Photo Pit Etiquette
Lesson 22 from: Getting Started in Music Photography with Red Bull Photographer Todd OwyoungTodd Owyoung
Photo Pit Etiquette
Lesson 22 from: Getting Started in Music Photography with Red Bull Photographer Todd OwyoungTodd Owyoung
Lessons
Class Intro to Getting Started in Music Photography
01:13 2Live Music Photography
13:40 3Camera Settings
09:34 4Tip & Techniques for Capturing Live Music
09:14 5Research & Preparation
06:20 6Challenges & Pain Points
00:40 7All Access
16:29 8Shooting for Editorial
03:15Capturing Music Festivals
03:58 10Using Speedlights
07:44 11Photographing Drummers
07:44 12Gear
25:39 13Location Scouting
19:57 14Artist Portraits
06:56 15Artist Portraits - Stairwell
06:48 16Artist Portraits - Outside
12:04 17Sound Check with Low Hums and Wild Powwers
05:12 18Photographing Live Shows - Low Hums
06:29 19Photographing Live Shows - Wild Powwers
05:22 20Getting Started
10:15 21The Photo Pass
19:38 22Photo Pit Etiquette
06:29 23The Business of Music Photography
12:02 24Post Processing Workflow
26:02Lesson Info
Photo Pit Etiquette
So there are some unspoken rules of the photo pit, and this is mostly intended for newer photographers who might not know. Some of these are more obvious, some of them are less obvious. Basically, the golden rule of working in a photo pit is don't be a jerk. The second rule, silver rule, is to respect everybody. Respect security, respect the rules, and overall, I feel everyone is equal the photo pit. There is no place for judging someone based on their camera, what they wear, if they're dancing, if they have a photo pass, it means that the publicist has approved them, they have the same access as you, they have the same level of clearance and someone thought it was a great idea for them to be in the pit, just like you. So, again, don't be a jerk, don't judge people. Judge people on their images, not on if they're shooting even with an iPad, because they're there with a purpose, seemingly. Other elements we'll cover will be behavior, movement and space, hail mary's, and using a flash in...
the photo pit. You have to respect the security, the fans, and your fellow photographers. This is kind of a golden rule, and it's gonna serve you well, because people want to work with people if they're easy to work with, they're gonna want to give you more access if you're obeying the rules. The momentyou're stepping out of line, not respecting others, is when you're gonna get flagged, you could get pulled out of the photo pit, you could even get the entire photo pit cleared if you're being disruptive. Rule of thumb: be respectful to every single person. You don't know who the tour photographer is going to be, or who might know who, and you know, music photography and the music industry in general is very small, so respect everyone under the assumption that maybe they can do a you a favor in the future. Second rule, mind your gear. Being that the photo pit is often a narrow space where you're not going to have a lot of room to move around, you don't want to enter it with a big, bulky backpack, or cameras that are on really long straps where they're swinging all over the place. You want to be able to keep your gear as close to your body as possible, to shoot with the smallest footprint possible. You know, keeping camera straps is one way to do that. Moving and holding your cameras is another. Third point, the courtesy tap. Simply tapping someone on the shoulder, or on the middle of the back, if you need to get by them, will let them know, without being too disruptive, that you need to pass, as opposed to just barreling by, bumping their camera, getting in their shots. Just take a minute to assess your surroundings, know who's around you, tap them if you need to get by, and move when the timing is right. This relates to the second point, stash your backpack. When you have limited space, you don't want to be moving with a huge backpack in the pit. You should have all your camera gear on your person, as much as possible. If you need to use a sling or something, where you can have the camera bag in front of you, that's better, because obviously if you're shooting in this position, you're not taking up additional room front and back with your lens projecting in your front, and the backpack behind you. So simply stashing your backpack, getting all your lenses that you need out, is going to be ideal. If you need to stash your backpack off to the side of the stage and you can't carry everything you need to at the time, just make a trip to the side of the stage, change lenses if you want to, and then come back to the action. Shoot or get out of the way, this one is pretty self-explanatory. There's gonna be a limited time, limited space, get your shot, and if you're not shooting, if