able to spend more sensibly 10. Cameras Part 2: crop sense of first is full frame cameras. One has studied out in photography. I heard the term crop sensor first, his full friend sensor in connection with DSLR cameras a lot. It took me a while to figure it out. So if you're also feeling lost in this jungle off technical camera terms, let me try to explain. Okay, let's go back to the good old and a lot of times an analog camera, which takes 35 millimeter films to start a small film roles, which were in fashion in the eighties And you can see here on the left hand side shoots negatives with a size off 24 by 36 millimeter Decides is due to the opening that lets the light pass through the camera and hit the film. The 24 by 36 millimeter corresponds to the size off the sense or in a full frame digital camera. Okay, so this vote of Jonathan David off the bend corn was taken with the full frame camera, and therefore it corresponds to the 24 by 36 millimeter, often analog negative. Here, the dimensions are not the correct ones. Costa slides are ah 16 to 94 months. But I think you get the idea in a crop sensor camera. However, the sensor sizes smaller or cropped, indicated here by the yellow books. Easy, right? So let's have a look at the advantages and disadvantages off these sensor sizes and what this means for you as a photographer. First, a full frame sensor. As it said, the sensor size is 24 by 36 millimeter, so the advantages are due to the largest sensor size. The sense it doesn't warm up as fast and do their forget less noise in your photos at high rise. So settings With these cameras, it's possible to reach isa well. Use off up to 125,000 and sometimes beyond. The focal length written on the lands refers to the focal lengths you get when this lands is attached to a full frame body, depending on the lands. The bouquet it's the blur or the aesthetic quality off the blur in out of focus areas has a nice equality compared to crop sensor cameras. The disadvantages are that the camera bodies, such as the Nikon D 884 or ah Canon five D mark three. Very expensive and can cost you as much as a used car. They are larger in size and weight lends instead of designed for full frame cameras, arm or expensive, with some exceptions, such as the 50 millimeter if 1.8. The crop sensor cameras have a smaller sensor, and so, depending on the camera manufacturer, you may need to multiply the focal length off your lens with the crop factor. For example, Nike on the crop factor is fun 0.5 and for Canon, its 1.6 to check the actual focal length. So the advantages are that crop sensor cameras a cheaper and you can get the camera body for a few $100. The lenses for crop sensor cameras a cheaper as well compared to the full friend lenses and the camera bodies a lighter and smaller in size For the disadvantages due to the smaller sensors noise, it's more noticeable in the resulting photos. Anti available ice oh values a smaller. So, for example, you will have the maximum I so setting off 3200 or 6400 and this will be probably the highest setting you can get. It isn't a wise decision to use your crop sensor lenses on a full frame body, either, so you can actually do this. But the results transforms your expensive full frame camera into a low megapixel machine. So are you still with me? So one more thing, which is neither an advantage nor disadvantage, just something you have to take in account a 50 millimeter lens. So the focal length it's written on the land itself, attached to a crop sensor camera body will no longer have a field off you off. 50 millimeter. So what does this mean? So once reading a great explanation from Zachariah about this crop sensor issue. So let's imagine a computer monitor puts and yellow paper across the top side and bottom. You're now seeing less off your screen right. The screen resolution is still the same, but you're seeing less of it. You've now made a crop sensor screen from your full frame screen. The full image is still being shown behind the yellow paper, but you can only see the part off the image in the middle of the screen. So if you have a 50 millimeters lens on a crop sensor camera body. You have to multiply the focal length with a crop factor. For example, 1.6 for canon, which is about 80 millimeter. So the 50 millimeter lens on your crop camera body has a field a few corresponding toe. 80 millimeters on a full frame camera. The lens is still 50 millimeter. It hasn't changed optically, but on a camera with the crop sensor, you're just seeing less off that feel of few. So this is important to know if you want to get, for example, a wide angle lands. Let's say you want to get the 35 millimeter focal length lens onto your crop sensor camera . Which lens do you have to buy exactly? A lens with a 24 millimeter focal ing because 24 multiplied with 1.6 is about 35. Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pantex all used different crop factors, but in general you get a similar focal length in the end 11. Cameras Part 3: camera manufacturer. They're a different camera manufacturers such as Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Sony, Pantex and others. If you're attacked, Chunk, go ahead and read all the reviews and reports on the Web. I'm sure you will successfully broke rest in eight for the next month. Reading, thinking, discussing and rethinking the choices over and over again. If you have too much time on your hands, joined the night Converse is Canon War on the Internet, if that's what makes you happy. But I warn you, you will lose a lot of precious energy in useless fights with guys who have an ego problem . So my honest answer is the camera brand does not matter If you want to start as a concert photographer right now, go to your nearest local camera store. Hold a Nikon in your hand, Hola, cannon in your hand and asked to see a Sony or whatever other brand you're excited about which camera body fits best in your hands. I can line up