9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

By: Holly Higbee-Jansen

They say the best camera is the one that you have with you. Even though I love my digital SLR, quite frequently, I shoot with my smartphone. This is why mobile phone photography is so popular.

There is a collection of stunning oak trees near where I live. Each time I go there, the trees look different based on the weather and time of year. Did I need an expensive $5,000 camera to get these pictures? No, because I know some tricks for shooting with my smartphone.

For these types of images, it doesn’t matter what type of camera you have. If you’ve got a camera, the inspiration, and the time, you can create some great images with your smartphone. Great images come from a good eye and a basic knowledge of composition and light. If you practice with these elements, you can take awesome pictures with any device even if it’s a phone camera. In this article, I will give you some of my favorite apps that will inspire you to have some fun with the camera that is always with you.

Is the era of the compact camera coming to a close?

Either people shoot with their smartphones or they use an advanced digital SLR.  There’s not much in between. Why is this happening?
For the general public, smartphones have more capacity and are easier to use than the current lower-end point and shoot cameras on the market. People are getting better results with less effort. When someone asks for a recommendation on a camera and they only have a couple hundred dollars to spend, I usually recommend that they use their cellphone.
As a photography educator, I find my iPhone to be easier to use and more consistent across multiple models. Some Android models work differently and don’t have the same capabilities as other phones. Some apps don’t work on all Androids, so please take that into account when trying out the apps mentioned in this article.

The current compact cameras are more menu-driven than most people can handle. And if their photography skills are not up to snuff, it is hard to get past the automatic modes on those cameras. I have had clients in my classes with these lower-end compact cameras where the manual modes do not work at all. These little gadgets are almost as complicated as the advanced digital SLRs, but without the quality results. The only things that are of benefit are their size and price point, but even then it means a smaller lens, a smaller sensor and diminished results.

Smartphone photography

I discovered smartphone photography after attending a professional photographic trade show. I took a little seminar on an app called Hipstamatic for iPhone and I was hooked. I was no longer a photo snob! All of a sudden, I realized I could create stunning photos in moments that would take hours in Photoshop.
Over the next year or so, I shot thousands of pictures on my smartphone and I got really familiar with the ins and outs of this type of photography.

I also realized this was the future of social media and photography for the general public. You could create little masterpieces that were appreciated online. They were not high resolution and the use of these images was limited, but that works just fine for most people. As a photographer, you don’t want to post images that can be stolen and easily used somewhere else, so the smartphone low-resolution image size is perfect.
I knew then there was a huge future in this art form for the general public. I continued to research new apps, reading everything I could and staying updated. Here are some of my favorite apps for mobile phone photography.

Shooting apps

Camera+ for IOS

This app allows you to control separate focus and exposure points, one of the secrets to good mobile phone photography. You can also use additional features such as selective focus, exposure compensation, and exposure lock. I use Camera+ on every picture I take.
Unfortunately, Camera+ is not available for Android.

ProShot – for IOS and Android

This app has all of the auto, program and manual modes that Camera+ has and is available for both IOS and Android (as well as Windows phones). With ProShot you have full manual control over exposure, ISO, and shutter speed. The most important aspect here is the ability to separate focus and exposure like you can with the Camera+ app.

My go-to editing app

Snapseed

This app is a must for both IOS and Android users! Snapseed is a go-to app for processing photos. It has such an easy interface, that you can make it part of your normal workflow and literally do your editing in seconds when taking a shot with your mobile phone. There are so many options in this app, but my favorite is the selective contrast and exposure settings. It allows you to go into the image and change exposure, contrast, and saturation in specific parts of your picture. Other settings such as grunge, HDR and Retroux let you create a variety of special effects.
Snapseed is available for both iPhone and Android.

Graphic Apps

Wordswag – for IOS and Android

Are you looking for a simple text app where you can create text overlay or a watermark? Wordswag will help you create professional looking graphics like this in just seconds!

