5 tips for taking photos of a concert
If you didn’t post on Instagram that you were there, were you really there? A lot of people seem to have that these days. Also with concerts. Although it is very annoying when everyone keeps their device in the air, it can be imagined somewhere. If not for social media, then to give your own memory a helping hand when you look back ten years later on what fun things you did that year. We give you five tips for taking a photo during a concert.
Contents
1. Accept that it won’t be a pretty picture
This is odd advice in an article about taking photos of a concert, but it’s the most honest thing we can say. We are not Anton Corbijn, we do not have the artist in front of the lens in a studio, nor can we just stand on stage like a true William Rutten. You don’t get that beautiful close-up where you see the drops of sweat falling on the pick. It is best to accept that it is difficult to take a really good photo at a concert, because then the photo you take is more of a stroke of luck.
Of course, it also depends on your device: can it handle movement and light well?
2. Don’t disturb others
You bought way too expensive tickets for your favorite artist for way too much money. Good outfit on, drink in hand, in the starting blocks in the Ziggo Dome. You hear the first tones of that one song, but then… everyone raises their smartphone to start filming. You don’t even know that your favorite artist is there, because the smartphone of the person in front of you has one photography of all other smartphones before that, that a kind of Droste effect is created and you don’t see a flute of what is happening on stage. There is nothing more annoying than people having their smartphones in the air during a concert. Whole videos are made of concerts, which do not sound at all through the speakers of the telephone. That is why the first advice is social advice: do not disturb others with your photograph. It is better not to make videos, or limit it to a few times ten seconds if you really cannot control yourself, but above all: if you want to take a picture, quickly put your hands in the air, take a look, and then put your smartphone back in away.
Watching a concert through a smartphone: surely nobody wants that?
3. Get the timing right
In line with the above, think about your timing. Often people start shooting when an artist comes on, while the artist probably runs across the stage like a mad dog. Your artist really doesn’t leave after a song, so wait until the right time comes to take a snapshot. If necessary, look up a track list of the concert on Spotify in advance: then you know whether he or she is going to sing that one ballad. Because ballads, those are always the best moments to take a photo without disturbing others too much, where you also have the best chance of a sharp photo. Especially if you already feel a bit embarrassed about taking a picture, it’s very uncomfortable if the artist keeps looking exactly the other way and you have to try again. Make it easy on yourself, just wait for that slow song and take your time.
A nice rear, but not quite what we were going for.
4. Zooming is fine
Although in most cases it is really better not to zoom, there are places and positions (for example, if there are many people in front of you or you are at the very back of the room) that ask to zoom. It can sometimes help to see the artist’s face a little better. However, as you can see in the example below, that certainly doesn’t always work. The chance that you move a bit or that the lighting completely takes over is very high in this mode.
Sometimes you can see the artist’s face by zooming in, while otherwise you would never see it because of the many meters between you.
5. Pay attention to the light
Where in photography articles we usually refer to the sunlight or natural light on the other hand, which often provides the best photos, we hereby refer to the light men and women. These are often the real rock stars of a concert, because they make sure everything is perfectly lit, on the beat, with striking colors, to create the right atmosphere. The light often ensures that even years later you recognize very quickly which concert the photo is from. In addition, it can give your artist’s face a kind of glow. So check roughly what the sound engineer is doing in a song, so that you can anticipate this and get a good shot.
Compliments to the lighting men and women, who provide extra atmosphere during a concert.
Finally, if you really want to take a picture, it is also wise to walk around a bit more and choose different places to take a picture. For example, some pop temples have balconies on which you can usually take a better photo because you don’t have to avoid people. But if it doesn’t work, no problem, just keep a vague snapshot as a nice reminder of the fact that you were at the concert, that’s what these photos are for after all, right? And on social media you just put the music of the artist underneath and it is very recognizable. Good luck!
Tips for taking iris photos, photos of food, plus mountains for winter sports and the northern lights have already appeared in this series. Also listen to our podcast about photography:
Do you have any good tips for smartphone photography at concerts? Then leave them in the comments.