amazing photographers who should Nikon, and they can do the same with photographers to shoot Can Um so it's not about the brand. A camera system only has one purpose to collect light and record an image. That's it. So there's no magic involved, and all camera systems work along the same lines. So as I mentioned before, Nikon and Canon other market leaders and offer the greatest variety of lenses. So you can't go wrong when choosing one off these two prints megapixels, the first thing a lot of people notice when checking out new cameras. Other mega pixels. The resolution off a camera sensor is expressed in megapixels and reflects the number off pixels in the sensor. So basically, the higher the megapixel number, the higher the resolution and the better the details in the final image. This allows you to crop your image and still get decent quality enough to print a picture. However, the trade off is that these files can be huge in size and will cost you a lot of storage space on your disk. A 35 megapixel role file from a Nikon D 800 will be about 50 to 60 megabyte each photo. So unless you want to print enormous detailed prints, the megapixel issue plays a minor role. Most of the DSLR cameras available today have 16 to 24 megapixel sensors which is really enough to get awesome picture quality Aiso. As previously discussed, the isil capability off your camera is key in concert photography. Depending on your budget, Try to buy a crop sensitive that our camera with a maximum I so setting off it least 6400 you will be faced with low light conditions on stage and therefore need the option to set high Aiso valleys. Remember the higher the I. So setting on the camera, the warmer the camera sensor will become, which will lead to higher noise levels in your photos frames per seconds. The frame rate or frames per second is the frequency at which to camera captures unique images. So let's say the camera has four frames per second. This means that you will be able to take four pictures as second. This might be prettier you want to look for if you're also going to capture sport events for concert photography. The frames per second is a minor topic, and almost all entry cameras should provide you with a good frame rate option and video. So most new cameras have the ability to shoot video. If you're planning on getting a use camera body. Then you will find cameras around which don't have video capabilities. So just make sure if you want to shoot video that you get the right model to suit your needs for concert photography. You don't need the video capability off a camera because filming a concert is a total different story, and the video guys have even more restrictions than V as a concert photographer. So should I get in your use camera about human? Think so? This depends on different factors. If you get a new camera body, then you'll get a manufacturer's guarantee for a least one year. If there's a problem, you just send it for service, and they either get it repaired or receiving you one. If you buy a used camera body on eBay most of the time, you won't get a guarantee, which is slightly risky, but you might get a great deal on old used full friend body. So if you plan to buy a use camera body, make sure the model has the eyes. So capability you're looking for 6400 is a good value and take a close look at the shutter count. Every shot in a camera has a specific number off times. It can be used. Once this number is reached, the camera need to service. Basically, if the used camera body you're looking at first used on a daily basis in the studio for some years, you might have to replace to shut the soon and appropriate shut the number which can be attained before replacement is to you. It's about 150,000. 12. Lenses Part 1: Let's talk about lenses. You might think that the camera body is the most important part off your equipment, but lenses at the true heroes that enable you to get awesome concert photos due to the recent pushing technology. There are new camera but is being taken to market fast and often. Once you get a new camera body, it's already old after a year, and you concentrate off the feeling that you have to upgrade again and again and again, which you absolutely don't have to. So, however, lenses will last a lifetime. I use some old glances, which are over six years old now, and you still work perfectly. If you make sure that the front plus doesn't get scratched and stop any dust from creeping into the lens, you'll get many years off use out of them. This is also the reason why used camera parties lose their value very quickly. Parrots lenses tend to stay at the price you bottom. In concert photography, we need to concentrate on the two main features off lenses, the focal length anti aperture. The focal length is written on the lens. For example, 50 millimeter, as you can see here and determines the angle off you, or how much off a scene you can see in the resulting frame. Wide angle lenses have lower numbers such as 24 millimeter and fit more off the scene in the frame. Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, have higher numbers such as 200 millimeter and help to pull far off subjects closer into the frame. So imagine you're standing in front of a stage at a certain spot and you don't move. With the wind angle ends. You will be able to capture the whole band on stage with a 55 with a wide angle lens, you will be able to capture the whole band on stage. With 50 millimeter, you will be able to get a full body shot off an artist, and with the telephoto lens, you might just get a head shot off. The artist. All this focal length have their own special usage in concert photography, and I will talk about this a little later on. The aperture is the single most important factor when it comes down to concert photography . As explained, the aperture is the opening or a whole located inside the lens, which allows you to choose how much light hits the digital sensor off