Retro Apps

Hipstamatic –  for IOS

This app allows you to select “film” and “lenses” in the “classic mode” before you shoot to create the perfect effect. Hipstamatic also added a modern interface with the ability to change your “lenses” and “filters” after you have taken the shot. Find one combination you like to create your own shooting style.

Retro Camera – for Android

With Retro Camera you can take Hipstamatic-style images with five cameras, five sets of vintage vignetting, film scratch and cross-processing options.

Creative art apps

 Prisma – for IOS and Android

Here’s a fun app that will turn your images into works of art in seconds. Lots of different options to create in this app. Each option in Prisma is preset and instant with very little custom editing needed.

 Diana – for IOS and Android

This app is an easy way to create double-exposure images in seconds. You can create images by selecting specific photos to combine, or you can randomly let Diana select for you. It works better if you have a vision in mind before working with this app, but sometimes a random selection works as well!

Waterlogue – for IOS and Windows 10 devices

Create beautiful watercolor style images with Waterlogue. Select from a number of different styles to create your own masterpiece!

The beautiful thing about photography with the smartphone is that it expands your creativity and can even help with your Digital SLR photography. You can use more than one app to create even more customized effects. Take each image through a series of apps before getting the final look you want. You never know where you’re going to end up, and you might just like that.

What are your favorite Smartphone apps? Has it changed the way you shoot with your Digital SLR? Which of these apps is going to become a regular part of your smartphone photography workflow?

Share this article. 

3 Tips to Help Keep Your Photography Passion Alive

By: Simon Ringsmuth

Photography is like any other pursuit in life, in that it requires a great deal of time and practice. Unless you make a living as a professional photographer, you might find that you simply don’t have enough hours in the day to devote to taking pictures. With work, family, school, and plenty of other obligations in our lives, it’s easy to let photography take a back seat to everything else. So, unfortunately we often find our expensive cameras gathering dust on the shelf, and our vibrant photo libraries growing ever more stagnant as the months and years pass. How in the world is it possible for hobbyist or enthusiast photographers, much less beginners who are just entering this brave new world for the first time, to find chances to learn, stretch, and grow, or just do what they enjoy doing? Thankfully there is hope, and I’d like to share a few tips that have worked for me.

1. Hold yourself accountable

When most people get their first camera, or upgrade to a better one, they go through a similar process. Initially it seems like anything and everything is worthy of a photograph – kids, pets, food, cars, flowers, clouds, friends, skylines – nothing is off limits. There’s a newness and excitement to the whole endeavour that seems almost childlike. People in this early phase never seem to have an issue with finding time to indulge their new infatuation, and often they find it hard to stop taking pictures! But soon the veneer wears off, the pressures of life start to add up, and cameras often end up spending more time on shelves and dresser drawers.

There is beauty all around, but sometimes you have to stop and look for it.

If this sounds like you, one of the best things you can do is find a way to hold yourself accountable for keeping your photography passion alive. Some people decide to take a picture every day or each week. Others join an online photo community and start posting on a regular basis. Most cities have photography clubs where members gather to discuss techniques, photo opportunities, and gear. dPS, and plenty of other sites, have weekly assignments or challenges that are a great way to try something new, while also keeping your photography hobby alive.
When I was in this rut a while ago I started my own blog, Weekly Fifty, where I post one photo each week taken with a 50mm lens. Doing this has forced me not only stay active with my hobby, but to seek out new opportunities that I otherwise might have missed. Having some type of assignment or challenge that forces you to use your camera will often help rekindle the flame that was once burning so bright, and help you fall in love with photography all over again, even if you do have other things going on in your life.

I had to find a photograph for my blog, so I walked around a flower garden for a few minutes and got this shot of a coneflower. Without something to hold me accountable, I probably would never have gotten this shot.