the spirit moves you to dance, if you just want to take in the show, it's your favorite artist, just move to the side, move to the back of the pit, if it's a festival and there's space. But don't stand in the prime spots, don't just stand there kind of looking at the band. Be there with a purpose, and if you're not shooting, move out of the way. Move with purpose. If you're moving, move conscientiously, move with respect, move politely so you're not hitting people, you're not getting in someone's way. Just overall be mindful, be respectful. Now, the use of hail mary's, or holding your camera above your head to get that shot. Let's say you're shooting with a wide angle lens, or a fisheye, or the stage is tall. Sure, sometimes we've all done that, you need to get a shot, you need to get above somebody, but it's really disrespectful to do that at the front of the photo pit, when you're getting in someone's way potentially, and certainly if your MO is to do this constantly, if you're not looking through the viewfinder at all, you might be doing something wrong. You might rethink the way you photograph a concert, and if you must do this, move to the back of the pit, to the side of the pit, so that if you're raising your camera above your head, you're not blocking someone's shot. Because I think any music photographer who's photographed shows knows how disruptive this can be, so it all goes back to that number one rule of being respectful, to your fellow photographers in this instance. And also to the fans, if you're constantly putting your camera up, you're blocking someone's view, whether it's a photographer's or fan's, so just try to do it as minimally as possible. Along the same lines, if shooting with a speed light on your camera, again, for the most part, three songs, no flash, you're not gonna be using flash in the photo pit unless you have special access. And even then, if you're a tour photographer, just take your flash off, because it's gonna add that six or eight inches of height above you, and it's gonna block someone's view, especially if you're a taller photographer. So, be mindful, be respectful, take your camera flash off if you're not using it, and stow it in your bag. And everyone else will thank you for it. This tip: when in doubt, wear black. Music photographers, kind of famously, or humorously, wear all black. And it just goes back to a notion of stage black, and this is if you've noticed at a concert, all the roadies, the guitar techs, the stage hands, they're wearing black, and that is to minimize and reduce their visibility for a show. You know, if you're working a show, you're part of the crew, you're part of the press, even if you're just a photographer, you want to be as discreet as possible, and wearing black is simply a way that can help accomplish that. It's not going to distract the artist, it's not distracting the fans if you're moving in front of 'em, and especially if you're a tour photographer, or have all access, you're not on stage wearing, you know, dayglow yellow or a white t-shirt and really standing out. You're gonna be discreet, you're gonna blend into the shadows, and just not be part of the show. So, wearing black, music photographers, just do it.
Ratings and Reviews
Alexandra U
I highly reccomend this class for any one who would like to get started or dip their toes in the concert photography scene. This class has many useful tips and trick for any level of photographer, not just beginners. I have been in the music scene for over 10 years and I was able to gather so much information in every chapter. Watching this video boosted up my confidence as a photographer because it validated that I am already succeeding in my concert career. Thank you for this amazing stream. It sparked my creative soul once again.
Kris Comer
Wow, this was awesome! I have been a concert photographer for almost 3 years now and I still learned some great tips! I loved that he covered different ideas for promo shots which is one of my weaknesses. Any beginner should definitely check out this course! It is straight and to the point with all of the most important steps.
a Creativelive Student
I have been taking Creative Live classes since 2010 and this is at the top with the best classes t I have taken. This may have been the first time Todd taught a class, but you would never be able to tell. He doesn't just brag about the high profile clients he has shot, he also makes sure to relate to the photographer just starting out. I really enjoyed the two live shows as well as the additional portrait shoots. His concepts on location scouting, playing with distortion, multiple poses in one spot, speedlights, etc. can be applied to all kinds of photography, not just music photography. Highly recommend!