a camera. Since we have to deal with low light situations on stage all the time, the aperture will either make us or break us. You might have heard that you need to use fast glass, white open and concert photography. So if you're lands is a 50 millimeter F 1.8, as shown here, then fast class corresponds to the F number or 1.8, and White Open means shooting this lens at F one. Put it prime. First assume lances the cannon. First, it's Nikon voice almost as important as the prime. First assume Lance's fights. ERM, I mean the discussion. The main difference between prime and soon lenses is a fixed focal length. First, it's a range of focal length choices in one lens, so let's have a closer look. The prime lenses or fixed focal length lenses. They have a single focal length, for example, 24 millimeter, 35 millimeter, 50 millimeter, 85 millimeter, and so on. They have a rider maximum aperture, which means smaller F numbers, like at 1.4 or 1.8, which is crucial in low light photography. As we said before, they can deliver sharper images, especially compared to all the semblance is some prime lenses are cheaper toe equivalent soon lances, and they are more lightweight and for assume lenses. Soon lands is cover of either range of focal length, like 17 to 55 millimeter or 24 to 70 millimeter or 72 200 millimeter, and so on the maximum aperture on the best soon Lance's is limited toe F 2.8. You only need one lens to cover a focal length from wide angle to telephoto into 24 to 70 millimeter full frame lands is a good example for it, and professional soon lances are heavy and expensive. 13. Lenses Part 2: soon. Lance's can be further divided into variable aperture. Assume lances and constant pepper tree zoom lenses. So let's have a look what this means. The variable up to assume Lance's have different aperture numbers, depending on the focal length used. So, for example, on 18 to 55 millimeters F 3.5 to 5.6 has a maximum aperture at F 3.5 18 millimeter, and the maximum aperture off F 5.6 at 55 millimeters survives. It is important to know. So let's imagine that you're in front off the stage and you said 80 millimeter F 3.5, you have a shutter speed off one over 250 of a second and then Aiso setting off 1600. It takes some photos, and the exposure looks great. So then you want to do a headshot and adjust the focal length to 55 millimeter. So not only will you have adjusted the focal length off the lens, but the camera now automatically set your aperture to F 5.6, and the bigger F number means less light is able to hit a camera sensor, and therefore your photo will be under exposed by one stop. In this case. This sucks, and an F number off 5.6 might not give you the light you need for low light concert photography. So why do most of the camera kits include this variable after assume lenses like the 18 to 55 millimeter of 3.5 to 5.6? Because thes lands is a cheap to produce and most of the photographers who by entry level cameras want to use them for capturing holiday and family scenes? This land is totally capable off achieving good results in well lit situations. But I wouldn't recommend a variable average assume lands for use in concert photography. Which brings me to the constant aperture. Assume lances. The constant aptitude glances keep the same maximum aperture. No matter which focal length setting, you're using the best Soon glances let you set an aperture number off F 2.8. This is a wide aperture that can be easily used in low light conditions such as concerts, but also in wedding when you're shooting in the church. So compared to most prime lenses and the variable aperture assume lands is these lenses cost a fortune. A 24 to 70 millimeters F 2.8 will be around 1800 or $1900 the 7200 millimeters F 2.8 will set you back another $2000. And that's just for one lens. So concert photography pros often use these two lenses because they have a versatile focal length and produced the best possible image quality. They are heavy, these lenses a big and heavy compared to fix prime lenses or variable average assume lances . So if you shoot into 72 200 millimeters of 2.8 the whole day, you'll probably have a painful neck or back at the end off the day. These lands are also not much fun when traveling. I've taken them with me a few times from touring with Ben's. I can remember walking the streets in Mexico City with my B camera and lens, which didn't make me feel very comfortable, and you'll get noticed as a pro. Immediately, these lenses scream. Hi, I'm here. I'm a professional photographer. This isn't something you always want, especially if you don't want people to be aware off you taking pictures of them. I'm a huge fan of prime lenses and also used them a lot from a portrait work. The 50 millimeter from 500.8 is cheap and a great lands to start with. I love the limitation that I have to move my feet if you're going to get another framing for me, this is the purest form off photography, and I believe that this kind of lens makes me a better photographer. However, I also have some glances in my land set up, such as to 24 to 70 millimeter of 2.8 in concert photography. Your often limited in how much you can move around. You're stood in front off the stage, taking photos. That's it. So for concert photography, I use both prime and soon lenses, which gives me the freedom to choose either a wider aperture or a range of focal length 14. Best Camera And Lenses For Beginners: which camera and lands should get. Now you might ask. So if you're starting out in concert photography, isa chest Getting a brand new crop sends a camera with an AYSO, setting off a least 6400 examples of cameras available at the budget level at the moment on Icahn's, starting with the D 533,000. Audie Canon starting with the Eos Rebel T five t three i 45 i These cameras are mostly available as a kid package, including a lens, so you can get a decent camera body with the land, such as the 18 to 55 millimeters F 3.5 for 