TheoShilton
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Contest Finalist in Music And Concerts Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in 700 Events Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at Koko in Camden Town in central London. I was shooting from the ground floor at the back of the crowd for Frantic's 15th Birthday event.Time
It was during the evening. However the event was indoors so it didn't effect the image. The venue however was fairly well lit from the stage which created a great atmosphere in the crowd.Lighting
The lighting was all artificial venue rigs. With spots, florescent light and lasers. I don't use flash for my concert photography as you lose some of the colour in the image so you are relying on a bright setup in the venue. Koko was perfect for this and I was able to shoot everything at f.35 and a medium ISO.Equipment
I used a Nikon D3000 (my first ever camera) and an 18-55mm kit lens. I don't use a flash for concert photography! A wide aperture medium ISO and a shutter of around 125-250 will do the trick for most shots. This will sound mad to some but if you're patient the colours you get in RAW are beautiful!Inspiration
Right place right time about sums up concert photography. You never have any control over the performers, the lighting, the crowd its just about moving around the venue and finding the right angle. I was in the back of the ground floor crowd section and was attempting to take some shots of the stage with the crowd in front. I honestly just got really lucky with the performers hand and the person in front putting their hands up at the same time. A few inches to the left or right or a few seconds too late and i'd have missed the shot. Blind luck at its best!Editing
I adjusted the levels and curves slightly in photoshop to add some depth and colour to the image but that was it!In my camera bag
Since taking this photo my gear has changed for concert photography. I now carry a Nikon D7200, I shoot DX primarily for the variation in lenses. Even though the raw quality is not as sharp as a full frame camera the variation in lenses is worth the sacrifice. For live music I carry a Nikon 18-300 mm lens for crowd shots and mid range close ups. This allows me to capture the stage even when im right at the back. I also carry a wide angle 10-20mm sigma lens for venue shots when i am trying to capture the scene of the event mainly from the back of the venue. This allows me to capture the atmosphere in a wide format and capture the whole scene rather than a snapshot. Finally I have an 8mm fish eye that is great for venue shots. It really opens up the view of the arena/venue and captures the atmosphere from the floor to the rafters.Feedback
Be patient, spend some time at the beginning of the event scoping out some different angle. Ask yourself how big is the venue? How many levels of seating are there? What lenses am I carrying. Having a good idea when you start of where to shoot and with what gear save a lot of time switching lenses in a crowded dark space. Also having a varied zoom lens is a life saver. My 18-300mm Nikon lens does most of the grunt work purely because it gives me flexibility. You rarely need wider than 18mm but you're covered for close-ups of performers from distance. Its an invaluable lens! Get one!! :D