Story telling with concert photography

What is the best way to go about this. Just covered a festival and think my shots look kind of like the same, is it different angles and perspective at a concert?

Hey there,

Well, I do concerts but they're classical/opera...so not the same as a festival but basically you're on the right lines.

You need to think about close-ups of the musicians; getting into the rehearsals; shots of the festival-goers, especially interspersed among shots of performers; using a variety of lenses, shutter speeds, apertures and ISO to get sharp and motion-induced shots; daylight shots, evening, nighttime....

The list goes on.

Oh, and I lose quite a bit of weight each concert shoot (even though they're classical!), so take plenty of water!!!

Regards,

Simon

I don't think that advise would be lost just because you do classical music.

I had already covered the festival, but when I first started years ago, they were all like portraits, now mainly landscape, but not very interesting to "say a story", I do get the odd one or two good ones when the singers are looking at me or in the "odd positions"

Regardless of whether you do classical or not, thanks for the advice

RichSoansPhotos wrote in post #14660137
I don't think that advise would be lost just because you do classical music.

I had already covered the festival, but when I first started years ago, they were all like portraits, now mainly landscape, but not very interesting to "say a story", I do get the odd one or two good ones when the singers are looking at me or in the "odd positions"

Regardless of whether you do classical or not, thanks for the advice

Cheers mate!

Oh, and which festival was it?

skygod44 wrote in post #14660156
Cheers mate!

Oh, and which festival was it?

A small festival in comparison to those big ones, I was officially covering it, and the one thing on the list I forgot to do, is like get photos of the set up etc...

RichSoansPhotos wrote in post #14660265
A small festival in comparison to those big ones, I was officially covering it, and the one thing on the list I forgot to do, is like get photos of the set up etc...

No worries....
But if you were officially covering it, you can use this as a lesson.
For me, I try to think through the concert from "before anyone even sings a note" to "after all photos sold and post-concert PR finished".

Then I think which lenses for each section, though on the day I use 2x7Ds, one with a 70-200L on it, and the other with a Sigma 17-50 OS.

Ooops....got to go teach now (another of my varied sources of income!), so better dash! Catch you soon!

Simon

Rich, I am not quite sure I understand your question. Does it relate to the performers?

Depending on who I am shooting for I know in advance what type of gallery they will run. If I know they want photos from the happenings at the festival, I get them. Usually there is more than one stage so I try and shoot some festival stuff in between stages and sets.

Know your festival in advance. So many festivals try and bring additional "experiences" to the festival. get a map in advance and see what other types of things are happening during the fest and make sure you get some shots of it.

The actual performers I shoot like I would almost any other show.

CosmoKid wrote in post #14664407
Rich, I am not quite sure I understand your question. Does it relate to the performers?

Depending on who I am shooting for I know in advance what type of gallery they will run. If I know they want photos from the happenings at the festival, I get them. Usually there is more than one stage so I try and shoot some festival stuff in between stages and sets.

Know your festival in advance. So many festivals try and bring additional "experiences" to the festival. get a map in advance and see what other types of things are happening during the fest and make sure you get some shots of it.

The actual performers I shoot like I would almost any other show.

Yes, it just not about the stages its about the atmosphere of the crowds as well, though I did manage to pull a few off, I felt that I manage only to do it near the stage. Yep, research is a good thing before an event, something that always skips me. Though I did cover one before, I had an itinerary of things to cover in printed form, so it was easy for me to cover. I asked the organisers for that itinerary, they didn't give me that list, had a ten minute meeting the day before.....you know what happens...meh