If you do go this route it’s important to find a method that is fun and enjoyable, rather than a burden. Photography should not be a chore, and I have known some individuals who have grown to resent their accountability methods because they took on more than they could handle. If you already find yourself stretched too thin, signing up for a daily challenge will probably not help. But a weekly challenge, monthly assignment, or local club meeting might be just what you need to fit photography into your already busy life.

2. Bring your camera and keep your eyes open

Whether you decide to participate in a photo assignment or not, one thing you can do to fit photography into your packed schedule is simply bring your camera with you. Most of us have similar daily routines involving home, work, school, or other obligations and you might think that the photogenic moments in your daily life are few and far between. But if you keep your camera close at hand, and keep your eyes peeled, you might learn to turn the mundane into the magnificent. That might sound like hollow grandiosity, but it’s true: if you start looking for the beauty in your everyday life, you will likely find a whole new world of picture-taking possibilities that you never noticed before. It’s a great way to keep your love for photography alive without adding another burden to your already crowded lifestyle.
Case in point: the other day I walked up to the office building at work and saw a patch of mushrooms by the door. At first I thought it was nothing special at all:

Shot with my iPhone

But because I almost always have my DSLR with me I was able to take this picture of what might otherwise have been an entirely forgettable scene.

Circumstances like this are all around you, and finding them is not a matter of time but of observation. If you find your expensive camera spending more time gathering dust than taking photos, it wouldn’t hurt to simply start bringing it with you more often and keeping your eyes opened.

3. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new

It’s human nature to grow complacent and comfortable. We are creatures of habit, and change can be difficult, especially when it threatens to upset a careful balance we have achieved in our lives. But stepping away from your comfortable surroundings and trying something new is a fantastic way to inspire you to find photographic opportunities in your life. Whether it’s a new lens, a new filter, a new technique, a new piece of software, or even a new camera, trying something new is a great way to spice up your photography and help you get your camera off the shelf and into your hands again.
Here at dPS there are hundreds of articles with a myriad of tips, tricks, and techniques to try – and that’s just the start. There is no shortage of articles on the internet filled with new ideas, and doing so won’t add any more hours to your day. But it might help you find ways to squeeze more time in for photography than you might otherwise think. For example, when I found myself stuck in a rut several months ago I read some articles on a technique known as panning. Then my friend, (and photography mentor) Ryan, rode around on a bike while I practiced with my camera, and we ended up with this shot. While it’s not perfect, it gave me an idea of a whole new aspect of photography to explore.

One of the main selling points of DSLRs and mirrorless models is that they have interchangeable lenses. While the kit lens that comes standard with most cameras is fine for many situations, shooting with a different lens can radically alter your perception of what the camera can do. In the process, you will likely experience the same spark of inspiration and creativity that you had when you first got your camera.
Think of your camera body as a mobile device, and the lenses like applications. Every app on your phone or tablet has a different purpose and allows your device to do different things; in the same way every lens gives you different photographic possibilities for your camera. Using a camera with only one lens, especially the kit lens, would be like buying an expensive new smartphone or tablet but never downloading a single app. You might enjoy it, but you would be severely limiting the capabilities of what your device can actually do. If you want to inject a renewed sense of vitality into your photography, buying, renting, or just borrowing a new lens can do exactly that.

This simple shot of some books in a dimly-lit library would not have been possible with a kit lens, but switching to a 50mm prime lens with wider f/1.8 aperture opened up a whole new set of possibilities like this.
You are busy with plenty of demands on your time; it might seem impossible to fit photography in with everything else going on. But hopefully these tips give you a starting point, and if you have any others that have worked for you feel free to leave them in the comment section below.

Share this article.

5 Ways to Take Better Smartphone Photos

By: John Davenport 

When you think about smartphone photography what comes to mind? My guess is you probably think about Instagram, photo filters, bad selfies and any number of other keywords that describe this new wave of photography.

