Products You've Viewed
We’ll keep track of the products you view here.
Articles You've Viewed
We'll track the last 7 articles you've viewed so you can quickly return to them.

Mike Corrado: Shooting a Rock Concert

© Mike Corrado Loading...

© Mike Corrado

Nickelback D3; Aperture Priority; f/2.8; ISO 2500; Focal Length 16mm

Download now Read More

Mike Corrado is a senior product manager at Nikon, but more important for our purposes, he's a skilled, inventive photographer with a passion for performance photography. Here's Mike's A-list of show-stopping shooting tips.

• The most important thing, going in, is to know the rules. What will the venue, the band, the performer allow you to do? In other words, how much access will you have? Will you be limited to the pit in front of the stage? Will the band restrict you to shooting only during the first three songs? Will you be in the fifth row of the high-school auditorium with other parents? No venue wants the performance interrupted by a photographer running around; no performer wants the audience distracted. You're going to have to fit in, live with, and shoot with, the access you're given.

• That said, there are ways to improve your chances. It's not likely you'll be granted the kind of access I had when I photographed the band Nickelback. Nikon worked out a special arrangement with them, and I turned that opportunity into some dramatic photos, including the first one here, a striking image captured by a remote camera set amid the drummer's kit. But take a look at the last five photos. That's my nephew's band, All Thee Above, and when they came to town to play a local club, I did exactly what you can do if your son or daughter is in a group or the neighborhood garage band finally makes it onto a local stage: I used my connections. The band welcomed the chance to get photos (they used several on their recent CD), and the club owners were cooperative, too. In a situation like that, sincerity, timing, the offer to provide some prints and a convincing showing of your best images can get you into the right positions for strong images.

• Typically, rock shots are only as good as the band's light show, as good as the drama of colors hitting the performers. White light, gelled light or light from the pyrotechnics will make or break your photos (for the most part, forget flash; few clubs, bands or performers will permit it).