Tips on Taking Great Concert Photos

At this point i am already running out of idea for an article so now we are gonna talk about taking photos during concert so you can get that aesthetic picture to brag to your friend that you attended some famous band concert, yaaaaay!!

Here, then, are my tips to help even the most casual boring basic concert-goer up their photo game:

Get There Early!!!!

Shakespeare once said "Better three hours too soon than a minute too late." this was used on a scene where a jealous husband is planning to take revenge on another man who intends to seduce his wife, He resolves to start early rather than wait, reasoning. even if the situation is different the quotes can still be used in this situation. In concerts, like in sports, the importance of good field position cannot be overstated. You can use the Sharpen tool all you want, but nothing you do after the fact can replace a good vantage point and physical proximity to the stage. While some die hard fans who insist on lining up hours before doors open to get that coveted front-and-center spot at the barrier, I usually try to roll in right around the time the opener goes on. Normally this will allow you to snag a pretty good spot towards the front of the crowd, and it forces you to listen to the opener, too. You never know they might actually be good if not just clap for them trying and don't boo them cmon have some class.

Get High!!!

No, not that kind of HIGH that stuff illegal here damn. Remember what I just said about getting a good vantage point? It's a three dimensional game, man. While getting close to the stage is important, getting above the crowd can be equally useful. See if there's a balcony you can shoot from or a chair or bench you can stand on if the security's cool with such gymnastics or u gonna get kicked out. When in doubt, use the built-in Selfie Sticks that God gave you and shoot with your phone or camera over your head - just make sure you do so sparingly and quickly.

Turn Off Your DAMN FLASH

Unless you're asking the person standing behind you to take a Snap or Insta Stories of you and your bestie throwing the shocker, it's never going to work. Don't even try it. I SAID DON'T. Every time you pull out your phone at the venue, do yourself a favor and make sure your flash is turned off, lest you accidentally blind everyone and out yourself as a basic newb trash who have no common sense.

Avoid the Popular Songs

The reason for this is practical: if you're trying to take photos at a show and the band launches into their latest single, chances are that everyone who's more basic af than you has already had the same idea. So unless you want everyone else's phone screens visible in your shot, you might want to pick a different song.

Zoom Out

You can always spot the Casual Concert Photographer almost immediately, because they ZOOM ALL THE WAY IN on every shot. Your phone is not The damn Hubble telescope. Although the Sharpen and Smart Sharpen filters can work wonders, they're still constrained by the original picture, and extreme digital zoom tends to yield a blurry, unusable image, especially in low light conditions. In most cases, you'll get better results if you zoom out and crop the photo tightly. Zooming-out in real life isn't always a bad thing, either. While we tend to associate closeups and action shots with concert photography, sometimes it pays off to go wide and include the crowd or the venue in your shot. This is an especially good technique to try when you've gone to the bathroom and realize that you don't have the energy to squeeze back up front.

Use the Light To Your Advantage

The lighting at concerts tends to be a study in extremes: dim venues momentarily illuminated by roving spotlights and blinding strobe lights. It's almost impossible to get a normally exposed photo in these conditions. Not to worry, matey let those crazy lights work in your favor. Figure out what colors work best for your camera and aesthetic sensibilities, and then wait for songs that feature those hues in their light setup. (For my money, I've yet to take a photo in red light that I liked - but your mileage may vary.) As long as the photo is focused and you like the general hue, you can always clean things up with the Brightness and Saturation filters, later. Strobes can be even more helpful. If you time it correctly, strobe lights or especially strong spotlights will either net you a rad silhouette or momentarily illuminate the band in near-daylight brightness. Often the difference between those two extremes is a fraction of a second, be quick on that shutter button. Which brings us to...

It's A Numbers Game

If you want to take good concert photos, be prepared to take A LOT of bad ones, too and i mean it there are gonna be A LOT of bad pics. For every photo that makes it into my good photo files, there are probably 15 or 20 similar shots that didn't make the cut. It's both disruptive and time-consuming to scrutinize each and every shot as you take them, so spam that shutter button early and often, and save the culling for after the show.That said, avoid the temptation to avail yourself of that fancy Burst Mode option. While it may work great for action shots, it's much less likely to work how you want it in a show setting. Oh, you ended up with twenty near-identical photos, all of which were underexposed and out-of-focus? Yeah, pass.

When in Doubt, Filter

With the right filters, you can make pretty much any photo passable, so long as it's relatively in-focus and doesn't feature any visible obscene gestures. Photo's too dark? Dial back the Contrast, pump up the Brightness, and tweak the Fill Light. Too washed out? Face not visible? Do the opposite? Color's all messed up? Slap a B&W filter on that bad boy.

Don't Be a Jerk

There's nothing wrong with wanting to get a good shot, but try to make sure you're not ruining the show for anyone else in the process. Don't push. Be polite. Try not to block anyone's view for longer than necessary and maybe don't take pictures during all the songs You know that guy who stands in the front row and insists on recording the entire show on his phone? Don't be that guy.

Remember to Enjoy the Show

I take a lot of photos at concerts, and sometimes people give me static about "not living in the moment" and "just enjoy the show, man." I generally ignore these people, because, you know, i'm doing my thing so you do you bruh. But if you're just taking photos for the heck of it and you catch your neighbor giving you some mad side-eye, that may be your cue to put your phone away and live in the moment, bruh.