Today, I’m going to share a few tips on how you can improve your smartphone photography and start capturing interesting photographs wherever you are with whatever you have in your pocket. If you like this post you might also want to check out this DPS eBook specifically written for improving your iPhone photography.
Oh and no just because Apple improved their camera in the 5s doesn’t mean that they’ve created a device that will make you a better photographer – you’ll just get the same boring images – unless you learn how to become a better photographer.

Take Your Time and Treat it Like a DSLR

Smartphone photos on Flickr, Facebook and Instagram get a bad reputation for being terrible because well, 95% of them are terrible. One of the biggest reasons that this is the case is because 95% of the photos on these sites are taken not as photographs, but as a way of sharing moments – they’re snapshots.

People aren’t thinking about capturing a photograph – they’re thinking about how cool that thing that happened in front of them is. If you want to truly impress people with your smartphone photographs you have to first and foremost start treating your smartphone more like a camera and less like a phone.
In the photo above I noticed that the sun setting behind me was reflecting off the mirror at the other end of the bar. I positioned my beer and spent a few minutes taking different shots, both in portrait and landscape orientation, as the sun quickly passed its way below the horizon.

Think With Filters in Mind

The great thing about smartphone photography is the ease of which you have to process your captured image. While it might not be true that every photograph looks “better” with a filter, it is certainly true that filters can add interest to an otherwise boring photo. That said you shouldn’t simply think “oh well I’ll just add a filter to it to make it awesome” instead think “that would look really cool with this filter!” and then shoot your photo accordingly.

When I saw these two hikers sit down in front of me on a recent hike I knew right away that it’d make for a great “old time” family portrait style photo. I framed the shot and instantly went in that direction when I process the image – there was no doubt in my mind as to how I wanted the image to look from the moment I captured it.

Get Into Strange & Uncomfortable Positions

Smartphones are light, easy to maneuver and have a large screen making it possible to compose your image in awkward positions. Use this to your advantage and don’t be afraid of looking like someone who’s had a few too many hallucinogenic drugs in public. If you’re taking a photo people will understand won’t they?
So get down on your knees, on your back or hang upside down and have fun capturing photos that you would otherwise be unlikely to get with a larger heavier device.

Use Third Party Lenses

In most cases the third party lenses are best used for specialty situations like fisheye or macro photography that the built in cameras just aren’t capable of doing. With the iPhone I use the Olloclip 3 in 1 attachment and absolutely love the macro lens (read my full review here).

The above photograph was captured using an iPhone 4S with the Olloclip Macro attachment and to be honest the quality of this photograph even stunned me when I finally got it onto my computer. One of the key points to keep in mind here is that when you are using this lens you are required to be about 12-15 millimeters away from your subject to achieve focus – that’s incredibly close to a an insect that typically is fairly skittish.

Use Third Party Camera Apps

Yes the smartphones come with built in functionality, but in most cases they are fairly basic and while they will work well enough if you’re looking to capture a snapshot to go beyond that there are certainly better options out there. Many of the good quality camera apps on the market offer improved stability control, better filter options, and the ability to pick a focus and exposure point separately allowing for better control over the final image. Seeing as there are so many good apps out there rather than listing one that I recommend how about you leave your favorites in the comments below!

Have Fun and Share

Okay so ultimately the best part of smartphone photography is how easy it is to share your creations with the world. So now that you’ve learned how to take better smartphone photos how about sharing some of your favorites below – let us know which phone and apps you’re using to capture the images!

Share this article.

10 Quick Beginner Tips for Fantastic Mobile Phone Photography

A Post By: Karthika Gupta 

Photography is such an important part of our everyday life, and now we have photography at our fingertips with mobile phones. This article will share with you some simple tips so you can achieve awesome, and memorable mobile phone photography.
Photography is an incredible medium to document, share and preserve all those fleeting moments in time that seem to go by so quickly. I have to admit, I am a complete sap when it comes to taking pictures. I take way too many of my family because I really want to preserve each and every moment. Like the time when my husband surprised me and took me to New Zealand for our honeymoon, or the time when my kids hung out with their grandmother taking photos right by our front porch.
Little did we know that this would be the last time we would get to spend time with my mom. She lost her battle to cancer later that year and those images are priceless to me!



