You're missing a social life and a girlfriend, loser.

How many concerts have you shot?

>>863518
Close to seven concerts so far.

>>863518
I've been doing freelance for a few years for local bands. I'm not sure how many, probably 30 or 40?

>>863519
Not OP.

>>863518
I do local shows. I probably have a little more than 20 under my belt, and that's only from the last year and a half.

Again, not OP.

OP here. I've done small and big shows throughout the state. More than 50 in total as I've been doing this for more than two years.

either way, needs sample shots to go with the points.

lol'd at 'don't forget the drummer'

So when project asks a question everyone just pretends to be op and answers it?

>>863521
This is OP.

I don't claim to be the most experienced or know everything, live concerts are my favorite thing to shoot, and it seems like one of the more common questions on /p/ is "my friend's band is playing a show and he wants me to take pictures how do i?" So I figured I'd try my hand at making a simple guide.

What about flash and dragging the shutter?

>>863539
Flash isn't allowed at most venues I shoot at, and is universally hated by the musicians I work for. As such I don't have much experience with it and didn't want to include what little I know in the guide at the risk of sounding stupid.

Also, it opens up a whole new depth of complexity that I think is beyond the target audience.

>>863542

Oh I've only ever shot at small venues with punk/hardcore bands and they never seem to care.

been shooting events for about 6 years now. maybe 25 concerts.

Shutter priority.. or any priority.. yea no. And even if I did use an auto exposure mode it'd be Av. It's a fucking concert and if they have any sort of decent computerized lighting your meter won't know what hit it. Use manual and hope the lights are good.

>>863543
The smaller venues are the only place you can really use it. I shoot a lot of indie-rock or experimental type music, they tend to be pussies. The only practice I've had with my flash is with the few hardcore bands I've shot at the little venues, and I'm so used to shooting without it I usually just don't bother.

If you'd like to write something up I can stick it in the guide?

shot just an or two ago, opinions? my first time using flash for show/concert photography
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>>863543
Flash + shutter drag is a really bad overused clichéd technique, I'm glad it's not in there.

>Shutter speed and full manual
The modes are fine, but what really matters is HOW you meter. Average or matrix metering will obviously screw you over big time. The lights are constantly changing, and this won't do you much good. For the best quality exposure you'll want to spot meter on a person's face, and up that exposure with 2/3rds a stop. Constantly update your exposure while shooting.

>Don't be afraid to underexpose
The rest of the sentence is correct, but an underexposed image is still an unuseable one. If you can't get proper exposure with decent shutter speeds, you brought the wrong gear. Game over.

>if you have time/memory shoot RAW
This should be: "ALWAYS SHOOT RAW", seriously, if you're not shooting RAW, you're doing it wrong, massively.

>continious shooting speed
If you're going this way, which in no way is a normal approach (Shoot and pray is for faggots, srsly), you also need high-speed memory, otherwise most of the times you'll be waiting just as much.

>Rule of the thirds
Only use it if you have no better thoughts on composition, it is your last resort and highly cliché in concert photographs, highly overused and it will not make your photographs stand out.

>each musician individually
It doesn't matter who you photograph and who you don't, what matters is if the photographs are good. I couldn't care less if you shot only the same guitarist over and over again, if he does well in the photographs, then so be it. You're not being paid here.

-->

>>863581
<--

To add:
Bigger venues will only allow you to shoot the first three songs, make good use of this, as it will be your only chance. Pretty much every concert has a warm-up, shoot the warm-up to get into the mood and get most of the light correct. You don't want to fuck up your basic settings when the first song starts.
If you're in a bigger venue, you'll most likely be in the photo-pitt. This is both positive and negative, as you'll be right against the stage, but you'll be pushed together with a dozen of other photographers who have the same goal, but most likely consist of 80% faggots who are seriously sucky, but got their credentials because of very pricy gear and connections. Quite often there will be a large mass of photographers that move in a group. They have no idea what to shoot besides the obvious, so as soon as someone shoots something remotely interesting, the others will join at the same location. Don't join them, try to stay away from this group. Not only does it make your angle unique, but more then often band members dislike this large group and will happily do a trick or two in front of your camera if you're alone and visibly enjoying the music.
Don't chimp. Whenever you chimp, you didn't look at the performers, and you most likely missed something. A good concert photograph can be in the tiniest of moments. Chimp every twenty photographs or so. If you're unsure of your exposure, then you're obviously not comofrtable with your camera and the venue yet.
Connections are helpful, get to know the people at the venue if it's a place you visit often. If you're lucky they'll get you photography credentials when you haven't settled it with the band, or with smaller bands will allow you backstage.

>>863580
It's really, really shitty. You should feel ashamed.

>>863580
not good


and seriously first basic piece of advice for concert photography is no flash.

>>863539
absolute worst advice in this thread

>>863545
You've been shooting for 6 years but only done 25 concerts, wow you must have some real sage advice there.

Hello ladies~
Would you like to borrow my earplugs?
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>>863590 impossible to shoot shows like that with no flash

>>863596
>impossible

>doesn't know how not to use flash

Wow, you're a really, really bad photographer. You should feel ashamed of yourself.

...

>863594 wt snacks

Thank you very much OP. I really appreciate this.

>>863581

>Flash + shutter drag is a really bad overused clichéd technique, I'm glad it's not in there.

It's probably common because it looks cool. If you don't do something because lots of other people do it you're a fag.

>>863592
>You've been shooting for 6 years but only done 25 concerts, wow you must have some real sage advice there.

>been shooting events for about 6 years now.

learn 2 read

events!=concerts

For instance I've shot 6 graduations this past week

>>863623
>It's probably common because it looks cool. If you don't do something because lots of other people do it you're a fag.

And this is why you'll never be any good, John. This is the reason.

>>863626
ITT: concert photography
nobody cares about your shitty high school graduation

>>863581

Underexposing can work, easily, especially when shooting in raw. Musicians don't mind that much if the shots are a bit noisy any way.

>>863669
Undexposure = clipped shadows, you're doing pretty bad if you do that. If you level up the mids, you're increasing the contrast at the same time, while the contrast is already through the roof due to the concert lights.

>>863681
I think this really depends on your metering. When i underexpose half a shot or so it makes the show look like it is, kinda dark, not like a fully lit room.

>Don't forget the drummer

Check
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>>863699
>I think this really depends on your metering. When i underexpose half a shot or so it makes the show look like it is, kinda dark, not like a fully lit room.

No.
'Correct exposure' is not what your camera meter tells you to expose at. When you say "Underexpose" your shots you're saying to go underneath the actual correct exposure (Which is what you experience as 'underexposing' already), which will clip blacks.
Learn the zone system, and the correct terminology to the words you are using.

OP Here, thought this thread was dead by now.

>>863581
>ALWAYS shoot raw
I definitely always RAW when I'm getting paid, simply because it uses a lot more memory and requires a lot more time and I'd rather not deal with those things when I'm not. Most newbies don't have the software or the knowhow to develop RAW right off the bat. That's why I said "if you have the time."
>continuous shooting speed
I didn't mean it so much as spray-n-pray as I did how-soon-the-camera-is-ready-to-take-another-picture. I missed a lot of moments with the 300D and then 350D I started off with because of this.
>each musician individually
It's a nice thing to get everyone though, the bands appreciate it. The biggest request I get before a show is "get good shots of each of us." Usually because their last photographer didn't.

>>863582
Good advice is found here. Not many people actually reading this guide are going to be in the professional pit, but the chimping is something I hadn't thought of.

>>863629

>And this is why you'll never be any good, John. This is the reason.

I just made 225 dollars today on photography, fuck your shit.

Oh also, what metering do you all recommend for this type of shooting? I use spot just because I get the best results with it, but I've never given much thought to how my camera meters.

>>864217
>I definitely always RAW when I'm getting paid, simply because it uses a lot more memory and requires a lot more time and I'd rather not deal with those things when I'm not. Most newbies don't have the software or the knowhow to develop RAW right off the bat. That's why I said "if you have the time."

No, always always shoot RAW. The white balance in concert photography is really tough to get spot on, and the contrast is high. Every extra bit of information is welcome, so always shoot RAW. Even if you can take less shots, shoot RAW.

>It's a nice thing to get everyone though, the bands appreciate it. The biggest request I get before a show is "get good shots of each of us." Usually because their last photographer didn't.

True, but I usually shoot for myself, and not for the band.

>>864242
Spot on face, add half a stop. Best way.

>>864226
Making money w/ photography does not equal being good in photography, you should know that yourself.