Tip on the Pit – Photographer’s help

WordPress archive doesn’t seem the easiest to browse, even more difficult if you are after the topic of the photographers’ tip I write at the end of each post. In this page you have the full list of helps that you may love if you belong to the wonderful world of live music photographers, now categorized in improbable categories!

Before everything

Flattr Live on 35mm, you’ll contribute to its longer life!

Before the Gig

Ask for the policy in advance… or shoot the mixer
A Small Festival: ATP
Bring the e-mail!
Clean the lenses
Confirm your photopass
Don’t forget the earplugs
Don’t compulsively go photographing gigs
Have a contact number of the tour manager with you
Getting a photo pass through the support
Google it! Search for images of the band you are shooting
iPhone or DSLR?
Knowing the band in advance
Love music
Musicians who hate photographers. I’m talking to you Nick Cave!
Open air? Bring a Raincoat (UK mostly)
Shall I go to shoot him again?
Shall I shoot the support band?
Shooting the support: a case study
Shooting a band twice
Shooting a daylight concert
Sneak your camera in? Carefully…
Talk to fellow photographers
Use some (polite) tricks
(Why not) shooting a festival on film

General Technique

Backlights, don’t complain make use of it!
Bad Luck, Is burst mode the solution?
B&W film or Digital (colour)?
Bright lights and dark lights, how to set your cameras
Close Ups
Excellent lighting
Exposure compensation
Dark room with just a spotlight
Highlights, learn to control your setting
Horizontal or vertical?
Image stabilization, vibration reduction, is that useful?
Left handed guitarists
Live View
Manual Focusing
My film, my developer, my procedure
Overdeveloping a negative by accident, is that lost forever?
Overemphasizing the contrast, a trick to save poor, dark images
Photojournalist or fashion/portrait photographer?
Rim light on stage!?
Setting Modes
Sharpness, what a challenge!
Shooting while zooming
Shoot RAW files!
Silhouette
Silhouette, inverted!
Slow, second curtain synchro flash
Spot-Metering
Strobe Lights
TTL Flash
Use of the depth of field

My Ways, My Tricks

Backstage shootings
Catching a running frontman
Chasing a jumping frontman
Consider the background
Crowd-surfing
Desaturated colours
Get close!
How to use band names on the background
How to photograph Mark Lanegan
Image on the back
Interpret the subject
Keyboard(ist)s
Led lights
Lit up logo on the back
Love music first!
Make use of the band’s name on the drum
Microphone, the bastard!
Noisy shutters
Photographying videos
Shooting the same gig two nights in a row
Tell a story, include some shots of the place
Tilted images
What to do when you can’t do nothing?
White balance cheating?
Why Colour?

Lenses…

A cheap alternative to telephoto zoom: 135mm f2.8
Big Boy: 70-200mm f2.8 VR
Essential: 24-70mm f2.8
Portrait lens: 85mm f1.4
Ultra wide-angle: 18mm

… and accessories

Lens Hood
Tripod and monopod

Bands on Stage

Big Bands
Duos – just the 2 of them
Frame the whole band on stage
Head Worn Microphone
Interaction within band members
Interaction between band and audience
Long hair: a rock classic
More on seated musicians
Movie stars
Oh no! He is sitting in front of a microphone!
Progressive circus
Shooting the drummer!
Shooting two drummers!!
Sitting performer
Supergroups
Those moments between songs
Traditional costumes
What if the performers wears a hat?
Without a drummer on stage

Survival Guide

Artists extravagance
Artists tantrums
Band members not interacting within each other
(Flaming Lips) Carnival
Crowded photographer pits
Details – Ignore the band
Drum Kit, ampli, cables and more unwanted stuff on stage while the support is on
Flying pints and (surf)crowd madness
Mist on your lens?
(Of Montreal) Theatre
Protecting your gear
Red lights
Smoke machines and bloody fog on stage!
More on smoke machines and how to turn it into creative photos
Stage Monitors
Raise your camera above your head
Take the pictures, you’ll look them at home.
Yes, you can shoot the support as well!
What to do to stay in the venue for the entire concert.
When the artist is separated from the band
Where to keep your gear

Kind of Venues

All-seated venues
All-seated below the stage level
Low stage venues
High stage venues
No-pit venues
No-Pit and bouncy!
No-Pit: what to bring
The Pub
The Pub Backdoor
Shooting from the back of the venue

Famous Rock Places

100 Club – London
Brixton Academy – London
Bush Hall – London
(Cambridge) Barfly (RIP)
The Haymakers – Cambridge
Hoxton Bar & Grill – London
Islington Academy – London
Junction – Cambridge
Junction 2 – The Shed – Cambridge
Koko (Indie fashion) – London
Lexington – London
London Coliseum
Luminaire, London – “The UK’s best live music venue” (RIP)
Portland Arms (save the) – Cambridge
Roundhouse – London
Rough Trade East, London – The in-store gig
ULU, London – A university bar
Union Chapel, London – Rock goes to the church
Astoria (RIP) – London

Complains, requests, reflections, appeals to bands, managements and fans

Appeal: Why not “LAST 3 songs, no flash”?
Beyond 3 songs – Shooting the entire show
Call against photographers’ form agreement
End of the year reflection about the future of Music Photography
Giving pictures for free, when and when not.
Help the photographer, perform!
Instagram and the unstoppable rise of Smartphones at gigs
It’s not our job to provide photos to photographers
Missed occasions
No restrictions. Then?
One more call and an even worse agreement form
One song, no flash, left side of the stage, what the hell are you talking about?
Photography needs light, switch it on, please!
Photopass stickers
Respect
Right balance between photographer’s style and artist representation
Your favourite song or the band most famous song is not the best to photograph
Why photographers take tabloid snaps?
Why restrictions don’t help anyone

After the Gig

Adrenaline kick, being published!
Back up your photos
Cropping
Don’t give away your photos for free
How to select the best shots
Let other photographers judge your work
White Balance