Staff
EDM concerts offer some great opportunities for stunning photos, if you know how to take them. It’s not as easy as one might think. Sure, it’s easy to use your smartphone to snap pics of the stage, but it’s tougher to capture the right move in the right light at the right part of the song. That’s how to get great pictures.
Entrance and Permissions
Sometimes photographers can get a complimentary pass to a musical event for the strict purpose of shooting a few rolls of film. If you can get that, great. If not, you might have to click over to Telecharge.com for your desired tickets. Also, make sure you get a photo pass for the specific show. These can either be obtained via the venue, the promoter or the bands playing. These permissions to shoot usually come with certain rules and guidelines for distribution, so make sure you’re OK to share pictures on your own site, social networks and elsewhere.
Equipment and Position
Concert photography takes special equipment to get the right kinds of photos. Many EDM and concert photographers swear by their DSLR cameras. These digital single-lens reflex cameras can help get images with the right depth and focus.
You also want to have a good position near the front of the stage. At big concerts, there is usually a photographer’s pit, which gives room to photogs to capture the shots they need at the start of the show and move on. For smaller shows or an intimate DJ setting, feel free to move around the perimeter of the stage for a unique angles and new perspective. Take some pictures from behind the DJ— it’s not often that you can get that point of view.
Use Light Measures
Shooting moving dancers or lights in low light can be tricky. But use the lighting to your advantage. Skip using your flash, as Exposure Guide recommends, and instead set your aperture to the widest level to bring in enough light. Spot metering can also help, depending on the camera. It can give you an accurate measure of the available light levels, too.
Try a few local shows to get the hang of shooting photography at concerts. Or even befriend a few local DJs and ask to shoot them for practice. With enough experience, you can get your sights down pat for rousing concert images.
