If you look at this shot of Robin Zander I took at a Cheap Trick show, you may ask just what did I do to piss him off? It seems he’s looking dead at me and the boy just isn’t happy. Maybe he just didn’t like the idea of someone in
the audience taking pictures. That’s a shame, though. This was at a free concert provided at Orlando Harley-Davidson during Bike Week 2006. People tend to bring cameras to free shows at Bike Week.
At the time, it was nothing more than a chance for me to take some snapshots to remember the event. The only other time I shot a concert was a couple years before during a Joan Jett show using a little Nikon point & shoot. To date, that’s about the extent of any “concert photography” I’ve ever tried. Most venues don’t want anyone in the audience bringing a camera to capture the show, so I never gave it any more thought as a legitimate subject for photography. I didn’t have access.
That may change. Right now, I still don’t have access to any real opportunities to photograph concerts, but I’m hoping to learn. Next week, I’m attending the Concert Photographer pre-conference training session at Photoshop World. Instructors Alan Hess and Scott Diussa are both experienced concert shooters who intend to teach us how it’s done. Here’s what they plan to share:
We start in the classroom where we cover the ins and outs of concert photography, from getting the credentials to picking the right gear and what settings to use. We cover why we shoot in manual mode and how to get the best results by using the best metering mode for the situation. Photo pit etiquette is covered along with dealing with time limitati
ons, space concerns and composition problems and solutions. Its a lot of information and it comes pretty fast but that’s because we need to have plenty of time for the live shoot.
We take the class information and put it to use in an actual concert environment. Lights, music, and explosive guitar solos. All the great excitement that makes concert shooting so much fun. Not only will you get three songs to shoot the band, but we will have a bunch of Nikon gear on hand for those who want to try a different body or lens. Scott and I will also be on hand to help with any problems you might have or any questions you need answered. When we did this in Vegas last year, we also had a couple of other photographers around who knew their way around a concert shoot and were happy to help so we really strive to make sure everyone gets their questions answered.
We return to the classroom after the shoot and discuss what went right and what went wrong, what worked and what didn’t. We also discuss the post processing. So if you have ever wanted to shoot a concert, or want to get some controlled practice in, then this class is for you.
At first, I didn’t give this too much thought. It sounded like fun, but I never believed I could get access. After mulling it over for a day or two, I started to change my mind. After all, other people get access. I can’t get access if I never try. That’s when I decided to sign up for the pre-conference training. It may work out for me to start shooting concerts, and it may not. At the very least, I hope to learn something and thereby increase my chances of getting access by knowing how to approach people for credentials, get some practice in front of a live band, and learn what makes a decent concert photo.
I’ve exchanged a few notes with Alan via Twitter and he’s been very encouraging. Following his suggestion, I went out last Saturday night to shoot a local band. 211 photos later, I can honestly say there isn’t a shot in there that really blows me away. However, the experience was good for me because it started my mind to thinking about what I want to capture. How can I pre-visualize a shot and then get it in camera? Do I want flare from the lights? Am I looking for peak moments? Am I trying to capture the color of the lights? Will some of these images look better in Black & White?
Going into the shoot, I was worried about pumping up the ISO to 6400. I wanted a decent shutter speed to stop motion (though there were times when some blur would work creatively), but I worried about giving up sharpness and the effect of noise. I’m still split on that decision, too. Some of these images are not as crisp as I’d like. It may be a matter of waiting for the changing lights or other opportunities. It may be that you take what you can get.
I suspect this is part of the reason why Alan suggested I try it before the pre-con session. Now when I go in for the workshop, I’ll have some idea of the problems I’m facing and I can ask questions about how to do better. I’ll let you know how it works out.