And even though I am a professional photographer, I find that I use my phone more often than not to capture precious everyday moments. After all, they say that the best camera is the one that you have with you, right?
So here are 10 tips to improve your mobile phone photography to make the best of your images. And just to be completely transparent, all the images shown in this post are through my iPhone (a mix of the 6s, 8 and 10 versions).

1. Clean your lens

This one is really basic, but you will be amazed at how many times I have reached for my phone only to find lots of smudges and dirt from little hands that think they are helping with everything and anything.
So, do yourself a favor and get into the habit of quickly wiping your phone camera lens before taking a shot. It does make a world of difference to the picture quality.

2. Manually set focus

Just like a real camera, your phone camera is also a sophisticated piece of technology. A lot of times, it is too smart for your own good! Typically when you point your phone camera at something, the phone will take an educated guess at what you want to photograph. If it recognizes faces, that’s what it will pick. To manually change focus from one subject to another, simply tap on the phone screen and choose your focus point.

3. Don’t use flash

Your phone camera has a flash, and it sucks! Sorry, there simply isn’t a way to sugarcoat this. The flash on your phone camera is not the most flattering for photos, and if you use natural light, also known as daylight or sunlight (take photos during the day), there is no reason to use flash.
Simply tap on the flash button to turn it off and use natural light (sunlight or ambient light) creatively. If you have to use flash, try not to point it directly at the subject. One way to avoid this is to have a second phone flash, a mobile phone light, or even flashlight pointing to the subject from the side. That way, you are avoiding that harsh flashlight from pointing at your subject.

4. Manually set exposure

Just as tip #2, you can adjust the exposure (also known as brightness of the photo) manually on your phone camera. This helps control how dark or how bright the photo will turn out when you press the shutter.
To adjust, simply tap on the screen and when you see the sunburst symbol or sunlight symbol, use your finger to swipe up or down to adjust or reduce the exposure accordingly.

5. Compose your photos creatively

This simply means avoid placing your subject in the center of the image all the time. There are many different creative composition rules, but the most famous of them all is ‘Rule of thirds.’
Here, the subject is placed in just one-third of the image, so the eye is drawn to that part of the image to make it aesthetically pleasing.

6. Rule of odds

Another tip for fantastic mobile phone photography is using the Rule of Odds. This means that when you have many subjects, try to have an odd number like 3, 5, 7, etc.
An odd number of subjects or focus elements are also perceived to be more aesthetically pleasing to the eye than an even number of elements in the frame. Do keep in mind that these rules are simply suggested photography concepts…not following them does not make the photo bad!

7. Straighten the horizon

One of the most aggravating things in a beautiful image is a crooked horizon. It throws the whole image out of whack! So take a moment and straighten any horizon lines in the frame. This can be done by selecting the grid function on your phone and making sure that horizontal lines are in line with the grid lines.

8. Use leading lines

Leading lines are a great way to lead the viewer into the frame and drawing attention to the subject matter. Roads, buildings, or even furniture placed creatively, can act as leading lines to draw the viewer into the image – almost inviting them to stay awhile and rest their eyes.

9. Photograph in natural light

There is something so pure and clean about photographing in natural light.
Natural light is simply outdoor light. No matter what the time of day, natural light has a very distinct quality. Photograph at different times of day outdoors and see how light affects the image.
The image below of a foggy morning out on Lake Michigan was actually taken from a moving car in burst mode. I really wanted to capture those orange posts against the blue-green water. You can also edit your images using a variety of mobile apps out there.
My personal favorites are SnapSeed and VSCO.

10. Try not to zoom

My final tip for fantastic mobile phone photography is to try not to zoom. The digital zoom of the phone camera is not very powerful – no matter what phone companies will have you believe.
When you use the digital zoom, a lot of noise and distortion is introduced in the frame. If possible, try to move your feet to get closer to the subject as opposed to using digital zoom.

