Live gig photography for the first time (Tips and Tricks)

As a photographer I am always trying to broaden my horizon and test myself so I decided to shoot some photos at a concert I was attending.

I had never shot at a concert before. I learned there are several challenges to overcome when shooting at a gig and a lot of questions that went through my mind.
Is the stage going to be well lit? What sort of changes to light should I expect with lighting cues? What lens will be the best for capturing the action?

I was fortunate that the stage was small and fairly well lit so this allowed me to keep my ISO relatively low. Which means I was able to cut down on the noise in the images. I was able to stick to 800 ISO and I kept my shutter speed between 1/40s and 1/160s and my aperture between ƒ/1.8 and ƒ/3.5. This allows the camera to take in a lot of light while also giving me a the speed to ensure the image doesn’t blur. Obviously there are instances where a slower shutter speed could offer a more artistic composition and capture motion in a blur. I did one shot where I put the settings to ƒ/14 Shutter Speed 2 sec ISO 800. It is the final image shown below. It is not quite the desired effect but it shows what sort of image you can get by pushing the settings in the opposite direction.

Shooting with a prime lens obviously means you won’t be able to zoom so how do you overcome that issue? If you can’t get a photo pass you might not be able to get up close and personal so you have to choose your position wisely. I simply asked the venue in advance if I would be able to bring my DSLR into the gig and they agreed (a big thank you to the Night & Day Cafe for that) and found myself a safe spot near the front.

I used a Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8 Lens but what if the stage had been bigger or raised higher up? I may have required something different. However simply cropping the image in post might be sufficient and save you having to lug around a larger lens.

Overall I really enjoyed the challenge of shooting at a gig, as it poses similar lighting issues to the evening reception at a wedding, and I hope to shoot some more gigs again soon.

To check out Mike West you can do so here.

Chris Shiflett “Hard Lessons” the forthcoming album out 14th June (June 21st in the UK)

ƒ/2.2 Shutter Speed 1/125s ISO 800 Mike West

ƒ/2.2 Shutter Speed 1/125s ISO 800 Mike West

ƒ/2.8 Shutter Speed 1/80s ISO 800 Chris Shiflett

ƒ/2.8 Shutter Speed 1/80s ISO 800 Chris Shiflett

ƒ/3.2 Shutter Speed 1/40s ISO 800 Chris Shiflett

ƒ/3.2 Shutter Speed 1/40s ISO 800 Chris Shiflett

ƒ/3.5 Shutter Speed 1/80s ISO 800 Chris Shiflett and Band

ƒ/3.5 Shutter Speed 1/80s ISO 800 Chris Shiflett and Band

ƒ/2.2 Shutter Speed 1/100s ISO 800 Chris Shiflett

ƒ/2.2 Shutter Speed 1/100s ISO 800 Chris Shiflett

ƒ/14 Shutter Speed 2 sec. ISO 800 Chris Shiflett

ƒ/14 Shutter Speed 2 sec. ISO 800 Chris Shiflett