Concert Photography.

Challenges & Rewards.

   As concert photographers, we face a wide range of challenges and rewards at the same time.

   One of the most prominent is constantly changing lighting conditions in concert venues. Split-second, instantaneous transitions from bright spotlights to dim ambient lighting require us to have high-level technical abilities, to quickly find and modify camera settings for the best exposure.

   But, today’s cameras and lenses have come a very long way from when I used film, therefore it is not as much of a problem anymore. 

   Back in the days when we shot film, we did not even have “basic” features like AutoFocus lenses, nor DSLR bodies with fast frame rates, nor other modern features such as AutoISO etc.

   Concert crowds are another significant hurdle, with unpredictable behaviours and movements due to their wild nature, where some even border on aggression.
   Handling enthusiastic fans can be physically and mentally tiresome since we must simultaneously focus on technical aspects of our trade, whilst ensuring personal security and remaining in a safe zone, amidst all excitement. 

   We must also carry and safeguard costly camera gear in these settings, which complicates matters even more.

On the positive side.

   We enjoy capturing electrifying moments on stage. From the power of a guitar solo to the connection between artists and their fans, we capture transient seconds that are part of artistic storytelling about musical performances. 

   These are moments to be immortalized and the gratification of having their work seen by a world audience is also part of this profession.

   In addition, we sometimes have the privilege of developing relationships with artists and insiders from the industry to get exclusive access to events and people. 
   This networking is crucial, and because I left Sweden a long time ago I lost all such connections now, which means I am unable to go back and shoot concerts again.
   Quite annoying since I would love to get back to this type of photography again.

   Nowadays I often imagine how much better I would perform using modern digital gear, the cameras and technology are on an entirely different level, and I suspect I would generate much better results.