5.6. This kind of plans is good for everyday photography purposes, like travel birthday parties outside, but they're absolutely useless for concert photography. So as well as your kid lands, you'll need to get another lands or save some money and up for our body only purchase. Why don't I suggest getting a full frame camera as your first camera? Honestly, it would be overkill, and that beast might get you into more trouble than help you. Yes, full frame camera gives you the option refusing freaking high Aiso values, resulting in less noise in your final pictures and there for a better image quality overall . But they'll cost you a fortune, and most of the time it's not a wise decision spending three months off income on a camera . So for me, it's important to get you out there and shooting and finding out if concert photography is your thing. I don't want you spending thousands of dollars and then seeing you getting frustrated after two concerts and never touch near camera again. Do the pros all these full frame camera bodies? You bet. But they also started out with the can on 40 and shot my first year with it, building my portfolio and moved on. This would be the same as you getting your driving license and then buying a poor shares. The first car. It's cool to have fun if you have to budget, but it's absolutely not necessary. So don't believe people who tell you that gear is the key to becoming a successful photographer. So fantastic you put your camera so you'll need a lens that will get you awesome. Concert photos as I mentioned before. You can use your 18 to 55 millimeter for general photography use, but you'll need another lens to kick such a career. So let me introduce you to the 50 millimeter at 4.8 lens. It's available for all brands and is a no brainer because of its ability to shoot in low light as its highest aperture setting. This lands is made of plastic is small lightweight, and that abstruse sieve, the nifty 50 also called the plastic fantastic, has saved more than a few times. When the light in technician seemed to be asleep and the stage was almost pitch black. This lances of prime lens, which means it has a fixed focal length of 50 millimeter. If you want to get closer, you have to use your feet. 15. Shoot Concerts Like A Pro Part 1: congratulations. You are now the proud owner off a crop sends a camera with a 50 millimeter prime Linz waiting to get to your first concert when you knew two concert photography. It can all be a bit overwhelming, which collapsed and concerts should I choose. What about my camera settings? Will it be allowed to be in front of the stage for the whole concert? Do I need a flash or should ask? Depend beforehand. That's normal. And I think every no miss concert photographer. I was nervous when they started out, so let's do this together. Follow the next steps and you will be able to get your first or some concert photos. But be careful. Once you start doing this crazy job, you will easily get addicted to it. Just a small warning. Starting small clubs. The first advice to start out with is to start taking photos of concerts in small local clubs. At these venues, you can almost always get in with a DSLR camera without any limitations. For larger venues, you'll need a press accreditation. But don't worry too much about this right now, and I will talk about this in the next lectures starting in small venues is the best way for you to get some experience as a concert photographer. In my opinion, it's also the only route when you're starting out learning all the basics that will help you nail the shots when you get to shoot the peak. Rockstar's later on. This photo shows to Novi Jim Bend making marks playing in a small club here in Vienna, and it took this photo outside off the venue. To get an interesting angle off you check out which clubs allow you to get in with the camera equipment. First, go to the concert at these clubs beforehand. If there were security guards at the entrance and they check your bags, then you obviously can't just arrive and start taking photos with a digital SLR camera. Almost all venues allow small pocket cameras, but you want to become a concert photographer, right? So your first step is to make sure there are no restrictions on taking photos in a club. Once you have found suitable venues, you want to search for cool concerts. The best way is to check out the falling sources club off venue, home pages, local newspapers, local blocks, and magazines, event webpages or print music magazines. Once you have found the concert you'd like to attend, buy a ticket. Believe me, it doesn't matter where you live. That will always be a club with some bands. Plane before you head to your first concert. Here are five tips I always used to make sure my equipment is working properly, and I don't forget any gear I need at the concert. First, make sure your batteries inserted into the camera and it's fully charged. Second, to make sure you have your memory cut correctly inserted into your camera. 3rd 4 months your memory card. Go to the camera menu and form of your memory cut first. It's happened to me more than once that I was shooting with the half full memory cut. What will happen is that you'll start shooting the constant after one song realized that your memory card is already full. You won't have the time to delete your old photos. Men religion. So make sure you start with a freshly formatted memory card. Then, before I leave for a photo shoot, I grabbed my camera with the lens attached and shoot wanted to frames off anything. This will ensure that everything is working properly and you can double check if the battery and memory card are working too. And never forget to pack your protection in your bag. Once you've checked your equipment, you're good to go. Okay, let's move to the venue. 