Concert photography 01: 'Dream job' concert photographer

Here is an overview of the individual chapters:

Part 01 - "Dream job" concert photographer?

Part 02 - Legal issues

Part 03 - Special features of concert photography

Part 04 - Behavior in the "trench"

Part 05 - The right equipment for concert photographers

Part 06 - Tips and tricks from (concert photography) professionals

Part 07 - Image composition (Part 1)

Part 08 - Image composition (Part 2)

Part 09 - Recommended camera settings

Part 10 - Post-processing

Foreword

It has now become standard that accredited photographers are only allowed to photograph three songs. There are exceptions, of course, but as soon as you want to photograph a better-known artist or band, you will have to make do with only three songs. What's more, the lighting conditions are extremely difficult to assess, because at most concerts (at least at pop and rock concerts) they change constantly - and quickly.

We concert photographers are not welcome guests for everyone involved: we are usually in the way of the other spectators (at least those in the front row). We make work for the organizer (the accreditation). We are a thorn in the side of security, because there are safety aspects that speak against "filling" the pit in front of the stage with press photographers. The musicians often feel disturbed, even if we take photos without flash.

We are standing very close and the musicians perceive us accordingly. This can distract us from concentrating on the music and the audience. That's why "inconspicuous behavior" is the top priority for concert photographers. The music managers don't like us either, because they would prefer to censor all photos that they don't approve of if they show their protégés in poses that are not 100% advantageous.

And last but not least, legal know-how is increasingly becoming part of the concert photographer's toolkit. Pictures are quickly published - but without (written!) permission, this is a "courageous" undertaking!

Nevertheless, taking photos at concerts is extremely appealing. Perhaps precisely because the conditions are so difficult? And certainly also because the atmosphere at live concerts provides a beautiful setting.

Our photos also benefit from the use of elaborate event technology, especially the light show. Impressive pictures are often the result of our efforts; they are a mixture of the photographer's skill, the right equipment, great lighting effects and, as with almost all good photos, a little bit of luck.

Jens Brüggemann, November 2013

Figure 0-1: I hope you enjoy reading this, Jens Brüggemann, www.jensbrueggemann.de.

<imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/990_WHG_Neuse.jpg"> (Photo © 2013: WHG Neuse)   <h3>"Dream job" concert photographer?</h3>   Concert photography is certainly one of the most popular genres of photography. Nowhere else can you get spectacular-looking scenes in front of the lens as quickly as here, because concert photographers benefit from the compulsion of concert organizers and artists to offer the audience a furious show in order to be successful. Depending on the type of music, there are of course also exceptions to the requirement to offer a brilliant show, but it can certainly be confidently claimed that the majority of all important concerts can no longer do without an elaborate light and stage "show". And in the vast majority of cases, the artists not only strive to perform their songs with technical perfection, but also to present them in an almost "theatrical" way with lots of "action" (think of the cannon firing at AC/DC or the collapsing "wall" at Pink Floyd/Roger Waters).   Figure 1-1: Kylie Minogue (here in Berlin on her "Aphrodite - Les Folies" tour in 2011) also knows about the power of images. A furious show has been part of her concerts for years. Elaborate stage sets, acrobatic dancers, great costumes - all this offers enough for the audience to go home deeply impressed after the concert. The musical enjoyment, it seems, sometimes takes a back seat ... <imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/998_SvenDarmer.jpg"> (Photo © 2011: DAVIDS/Sven Darmer - www.svendarmer.de)   If you think back to the beginnings of punk in the seventies, you can confidently say that technical perfection is of secondary importance at quite a few concerts - as long as the show is right and the band spreads a good (pogo) atmosphere. However, even in the decades before that, there were always bands who understood that concert-goers didn't just come for the listening experience but that, in addition to the sense of community, the visuals also played a major role in the success or failure of the concerts. The Who, for example, only became better known and ultimately famous when Peter Townshend accidentally bumped his guitar neck against the low ceiling during one of his jumps at a live concert in the Railway Tavern in London in 1964 and it broke off. Enraged, he immediately smashed the rest of the guitar, which was received so enthusiastically by the concertgoers that this guitar-smashing at the end of every concert became part of The Who's standard program for a long time - and was loved and expected by the audience at every concert. The fact that this crowd-pleasing "action" led to The Who being in the red for a long time due to weekly smashed guitars and having to fight for financial survival is only mentioned here in passing. Peter Townshend had refused to use cheaper guitars at his concerts. He insisted on playing his favorite high-quality guitar at every concert, which inevitably ended up being spectacularly smashed every time. And drummer Keith Moon also insisted on destroying his drums in a martial manner, even using black powder several times, which once, however, led to injuries to the band members at a concert in a television studio on September 17, 1967 (he had used too much black powder this time). Although The Who were the first to attract attention - and success - by destroying their instruments, three years later it was Jimi Hendrix (real name: James Marshall Hendrix) who etched himself into the collective memory of music lovers by burning his still-booming Fender Stratocaster on stage. Unlike The Who, he did not stage the burning of his guitar as pure destruction, but literally conjured up the flames with his hands, which may have seemed like an offering to the god of music - and earned him burns on his fingers that had to be treated in hospital. But from then on, Jimi Hendrix was a legend. The power of images!   (As a result, The Who and Hendrix refused to perform behind each other at major concerts in future so as not to look like a cheap imitation of the other. At the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival in California, where both were already booked, the toss of a coin by the festival organizer decided who was allowed to play first). Figure 1-2: It doesn't always have to be destructiveness or sacrifice. Depending on the music genre, it may not be appropriate to smash your instruments. Instead, some artists perform artistic show interludes. Whether the piano sounds better when Dick Brave aka Sasha stands on one leg like a pirouetting figure skater (and plays) remains to be seen. But it looks good and the audience loves it. And in the end, we photographers also benefit when there's a bit of "action" on stage ...! Nikon D4 with 1.4/85mm Nikkor. 1/400 second, Blender 2.5, ISO 2500. <imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/997_JensBrueggemann.JPG">