There you have it – 10 quick and easy tips to help you improve your mobile phone photography and take it up a notch. Remember, oftentimes the best camera is the one you have at hand. And if you are like me, that phone literally lives with you 24×7, so might as well use it as a tool to not only document your everyday life but also improve your photography skills.

Share this article.

Concert Photography Tips

By: Darren Rowse 

Concert photography is one of the most challenging fields in photography, as opposed to posed photos; in this kind of photography we have no control of almost any parameter in the picture. We can’t direct the object being photographed, we do not have control over the lighting, which is constantly changing, and we do not have access to any angle.

On top of that we can’t forget that there are people around us who paid good money for enjoying the show and they don’t care that they are in our frame. Many times we are also limited to a certain time or amount of songs within we are allowed to take photos. Sounds like mission impossible? Although photographing a live show is not easy and intuitive, it is also less difficult than what most people might think, and I believe that at the end of this article, you will be amazed that it’s easier than it seems.

So how do we get started? For starters we want to lower as many of the variables that interrupt us, this is why I recommend to go to relatively intimate shows in places where you can get almost anywhere and take the frame from any angle you wish. If you have a band that you know personally, it will be a good place to start from. For example, my first show was in late 2007 – with Canon 350D and 18-55 mm kit lens. I went to a performance by a friend’s band, “The Carsitters”, who invited me to photograph the show, and I owe a lot of my experience to them.

Equipment – It’s not the camera that is important but the person behind it.

Whether you are convinced by this saying or not there are still several fields in photography where our equipment is very important and one of these fields is the concert photography.
Due to the dim lighting at performances, we’ll prefer to use lenses with open aperture (f/2.8, f1.8, f/1.4) and using cameras that allows us to take photos at high ISO without noise.

In dynamic shows like rock bands, we will have to use a relatively high shutter speeds to freeze movement of wild drummer or jumping singer. These are the moments you will be thankful that you having good equipment in your hands. But do not be disappointed even if your equipment is not perfect. A lot of my concert shots were taken with Canon 350D that in terms of photography at high ISO is very noisy and does not allow to choose value over 1600, and also without any fast zoom lens.

Boost your ISO, even if the image will be noisy.

Better to take a picture a bit noisy in my opinion, and reduce the noise later with some editing software (Lightroom 3 provides a very good option for reduce noises) or even stay with the noise, than getting an image without noise but all blurred because you had to compensate for the lower ISO with long exposure time.
Black & white can be a good option for noisy pictures like that.

Correct exposure

One of the first difficulties we encounter in photography is the measurement of the light and selecting the correct exposure. In live shows we’ll measure light from a point which we want to expose by using the point metering (some will prefer using the evaluative).
In most of the shows there are several sets of repetitive light, so you should keep in mind the appropriate parameters for the different light and then for example as soon as spot will be on the singer we will know what the appropriate parameters for our frame. You should check your histogram and in addition check in the monitor for overexposed points, to ensure that the important objects in the frame are exposed properly. One of the most frustrating things is to get back home with a picture that looks good on the camera and then we find out in our computer screen that it’s overexposed or underexposed. Because it is difficult to find exactly our best exposure I recommend shooting in raw so that you can then compensate for the exposure if necessary and save images that was a bit overexposed or the opposite, got underexposed.

Use flash?