16. Shoot Concerts Like A Pro Part 2: make sure you there on time. Being late to your first concert can give you nervous breakdown. If you have to push through to the first row and fiddle around with the camera settings whilst the band is already halfway through the set. Not good if it happens and the club is already crowded when you enter from the back. Being extremely friendly is the only way to go. Once you arrive in front of the stage, make it clear that you will just be there for a couple of songs. Sometimes people can wrecked badly if you push past them or blocked their way. So to avoid these situations, be there a two least 1 to 2 hours before the show. If you recognize the band, either while stared doing the sound check or hanging around in the club, ask them politely. If the mind you taking photos off them tonight. Most of depends will be glad that there's someone who is thrilled with the music and we'll see. There's an honor to be full to craft by you. Position yourself to the left or right off center in front of the stage. If you stay that center, the microphone stand can block the singer's face, which will make it much harder to capture a good photo and respect other people who also want to ensure the band and have paid for a concert. Then the concert starts. All of a sudden, the club lights go out. The only light is coming from some blue red spot lights flickering away. The band enters the stage and a wall of sound smashes into your face. You grab your camera with the 50 millimeter one point in plans, set the camera to automatic mode, and bam! A little flash monster sitting on top of your camera pops up and throws the ugliest light you can think of onto the singer's face. Not only is the poor guy have blinded and irritated, but your photos will also look like at this point, a lot of frustrated beginners. Just take the cameras home and never shoot the concert again, but not you. So what's going on? Let me explain the situation a small club, and by starting out as a concept photographer, it's a lot harder than shooting director chili purpose on a big stadium stage. To be honest, shooting small clubs is tough. You don't have dedicated workspace. Also called the photo pit, the stage lighting is often the most challenging you'll ever get into. Crowds Dancing around you doesn't make it any easier to get awesome shots off the artist on stage, however, the good news is that it gets easier as you work your way up as a concert photographer. Having to deal with challenging conditions straight away will definitely make you better. Concert Photographer Most of the concert I started out only had a blue and red spotlight on stage, which, by the way, the worst colors for digital senses toe handle. As shown in the previous scenario. Putting a camera in tow automatic mode means it will be guaranteed to fire its pop up flesh because it's too dark, so you have to suppress the flesh. Chances are your photo will be blurred because the camera can't deal with low light conditions. When music the ultimate exciting a camera on automatic mode doesn't know what kind of photo you want to take and tries to figure out the best settings for you. You have no control off aperture shut the speed or is oh so you're a slave to your equipment as we want to be cool rock star photographers. We have to let the camera know what it should do. You want to get awesome concert shots and not the once you'll find in a school newspaper. So hopefully you have flown your lesson and you'll never use your automatic motor can. Getting back to the light you will notice that there is no fancy lighting equipment on stage. The small collapse often have their own lighting technicians who aren't familiar with the artist's music. So don't expect some freaking awesome lighting effects. Matching depends sound. You'll also notice that the lighting is mostly colored purple, yellow, red and blue. All these beautiful colors get smashed onto the blood musicians in your photos. Awesome! If you like the artsy side of photography. But that's not my and hopefully not your style. So how can you take better photos than the other photographers, who all have two cameras set to automatic? Let's move on to the next lecture 17. Camera Settings That Work Part 1: the correct camera settings. A key to getting great photos in small and emerging concert venues, as we have seen and discussed before, the automatic mode on your camera's simply won't get the job done properly. Take the following basic camera settings as a starting point. Get used to your gear and learn where all the buttons are located on your camera. You should be able to find and change the settings, even in a pitch black concert hall, because once you know your gear, you can focus on the more important stuff like what's going on on stage. Let's see which camera settings will work best for you. When shooting your first concert, I'll break down all the settings for you. It's important that you understand what these settings mean and how you can use them to achieve the best results. I'll keep it here at the very basic level, with the aim that you can immediately go out after this lesson and start to shoot your first concert. Exposure modes determine how the aperture shutter speed and I so settings are selected by your camera. All DSLR cameras from entry level toe high end professional cameras haven't least four exposure modes program Out or P EPA trip. Priority A or a V, depending on the camera manufacturer. Shutter speed. Priority as a TV and Manuel Em, you can find them on the Mod's Dia, located on the top of your camera. Entry level cameras often have seen modes such as landscape, macro, poetry and sport. While these modes might be good at year to use in the specific situations they're named after, never used these for concert photography. The camera takes control like it does when set to auto, and you won't have any idea what the cameras styling in and probably get mediocre shots at best. Program out to a P for concert photography. The program, Outdoor Piemonte, isn't a much better option than using