(Photo © 2012: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de)

The beautiful and the less beautiful sides of concert photography

Figure 1-3: Two different hobbies come together in concert photography: listening to music and photography. This is probably why concert photography is so popular with many photographers. However, an often unclear legal situation, organizational problems in obtaining accreditation, outrageous toggle contracts and the restriction of photography time to often only 1-3 songs are the downsides of this exciting genre. Nikon D4 with 2.8/14-24mm wide-angle Nikkor with 14mm focal length used. 1/640 second, Blender 2.8, ISO 4000.

<imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/999_JensBrueggemann.JPG"> (Photo © 2012: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de)   <h3>The beautiful sides of concert photography</h3>   Concert photographers can combine two of their hobbies: Taking photos and listening to music. Those who enjoy attending mass events to indulge in a sense of community will feel particularly at home at concerts, as crowds in the concert hall (and usually also in the press pit) are an inevitable part of the experience. But in this way you also quickly get to know other people, like-minded people, which is also a nice aspect of this work. The concert-goers are generally all "in a good mood", have fun and want to have a good time. In this respect, it's a very pleasant environment in which to take photos (as long as you don't block the fans in the front rows from seeing their idols, which can lead to unpleasant nagging, especially from teenagers). Figures 1-4: Concerts are mass events. Concertgoers come here to enjoy themselves and have fun. Depending on which artist or group is performing, the audience tends to be female and very young (as in this photo, which was taken shortly before a concert by Tim Bendzko at the Zeltfestival Ruhr on August 24, 2012) or grey-haired and "with a lot of life experience". Or often a colorful mix. Nikon D4 with 2.8/14-24mm wide-angle Nikkor with 14mm focal length used. 1/100 second, Blender 4, ISO 3200. <imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/996_JensBrueggemann.jpg"> (Photo © 2012: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de) As already mentioned, we photographers benefit from a lot of "action" and theatricality of the performing artists and their elaborate stage shows. The lighting effects in particular are extremely effective and every photo, no matter how simple, is effective if there was a special lighting situation when it was taken (assuming the right exposure). Photographing concerts is not like working. It's more like a leisure activity, a fun experience. But that shouldn't hide the fact that concert photography can involve a lot of effort, both in terms of planning and preparation as well as in the follow-up. But more about that later. Figures 1-5: Atmospheric lighting effects, especially in the background, provide variety (in terms of lighting) and guarantee that it doesn't get visually boring, even if not too much else is happening. Here you can see Milow, at the concert on September 1, 2011. Nikon D3S with 4/24-120mm-Nikkor at focal length 24mm. 1/200 second, Blender 4, ISO 1600. <imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/995_JensBrueggemann.jpg">

(Photo © 2011: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de)

Figure 1-6: Another advantage of concert photography is that we photojournalists get closer to the stars than anyone else in the audience. We see details (such as facial expressions or song lyrics pasted on the stage floor) that no one else in the audience can see. In short: we are in the front row - even if only for three songs. Here you can see Adel Tawil from the duo ich & ich at the concert on September 1, 2010 in Bochum/Witten as part of the Zeltfestival Ruhr. Nikon D3S with 2.8/24-70mm Nikkor with focal length 24mm. 1/640 second, Blender 3.2, ISO 3200.

<imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/992_JensBrueggemann.JPG"> (Photo © 2011: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de)   <h3>The not so nice sides of concert photography</h3>   However, there are also downsides to concert photography, because as a concert photographer you work under severe restrictions: - As a rule, you are not allowed to use your own light. You are therefore dependent on the lighting design provided by the concert organizer. - The number of songs that can be photographed is usually fixed. Usually it is the first three songs. No more than that. Sometimes, however, there are even fewer: at Roger Waters' "The Wall" concert on September 7, 2013 in Düsseldorf, for example, photography was only allowed during the first song. Concert photographers therefore always feel a little "rushed" to deliver a good photo despite the time restrictions. - The concert photographers have no influence on the position, poses, facial expressions, etc. of the artists photographed. - The use of the photographs is often severely restricted by the band's management or the concert organizer. For example, they may often only be used for current reporting. - Concert photographers are usually only allowed to move around in a very small area, which is often located directly in front of the stage and is suboptimal for perspective reasons. The lower point of view compared to the musicians on stage is the reason why most concert photos have the typical perspective (photographed from below to diagonally above). - Time and again, concert photographers are even told exactly how long and from where they are allowed to photograph the artist(s) (for example, from which side). At a Britney Spears performance, for example, they were only allowed to photograph the first 30 seconds of the first three songs (resulting in a total photography time of 1.5 minutes!), because the management didn't want to find any beads of sweat on the pictures of its star ... At a Robbie Williams concert, the management even went so far as to specify the exact angles from which photos could be taken in the contract. Figures 1-7: Concert photos are usually shot under strict restrictions. One of these is the largely predetermined camera position: if the pit from which the photo is taken is directly in front of the stage, the only option for the photographer is to shoot from below with the camera angled upwards. The effect is all the stronger the closer the musicians are to the edge of the stage and the smaller the stage is. At worst, you can barely see the heads of the musicians, while the shoes and legs are in the foreground. Here I photographed Culcha Candela in concert on August 20, 2011, standing so close to me on stage that I could have undone their shoelaces ...   You can mitigate this consequence somewhat if you don't photograph the musicians who are standing directly in front of you on the edge of the stage, but those who you can easily photograph from the side and who are a little further away (then not with a wide-angle lens, but rather with a telephoto lens). Nikon D3S with 4/24-120mm Nikkor at a focal length of 98mm. 1/400 second, aperture 4, ISO 3200. <imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/850_JensBrueggemann.JPG"> (Photo © 2011: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de)   Concert photographers often feel like unloved "disruptive factors": for the bands, the visitors, the security, the organizers, etc.: - The musicians are suspicious. They are afraid of being photographed at an unfavorable or even embarrassing moment. They equate concert photographers with paparazzi. - Other concert-goers sometimes feel disturbed by the photographers. At least the spectators in the front rows don't like it at all when the photographers are allowed into the pit and position themselves between the stage and the first rows of the audience. They are simply in the way. - For security, the presence of concert photographers firstly means more work and secondly an increased security risk. In addition, concert photographers interfere with operations where, for example, spectators who have fainted are fished out of the crowd and brought out through the trench to the paramedics. - For the organizers, concert photographers mean more work. And anyone who knows what has to be organized during the organization of a concert or festival can understand that any additional effort is simply "annoying". - For the colleagues, the other concert photographers, every additional photographer in the trench means that the work becomes more difficult because the photographers inevitably (but unintentionally) obstruct each other. This applies at least to concerts by the better-known bands, where many more photographers are naturally accredited.   <h3>Conclusion</h3>   Concert photographers are "loved" by very few people; they are merely tolerated. But even if nobody wants to admit it, concert photographers are not completely superfluous, because they are the ones who create and distribute promotional images of the events, which in turn benefits everyone else. If there were no more concert coverage, there would be far fewer concerts and therefore more unemployed musicians, more unemployed security staff, more unemployed concert organizers, etc. Reason enough for every concert photographer to assert their interests confidently, even in the face of resistance.   Figure 1-8: Here at the Jan Delay concert on August 28, 2010, there were also some long faces when we photographers were let into the pit right at the start of the concert. The girls in the front rows thought they had an undisturbed view of their stars - until we arrived. In such cases, it is advisable to simply tell the concertgoers in the front row that you will leave after the first three songs so that they can enjoy the majority of the concert undisturbed. This calms the angry fans quite quickly. Nikon D3S with 2.8/24-70mm Nikkor at a focal length of 24mm. 1/100 second, Blender 3.5, ISO 3200. <imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/993_JensBrueggemann.JPG">

