How to Take Concert Photos with a Smartphone (Part 1) How to Take Concert Photos with a Smartphone (Part 1) - Tips for Taking Concert Photos with Your Smartphone: We Bring You Practical Advice and Tricks to Capture Sharp, Stunning, and Memorable Live Moments Although today opinions are divided on whether you should take photos at a concert and bring home a memory you made yourself or simply relax and enjoy the show, we know

Tips for Taking Concert Photos with Your Smartphone: We Bring You Practical Advice and Tricks to Capture Sharp, Stunning, and Memorable Live Moments

Powerwolf 2016, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, foto: Matilda Rudec

Although today opinions are divided on whether you should take photos at a concert and bring home a memory you made yourself or simply relax and enjoy the show, we know that most people won’t be able to resist pulling out their smartphone to “snap a few shots” for fun. We believe that everyone has at least once tried to take a photo at a concert of their favorite band, and we hope you were successful in doing so.

Neno Belan 2017, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, foto: Matilda Rudec

If taking photos is a big challenge for you but you’ve decided to be persistent, we’ve prepared a few tips on how to capture a good photo in a dark concert hall. We have tried to avoid (as much as possible) “technical photography terminology” so you won’t be burdened with hard-to-understand concepts that aren’t necessary at this level of photography. However, some terms were unavoidable in order to explain how to use the settings in your camera app.

Any smartphone can do it
The devices we used at concerts were average smartphones, not expensive toys. The most important feature is a camera with at least 5 megapixels, and it’s extremely important to know how to use such a camera and make the most of all the options provided by the manufacturer. We combined skills and experience gained from professional concert photography with experiences from photographing as a regular concert-goer. We concluded that for a nice memory from a concert, you don’t need an expensive camera or professional gear—just a willingness, a regular smartphone, and a bit of knowledge, not so much about photography itself, but about the band and their stage performance. In the following short instructions, we’ll explain how, regardless of your equipment, you can capture a beautiful memory from your favorite band’s concert.

Dark Funeral 2016. Nokia 1020, foto: Slavica Rudec

Cool photos for social media
Concert photography is a challenge even for professional photographers with professional equipment, but for fans in the audience, it can be a real nightmare since they have only a smartphone with limited capabilities and mostly poor cameras. Still, every concert on social media is accompanied by countless attempts to capture at least a moment or a piece of the atmosphere to share with friends on Facebook or Instagram. In the past, lighters would light up the audience during performances by big stars; today, it’s the glowing screens of smartphones. Whether this is because smoking has been banned in venues or technology has tricked us too much doesn’t matter, but if you’ve decided to take a few photos of your favorite band, here are some tips to make this rather difficult task easier.

Arch Enemy, MetalCamp 2011, Samsung Galaxy, foto: Ana Artuković

Challenges a dedicated fan can overcome
Poor lighting, crowds, great distance from the stage, people pushing you or complaining that you’re blocking their view… These are all problems you’ll face if you decide to take photos under such conditions. But nothing is impossible, and it’s worth following a few simple tips to potentially make your job easier.

First, we’ll address the general part, which doesn’t relate so much to the technical settings of your device, but will draw your attention to what you need to pay attention to at a concert. If you’re a true fan, we believe this won’t be a problem for you.

Al Jerreau 2010, HTC Desire, foto: Matilda Rudec

How to avoid blurry photos
As you probably already know, concerts usually have very poor lighting that your phone can’t handle well, and there’s a high chance that almost every photo will turn out blurry. One reason could be dirty camera lenses covered with dust particles, so it’s important to clean them carefully before use (preferably with a damp or dry soft cloth; no cleaning agents other than water are recommended). However, the main reason is that lighting is usually weak, concert halls are dark, we are often far from the stage, and we don’t know exactly when to “snap” the photo.

The right moment to take a photo is precisely when the light increases and the stage is illuminated by spotlights, which any fan will recognize if they know the band’s hits (the most famous and anticipated songs) or the moment when the chorus comes. On slow, gentle songs, the light will be weaker, but during the biggest hits, especially well-known choruses, the light will be stronger, making it easier for your phone to capture a good photo.

Let 3 2010, Xperia X10, foto: Matilda Rudec

How to get to the front rows
There are several reasons why photographers are closest to the stage. Apart from equipment protection in a fenced-off area, one reason is that the best photos are taken from the first row. At concerts, it’s unlikely that you’ll find yourself in the “photo pit” between the stage and the audience, unless you’re an official photographer or journalist, and you probably won’t be in the front rows of the audience either. But if you want a good photo, you’ll have to put in some effort. One tip is to arrive at the concert early to secure the ideal spot for photographing from the crowd, preferably in front of the singer to have the best angle.

If you decide to push toward the front rows, do it in a way that people notice you. Never approach directly from the back; instead, move slowly, patiently, and without pushing, making your way diagonally from the back toward the front rows so the person in front can see you and make space. Sneaking up from behind will go unnoticed, and pushing will only make people angry. Move gradually from one side to another, approaching from the side.

Use camera settings

If possible, try to avoid zooming with your camera, as this usually results in poor, blurry photos. Instead, frame your shot well without zooming, including lights, spotlights, and beams in the composition.

Always turn off your camera flash—it won’t help because it can’t reach the stage and usually confuses the camera’s settings, resulting in an overly dark photo.

Once the flash is off, look for the ISO sensitivity icon in your camera settings. It’s best to set it to 800 or 1600, but you can also set it to AUTO if your phone doesn’t allow manual ISO adjustment.

Exposure value

Another setting is exposure compensation. In short, this adjusts the amount of light the camera captures. At a concert with variable lighting, exposure should generally be reduced to -0.5 to -1.5, depending on the situation. You can experiment to see which setting works best. A good starting point is -1; take a few shots and adjust if needed. The higher the negative value, the darker the photo, but if you catch the right moment when enough light hits the performer’s face, you can get an excellent shot. Concert halls can be deceiving due to their size and the darkness in the audience, but often there is enough (sometimes even too much) light on stage—just catch the right moment.

Korpiklaani 2015, Nokia 1020, foto: Slavica Rudec

Shutter
The camera shutter should be set in the way that feels most comfortable for you, but it is recommended to activate touch-to-shoot in the center of the screen. This way, once you choose the moment and tap, the phone will shake less, and the photo will come out sharper.

Additionally, in your camera settings, you can select the option to take several consecutive photos, usually three. This helps prevent the camera from moving after the first tap, where your fingers might accidentally shift it a few millimeters, often resulting in a blurry image. The next two shots will occur automatically, and all you need to do during this time is hold your smartphone steadily.

Try to hold your smartphone with both hands (preferably finding support, such as a railing or the person in front of you). This will make you more stable and increase the chances of capturing a sharp photo.

Urban 2016, Samsung Galaxy, foto: Ana Artuković

Choose the largest photo size your camera allows, set white balance to AWB (auto), and avoid any camera apps with filters that could permanently ruin the photo. It’s best to use the camera app that came pre-installed on your device. You can play with black-and-white conversion or filters later, but always keep the original. Avoid strong red, blue, or green lighting; if there is too much of such light and you capture a good red photo, convert it to black-and-white but save the original.

Zeljko Bebek, 2018, Samsung J7, foto: Matilda Rudec

Finally, try to relax and enjoy the concert, taking photos when you feel inspired. Listen to the music and enjoy it, and when your favorite chorus comes, the light will likely be stronger, and that’s when you should take your shots.