the full automatic mode, often depicted as a green square or out. Just as in the automatic mode, your camera chooses the aperture shutter speed and even I so when said to automatic, the only difference is that you can manually adjust either the aperture or shutter speed. Still, you have to keep in mind that the camera is reading the light buyer the light meter setting and sets the other variables accordingly. Since you have to deal with constantly changing low light situations on stage, your camera will have a hard time getting consistent images, so it's better to skip the automatic and program out remote on your camera shut the priority In this mode, the photographer sets the shutter speed, and the camera sets the aperture accordingly. I don't use dissecting for concert photography because I want to control my aperture myself . The only time I said to shutter speed rather than the aperture is when I want to get motion blur effects. For instance, you want to get a motion effect if a car passing by or you want to get the dreamy or Khost Lee fact off a waterfall. This setting is a good starting point, but I prefer the next two settings. Eh, Pitra priority. This is the mode I used for the first couple of years when I started out this concert photographer. The aperture priority mode will let you set the aperture, and the camera will set your shutter speed accordingly. I used to set my eyes so manually, so I started by setting an F number off F rampant ate at my 50 millimeter lens adjusted my eyes Soto 1600 and showed some frames. Then I checked the al city monitored to see if I got a good exposure. If yes, then I continued to shoot with these settings. If the photo surround exposed, I used the higher I So setting. For example, 3200. If the photos were over exposed, I lower the I so settings to I. So 800 I think. Eh, Petra Priority mode is the best mo to start out with, and if you need some assistance from your camera, you can use the outer eye so setting in addition, manual remote. The manual mode will give you complete control over your camera. This system OTA currently used to most since this lecture is aimed that photographers who were just starting out I relieved explanation of this most to the next model. Usual lands. Lowest aperture number. Set your aperture number to the smallest number possible. This could be a slower Stefan 0.8, which reflects the largest aperture on a 50 millimeters lens. This allows the most possible light to hitch a sensor and is a master of setting in ultra low light stage conditions. Use the fast shutter speed. Most of the time. You will want to freeze the action on stage, so you'll need a fast shutter speed. Try to get at least a shutter speed of 1/2 hundreds of a second. And as a rule of thumb, don't drop below one fifties off a second. When your hands holding a camera use a high Aiso, you can either use outer eye so or set the I so values manually. I prefer to set it manually and start with a nice so setting off 1600 when shooting in collapse with low light situations on stage. 18. Camera Settings That Work Part 2: out of focus. The out of focus on the camera will make your life a lot easier when used correctly. I love to shoot with old analog manual focus cameras and lenses for my portrait. But for concert photography, the out of focus setting on your camera is a must. The out of focus function is also tied to the shutter button in the same way, the light metering motives there are different out of focus modes on your camera. But for now I want to focus on the outer area out of focus mode. Each camera has a set of out of focus points, anywhere from three points in entry level cameras to 65 points in some cannon pro cameras. But the amount off out of focus points really doesn't matter for us. All cameras have the outer area out of focus mode, which lets the camera decide where to focus. This example shows the few finder off the can on 70 Mac, too. Here, the red rectangles indicate that the 65 point automatic selections active the camera will most likely choose. The nearest subject to focus on this setting will serve you well for your first experiences is a concert photographer, and I'll discuss the other options for out of focus in the next model metering modes. Your camera has a built in light meter, which measures the light in a scene. Depending on this reading, the camera sets the appropriate aperture shutter speed and I S O Every camera has different metering modes. All off, which will be activated on the shutter button, is pressed halfway down. For the beginning. Concert photographer The Matrix, or evaluative mode, is a good compromise. In this month, the camera takes a light reading off the whole scene and tries to match it to build in database of similar scenes to try to calculate the right exposure. This metering motors called matrix metering on Nikon cameras and evaluative metering on canon cameras. You see here a photo off the Lorries or Reordan, the singer off the cranberries. If the matrix mode is chosen, the camera will take a reading off. The whole few finder indicated as red Overly. This meeting mode works pretty well. Normal lighting situations such as a cloudy day outside, but it will also work for even the late stages, however dissenting. It's not perfect for concert photography, but it's the easiest option when you're starting out, so therefore we'll go with it out. White balance. Let me explain what the white balance setting is. Take a piece of white paper and go outside on a sunny day. Look at the paper and it will appear white. Now go to the shadow and have a look again. It's still white right now. Go back to your house and take a look at the piece of paper in different lighting situations. Place the piece of paper under your desk lamp or a fluorescent light. The paper always looks right because our brain adjusts our few of these different lighting situations, and we always see white when we're looking at the white