(Photo © 2010: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de)

Possibilities for beginners

In general, the more famous and popular the artist or artists are at the moment, the more difficult it will be to obtain "official" status as an accredited photographer. Beginners in the field of concert photography in particular will therefore find it difficult to obtain accreditation. After all, you have to understand the organizers, who naturally eye every accreditation request with suspicion. There are certainly enough music lovers and fans who try to get a concert experience free of charge - as a supposed photographer - according to the motto "if I take a camera with me, I don't have to pay an entrance fee".

However, if the artist or band is still largely unknown or is no longer in the charts, it should be easier to get accreditation, as journalists who want to report on the concert will be few and far between.

If you don't have any photos to show as a concert photographer, it's best to attend concerts that are open to the public to practice. These take place every summer in many city centers, for example. Admission is free, and many festivals still have great live gigs - thanks to the sponsors.

Figure 1-9: In the summer months, there are many "outdoors and for free" festivals (here is a snapshot of the Mega! Mega! concerton July 12, 2013 at Bochum Total), where you might not expect to see top international stars, but where interesting newcomers and nationally known artists perform time and again. These festivals are great for concert photographers to practice; you just have to fight your way through the crowds if you arrive late to get a better position (preferably in the front row). Nikon D800 with 2.8/70-200mm Nikkor with 70mm focal length used. 1/125 second, Blender 5.6, ISO 800.

<imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/988_JensBrueggemann.JPG"> (Photo © 2013: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de)   If you hurry and get to the stage half an hour before the concert starts, you are sure to get one of the free seats in the front row, from where you can take excellent photos, for example with a telephoto zoom lens (because of the slightly greater distance to the stage). Unlike in the press pit, you no longer have the opportunity to change your position at will during the concert (if you don't want to disturb the other concertgoers), but the viewpoint from the auditorium also offers advantages over a viewpoint in the pit: Due to the slightly longer distance to the stage (usually only 3-4 meters difference), shots are possible that don't quite show the perspective from below. This allows the musicians to be photographed more from the front - and not so much from below. Figures 1-10: Even beginners in the field of concert photography have the opportunity to take impressive photos of musicians during their concerts. Public, freely accessible concerts, which often take place in the summer in the city centers of many cities, are well suited for this. You don't need to be accredited there, you simply take photos from the audience. If you manage to get to the stage half an hour before the concert starts, you can usually get a front row seat (provided the band is not about to storm the charts and is so popular that the groupies occupy the best seats hours in advance). From there, you have almost as good conditions for taking photos as from the press pit - you are just a little further away from the stage than the press photographers. You can easily make up for this disadvantage by using a telephoto zoom, for example. The 2.8/70-200mm, which is available from almost every manufacturer, is well suited for this.   This shot from the KMPFSPRT- concert was taken on July 13, 2013 at Bochum Total. Nikon D800 with 2.8/70-200mm Nikkor with a focal length of 200mm. 1/640 second, Blender 5, ISO 1000. <imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/991_JensBrueggemann.jpg"> (Photo © 2013: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de)   These "outdoors and for free" festivals are also ideal for practising because it is light for longer in the summer months. As a result, the lighting situation on stage is usually much easier for us photographers to master than, for example, at indoor concerts (such as halls, clubs, tents, etc.).   <h3>Note</h3>   The decisive factor in concert photography is that the newcomer firstly has the ambition to take good to exceptional photos of the artists as quickly as possible (in order to be able to open further doors with these references), secondly has the flexibility and perseverance to go his own way even in the face of resistance, and thirdly is willing to solve the organizational and legal problems in addition to the photographic tasks.   <h3>Future prospects for concert photographers</h3>   The future prospects for concert photographers are bleak. Even gloomier than the lighting conditions in the dimly lit clubs where only the local greats and lesser-known groups perform. But why is this so? - Due to technological developments (keyword: internet), the sales figures for recordings have been falling relentlessly for years, which has meant that musicians can now only rarely make a living from the income from selling recordings. Whereas in the past concert tours were intended to promote the sale of recordings, nowadays it is almost the other way round: the royalties from CD sales and downloads are so low that the tours have to serve to bring in the money. As a result, concert managers are more than just critical of the media coverage: They now exert a great deal of influence over who is allowed to report how and when at the concert. This has been at the expense of free reporting and thus also at the expense of press diversity and freedom.   - As a result, the general conditions for photographers have deteriorated further and further. Within just a few years, it has become internationally accepted that photographers are no longer allowed to report on the entire concert with pictures, but only on the first three songs. The devastating thing is that there was never an outcry of solidarity from the affected media and the photographers working for them and these restrictions were simply accepted. Nowadays, photographers are almost grateful if they are allowed to photograph the first three songs undisturbed, because quite a few bands (and their managers and the concert organizers) have restricted photography permission even further. There are now plenty of examples where photography is only allowed during the first song, or for example only during the first 30 seconds of the first three songs (because the management only wants photos of their "fresh" looking artists in circulation). And the artists are often vain too and don't want photos showing sweaty hair and runny make-up. - The prices for photos may not have fallen much, they have remained relatively constant; but the photographers' costs (for their equipment, for travel to the concerts, for image processing and data backup, etc.) have risen enormously. As a result, the profit achieved has become insignificantly low. - Competition (including from amateur photographers) has increased. It is almost considered good form for an amateur photographer to claim to earn money with his hobby (even if he may not need to as a teacher, dentist, manager, ...). However, while professional photographers go about their work in a (tax) legally correct manner, the photo sales of many amateurs unfortunately often enough take place in the dark area of illegal employment. - In the age of "cheap is cool" and the "free mentality" of the Internet, it has become difficult (not only) for concert photographers to find buyers for their photos who are prepared to pay money for commercial exploitation (e.g. printing in magazines or publication on the Internet). - It is not only amateur photographers who are competing with concert photographers. Almost every concertgoer takes photos and videos during the concert with the cell phone they brought along, which are posted on the Internet during the event. If (internet) newspapers report on the event hours later or the next day (i.e. a day later), the professional images appear almost outdated and embarrassingly out of date. - As the number of concerts has increased in an almost inflationary manner due to falling sales of recordings (for example, the Arctic Monkeys played four times in Berlin within one and a half years without having released a new album in this period 2009-2010), public interest in reporting on this has fallen significantly. A concert used to be something special. Today, people think about whether they should go to a concert, a barbecue or a movie next weekend. Going to a concert is nothing special anymore. - Top acts often have gagging contracts; concert photographers who don't have a major newspaper behind them and are unsure about legal matters prefer not to get accredited for fear that they won't be able to use the photos anyway.   <h3>Conclusion on the topic</h3>   Unfortunately, there are hardly any concert photographers who can make a full-time living from selling their concert photos. Other mainstays and sources of income (for example as a celebrity or press photographer) are then necessary. Figure 1-11: Cell phones held up to take photos are now standard at concerts. Fans take photos and videos, which are often immediately posted online, which can usually only be described as "very brave" in legal terms. This approach also makes life difficult for professional photographers, because who is still interested in professional reporting when dozens of photos and videos (and lots of comments) can already be viewed on facebook & Co. during the concert? Nikon D800 with 2.8/70-200mm Nikkor at a focal length of 70mm. 1/200 second, Blender 5.6, ISO 1000. <imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/987_JensBrueggemann.JPG">

(Photo © 2013: Jens Brüggemann - www.jensbrueggemann.de)

Figure 1-12: Only those who can fight their way through resistance, don't give up easily and have ambition will be able to establish themselves as a concert photographer. But no photographer can make a living from selling his concert photos alone. The photo shows Marius Müller-Westernhagen at his "Hottenmusik" concert on September 23, 2012 in Berlin. Canon EOS-1D Mark IV with EF 4/24-105mm at a focal length of 24mm. 1/160 second, aperture 4, ISO 1000; aperture priority.

<imgDream job' concert photographer? "Dream job' concert photographer?" src="/storage/media/text-tutorials/131/989_SvenDarmer.JPG"> (Photo © 2012: DAVIDS/Sven Darmer - www.svendarmer.de)

Concert photography - Part 01: 'Dream job' concert photographer?

Foreword

The beautiful and the less beautiful sides of concert photography

Possibilities for beginners