I am sure that you all know the following situation: You are in a concert, a few hundred feet from the stage, around of you hundreds of flashes of cameras from people who try to take pictures of the show.
I’m sorry to break the myth but your flash has no effect on lighting the singer. At best, the flash will do nothing, and at worst it will lit the cigarette’s smoke around you or the bald spot of those in front of you.
Another problem is that some use a camera on automatic or semi-automatic mode. The camera does not know that what interests us is the stage far away, and is not affected by the flash light, so it lets less light into the sensor – and we will get a dark stage.
So if you are far from the stage – turn off the flash.
If you are close to the stage and using the flash, the artist will be bright indeed – but any background will be dark and you’ll lose the whole atmosphere. What’s the solution? Measure the light by the environment until you get proper exposure in terms of atmosphere you want and just then add the flash, this way you get the ambient lighting showing the atmosphere, and the flash will lit the singer and freeze his movement. Thus, despite the slow shutter speed your object won’t become blurred. Of course you can bounce the flash and avoid harsh direct light which flatten the subject’s face, and can cause red eye, just like in any other situation that you take the photo with directed flash. If the ceiling is not low enough or is not white, like at most concerts, you can bounce the flash using a white card or just soften it by the use of any other diffusers. Another option using the flash that will have special results, but is less convenient, if you have access to the stage – put in advance flashes on the stage which will be activated remotely by triggers and will give you photos less ordinary.
The smoke can be our best friend or our worst enemy – when we take photos with flash, if the smoke is before the artist, then the flash will light the smoke and not the artist. In such situations we should avoid shooting with flash. However smoke behind the artist can improve the picture.
?

Waiting for the spot light

When it’s too dark and we are far from the stage and we cannot use the flash, we will wait until the spot light, the narrow, focused and strong light, will light the artist. You might be surprised to discover that those dark images that are lit just by the spot light on the singer will be much better than the frame where everything is lit. You have to remember: photographing a concert is not like documentary photography where it is important to see everything, but more of a photo that shows a certain atmosphere and lighting is our main method to pass it to the viewers. In concert, you will rarely have fixed light on the stage. Fixed light may make it easier for you to photograph, but also produces images that are more boring and banal.

Silhouettes as a solution for constraints

Do not ignore the constraints. Compact cameras, old cameras or lenses with over 2.8 Aperture can cause problems when trying to capture the subject lit properly. This is because of the changing lights that are usually dark, which characterizes the majority of small performances. One of the recommended solutions is to shoot silhouettes. We prefer choosing a silhouette that is very clear so that the viewer can see and understand what the subject in the frame is even if it’s without light. This kind of photo we’ll shoot when there is no light on the subject and the only lights are behind the band / singer / dancer.

That way with a simple camera we can get special pictures. Please note that if we’ll not define in the camera that this is what we want, it will choose for us a long exposure or using the flash in order to light the stage. What we need is to set the camera manually to allow underexpose. Whether negative exposure compensation (EV) is defined for those of you using automatic or semi-automatic, or for those of you using the manual mode just increase the shutter speed or close the aperture until the image is completely dark when there is no backlight. In order to produce the silhouette we will measure the right exposure from the stage and then shoot with the parameters that were obtained. The back light will show as it should – and the figure will be completely dark. In these situations it will be hard to focus the camera, so focus on the character when there is light, or shoot with manual focus.

Color

In most shows the dominant color is red. Lighting technicians like this colored lights that photographers usually hate. You should be careful that the red color will not “burn” and you will lose the data in those areas. Better take the photo a bit underexpose in raw and then add some brightness so no details will be lost in those areas. Another way to handle this is to make friends with the lighting technician and ask to use specific lights – you’ll be surprised, it works. If you didn’t had any success with these two methods and found yourself in front of the computer with picture that was exposed inaccurate, converting to black & white can save this image.

Composition

Until now we have talked only about the technical issues to photograph a concert, but we must not forget to address the composition as well. Also in concert it is not enough that the photo technically is perfect, you should also need a story and a good and interesting composition. Sometimes a close up image where you can only see the guitar for example will be enough and sometimes you will want to catch the whole band together. It all depends on your artistic taste and equipment’s constraints.

In concert photography there are no rules, you’ll have to see in each show the lighting effects in order to decide how you will photograph and display the same band. In conclusion, the concert photography is not an easy task, but with a little practice – you can get beautiful results.
Guy Prives is a concert & people photographer. Photography for Guy is another way to look and see the world from unique and different angles.
He discovered his love of photography during a long trip to South America and this passion to capture the moment with a click of the camera has been with him ever since. Ordinary things (sights) can become extraordinary when captured through the camera’s lens.
You can see his photo at his web site and in his facebook page.

Share this article.

5 Tips for Better Concert Photography in Low Light Conditions

By: Suzi Pratt 

Concert photography is one of the hardest subjects to nail down for one main reason: the conditions almost always have low lighting and you aren’t allowed to use flash. With that said, there are some tips for optimizing your concert photography experience. Whether you’re equipped with a DSLR and a photo pass for a big arena show or simply shooting a local band in a pub or a school performance, use these tips to enhance your low lighting photography.

1. Choose a Low Lighting Lens

One of my first concert photos snapped with an old Nikon D90 and a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.

Generally speaking, the gear you shoot with doesn’t really matter, except when it comes to low lighting photography. In this case, you’ll want to have a fast lens with the lowest f-stop possible. For most concert photographers, this equates to a 24-70mm f/2.8 and/or a 70-200mm f/2.8. These are two of the most popular concert and event photography lenses thanks to their low f-stops and vast focal length coverage.
However, fast lenses like these two can be very expensive. If you’re on a budget, consider an affordable prime lens such as the 50mm f/1.8 or 85mm f/1.8. While you sacrifice the ability to zoom, you gain an extra stop or two of light while also saving money.

2. Adjust Your Aperture to Shoot Wide Open

Now that you have a large aperture lens, switch your camera over to Aperture Priority or Manual mode and shoot “wide opened” at the lowest f-stop number your lens allows. This will let the most amount of light get to your camera’s sensor.
As a tradeoff, the lower f-stop number means a smaller depth of field, meaning your images may not be as sharp as if you were shooting at a higher f-stop. So if you happen to be shooting in ultra bright lighting conditions, consider bumping your f-stop up to get more of the scene in focus.

Sometimes you are blessed with ample venue lighting that gives you more flexibility with your 

camera settings. Shot at f/4 at 1/125 at ISO 640.

3. Watch Your Shutter Speed

If you shoot in Aperture Priority mode like I do, then you won’t have to worry about setting your shutter speed. However, you should always take note of it while shooting and understand how it may affect your image.
As a baseline, your shutter speed should be at least 1/250th to freeze motion while shooting concerts. But this is a luxury often reserved for shooting well-lit shows or outdoor concerts. In low lighting conditions, your shutter speed will probably be much lower than 1/250th. I can usually push my camera to go as low as 1/60th and still pull off decent concert photos, but it’s best to not go any slower than 1/100th.

4. Increase the ISO

Increase the ISO until you are able to shoot at your desired aperture and shutter speed. For most conditions, this means cranking the ISO up to 3200 or even as high as 6400. The exact ISO limitations will vary according to your camera. And just because your camera can shoot at ISO 10,000 doesn’t mean that you should. Experiment with your camera until you find the highest ISO that you are comfortable using (based on the noise level, etc.).
As a tradeoff, a higher ISO means you’ll have more noise or grain in your images. However, many digital cameras today produce very good quality images even at high ISOs. Also, there is noise reduction software available that will help you reduce noise in post-production. The bottom line is that more digital noise or grain in an image is better than having it be blurry due to a slow shutter speed. Don’t hesitate to increase the ISO.

Shot at f/2.8 at 1/100 at ISO 5000. Not the sharpest photo, but it captured a key moment in a venue 

with horrible lighting.

5. Shoot in RAW

If your camera allows for it, shoot your images in RAW format, rather than JPG. Concert photography is notorious for having inconsistent lighting with red or blue lights that can flicker or change throughout a concert, making it hard to adjust the in-camera white balance. If you shoot in RAW, you’ll have more flexibility to fix and edit those photos in post-production.

What are some of your best tips for photographing concerts in low lighting without flash? Please share them in the comments below.