piece of paper or other objects we know to be right under normal lighting conditions. For a camera, it's different. A camera sense. It just records. Delighted sees. Therefore, if you take a white piece of paper and few it under the different lighting conditions outlined above and take a photo, you will see that it sometimes is a blue, red or corinne cast or shade of color rather than being pure white. This is also the reason why you have so many different settings for white balance on a camera. You can also see the effect here at this photo of Kirk Hammett from Metallica on the far left, you see the outer white balance setting off the camera in the middle. Photo. The white balance setting was set to fluorescent, and you can recognize a blue cast of color in the right picture of the white balance setting shade was used, which gives you a warmer shade of color. You can even sets the specific color temperature and Calvin so for concert photography that different white balance settings don't really matter much. So leave the white balance setting on auto, and you're good to go most of the time if you have to change the white balance setting afterwards. You can always do this in your post protection workflow, and I will talk about this in more detail later 19. Camera Settings That Work Part 3: use the shape informant Shaping is an acronym for Joint Photographic Expert Group and is to stand that former for all digital cameras. Basically, it stands for a compression of digital images, this form of his limitations but the big advantages that you won't have to process your photos afterwards. So as a first step, it's absolutely fine for the people who disagree. Here I am, a 100% roar shooter, but I think when shooting your first concert, people might not be familiar with post processing raw data. It might be too frustrating, and I want you to succeed from the get go and keep him on probation level high. So future starting out and you don't know about the role for mint. Stick to the shape informant for your first few constant shootings. If you're already advanced, stay tuned to the next model. Well, I'll explain the settings for advanced concert photographers. Never use flash. In general, you're not allowed to use a flash and concert photography imagine 10 photographers burst their flashes at the same time. This would be quite annoying for the artist, and this might also be the reason why they came up with the rule. No flash in the photo pit. My recommendations to learn concert photography using the available light in smaller clubs who might be able to use a flash. But if you want to take concert photography serious, you better get used to the struggle off low light. Therefore, we discussed the concert photography settings here that work without using a flash. So let's sum up the camera settings you need to master your first concert. Used the aperture priority mode. Set the aperture number off the lens at its lowest setting like a farm 0.8 or F 2.8. Use a fast shutter speed like 1/2 hundreds off a second and faster start with an eyesore. Fun 1006 100. Or use the cameras I so out of setting, set out to focus toe outer area F mood used to matrix or evaluative metering mode. Set your white balance to outer if they knew to concert photography and you're not used to post process. Your picture used to shape it for months and don't use a flash. As I mentioned before the settings at a very basic settings to cover your first concerts and to get your first decent concert photos, so it's time to get out, get to know your equipment and shoot some concerts. 20. During And After The Concert Part 1: you've dialing the correct camera settings the band is playing and you've started taking photos. So here is some would rise during and after the concert. Be nice to the audience as you're standing in front, off the stage in the crowd. Be nice to other people. They've paid to be at this kick and want to have a good time to tell them that you just here for the first few songs. This should help to avoid any arguments with the audience, especially in front of the pit. I also heard off a tip whereby you offer some of your photos to the problem guys. You tell them they will get some great shots. If they let you work up front, switch your position. It's important to switch your position from time to time and try to get in. Not a few points to. Not only are you blocking the view for the audience if you stay in one spot for the whole concert, but your photos will also like variation. Switching position is essential if you are a tall girl or guy as I'm not that toll. I don't have this problem, but I guess you know the feeling when you're at the concert, and then all of a sudden the tallest guy in the venue stands directly in front of you. For the next 1.5 hours, you can switch from the left side to the stage to the right side or move back a little bit further away from the stage and quality audience to, for instance, don't use a flash from you in front off the stage. I know it's dark, and the flash seems to make sense in this situation, however, flash in general is not allowed when shooting concerts. As I'm discussing the next module use off, a flash is forbidden at 99.9% off the concerts that I'm photographing, the only time you can use a flesh. It's when you're friends with the bend or you have permission from the band's manager. As we're just starting out and don't want to deal with these issues, I suggest sticking to the camera settings we discussed earlier. And don't worry about your flash anymore. If you decide to use your flesh without permission, you risk getting kicked out to avoid ear damage. It's crucial you wear your your protection you'll often operate and work in front of speakers, which is situated on either side of the stage. I agree that rock music sounds best if it's played loud, but don't risk your health just because you think using your protections, not rocknroll enough. Take hundreds of