Behind the Scenes: Concert Photography

When I found out I was going to be shooting the Lumineers concert I started preparing immediately. I read articles online and watched videos that gave advice on camera settings and how the whole “concert photography” thing works, but nothing could have really prepared me for the actual experience.

When I pulled into the parking lot of the Palace I was 10 minutes late for my arrival time and slightly freaked out. I managed to avoid paying for parking- after holding up the line for five minutes frantically trying to explain that I was late and had no cash- and got a spot in the VIP section right in front of the main office.

I hauled my equipment inside the office, which was a separate entrance than the main concert doors that were crowded with people, and realized that I had just missed the communications director. The receptionist said I had missed him by about two minutes, so I searched my email for his contact information and called him from the lobby. I could barely hear him over the noise of the stadium and the failing reception, but after apologizing profusely he grudgingly agreed to come back up and get me to take me down to the general admission pit.

The guy was probably the least friendly person I’ve met in a long time, and that really didn’t help with my nerves. But I just followed him as he led me through the concessions area and down the steps into the arena, putting my personalized photo pass around my neck.

The first opening act took the stage shortly after i had assembled my camera and taken a few test shots. I was inside the pit with the other concert goers, but there was barely any crowd this early in the night. I walked back and forth from stage left to stage right taking pictures constantly just trying to adjust to the constant motion and dramatic lighting. After three songs I met the communications director and the two other photographers who had been on the other side of the barricade, near the entrance to the pit. The four of us left together, following the director out of the arena and back to the main office lobby.

We sat down and I began to look through my photos, deleting almost all of them, while listening to the photographers talk to each other. These guys were definitely professionals. Their equipment made mine look like dollar store purchases.

While we were waiting for the next opening act to start two more photographers arrived. They greeted each other with familiarity, talking about recent shows and asking about each others holidays. It was almost funny how out of place I felt in that room, and I really couldn’t help but laugh at my situation. There I was, a 19 year old college student with her school issued camera that rented a zip car to come to the Palace to cover her first concert on behalf of a college newspaper, surrounded by these middle aged men who had camera lenses strapped to their bodies like tools in a tool belt who were professional concert photographers working with local popular Detroit radio stations and magazines.

When it was time to head down for the next opener, the five of us followed the director and this time i went with them to the other side of the barricade. I was as close to the stage as i could possibly get and I was savoring the moment, knowing how enviable my location was to the concert goers. We photographed the first three songs, moving around in front of the stage getting different angles and perspectives. Right as I was starting to feel like I was getting the hang of it, it was time to go. We crawled underneath the stage and followed the director back up to the lobby. I was much happier with this round of photos than the last, and I was feeling excited and prepared for the Lumineers.

When we finally made it down for the Lumineers the general admission pit, which had been almost empty an hour before, was packed tightly. We could barely get to the barricade through the mass of people, but i reveled in the space once we made it to the other side. When the band came out I was almost shocked by how close they were. With my telephoto lens, close proximity, and experience gained from the last two performers, I was getting awesome pictures. But the time went by super fast, and suddenly it was time to make my way through the mass once more and meet the director by the entrance.

Shooting the concert was one of the most stressful experiences I’ve ever had, but also one of the most fun, interesting, and unique experiences too. It challenged me artistically and demanded things of myself socially and professionally that I didn’t know I was capable of.