photos. Don't be shy and press the shutter release off. Firstly, no one will notice, and it's quite normal to take hundreds of photos at a gig as a concert photographer. Since you can't control anything that's happening on stage, you need to have a big pool of photos at the end from which to make a selection. There are no rules about how many photos you should take at the kick, but more photos probably means more keepers. All of a sudden, the band leaves the stage and two concerts over, although it feels like the only played for 10 minutes. When you're shooting concerts, time flies by and the only recollection you'll have off the last hour will be photos on your memory cut. The audience will start to move towards the merchandise desk, and the band will have disappeared in the backstage area, but not for long because they reappear a couple of minutes later and hang out talking to defense and signing the album's. This is the beauty of shooting in small clubs. The more famous depend gets the less still connect on a direct level with defense. You won't see a CDC at the merchandise table after the concert, but you're in a small club, and this will give you the opportunity to connect with the pens directly. Wait until the panties back in the venue and asked him for an email address to which you can send your photos. The aim of this strategy is to get your foot into the door and Tobin relationship with the bend. So there is no management, no club owner, no organized involved, just a direct wire to depend. And that's what you want. So congrats. You've completed your first constitute. You can be proud of yourself, but unfortunately you're not done yet. So what should you do next? 21. During And After The Concert Part 2: after the concert. Once you get home, copy the files to your computer and opened them in an application which can easily manage the huge amounts of photos you will have. I use a double light room, and I will talk about my post production work flying model to. But now here's the hard part. Select 60 off your best photos. I know this can be tough, but you have to learn how to find its throat punches. Skip through your photos, and once you feel you've found a good one market and carry on after the first editing around, do with second round, where you select only 20 to 30 photos out of to 60. The aim of this method is to build a strong selection off the concert. Try not to lose too much time going through this process. With practice, you'll get faster, and this election will take just a couple of minutes. Nope, No negative do? Nope, Yes, No, no way. What of? Nope. A useful tip. When choosing the final images go with their gut feeling. It's hard to explain, but if you see a photo for the first time and you think, wow, this one's great. It's off, my keeper shot. I normally find 2 to 3 real keepers in 10 to 24 just that reflect the concert in a good way . You want to send the band a selection off your best shots, and it doesn't make sense to send him 150 floaters 20 to 30 shots gives them a good overview and have more off a chance of being chosen to be shared at the social media channels. Because I advise you to only shoot in, shape it for months at your first concert. You don't have to deal with the raw form it. So the easiest way to get your concert photos developed in post production is to install my light from presets and used him, and they will be away Label as a download. One click and you're ready to go. But the guys in my photos look like blue, red and green creatures from another galaxy. You might say Yes, this can happen in small clubs and depends on the lighting equipment and delight technician at the venue. So here's the secret. Have you ever wondered why a lot of concert pictures are converted into black and white bingo. And that's the reason. Not only do you get rid off the awful color caste, but the noise from your high Aiso setting, it's a lot less distracting and adds a raw, sweaty and sexy look to your photos. So use my black and white presets to convert your photos and the musicians we'd look awesome again. Export to photos at 72 D. P. I. And 950 pixels on the longest side. Put your logo on them, give automatic and email them to the bend. Say thank you again for the great opportunity to take photos at the Awesome gig and explain that they can share your photos and social networks for free as long as two credit you. If they like your photos, they will also mention you in the comments and voil. Uh, you have your first concert shot with free advertising out on the Web. The aim of this model is to get you started and run through the different steps of shooting concerts in small clubs. Take it as a guideline and not rules to follow. Other things can always happen to, of course, maybe there's almost no light and you can get cool shots. Maybe you visit a hardcore concert, and it's impossible to shoot in front off the stage without being in the middle off the mosh pit. Maybe depend, doesn't reappear from backstage after the concert. Or maybe they don't answer your emails anymore and don't share your photos. Therefore, it's important to shoot and practice often if you only should run concert per month. In the beginning, you will probably need a long time to get to portfolio together because you won't get great shots from every concert. So concentrate on the learning process. Everything is new to you and you have to get used to your new job. After some concerts, it will feel natural, and you will know what works best for you. Even if the circumstances are hard to manage, I would highly, such as starting out in these small clubs. You have no photos to show you have no experience, is a concert photographer and therefore no one will hire you. This might sound route, but I'm being painfully honest. If you want to become Iraq's the concert photographer, you have to start somewhere, and small clubs are a great playground in which to learn 22. Download Your Free Ebook: