More people than ever are taking up photography as a hobby. While some enjoy simply taking snaps, it may be that you want to take your skills further. Fortunately, there are many resources available where you can read other people’s advice.

There are handy tips for outdoor photography, how to shoot different subject matter, and also how to use the many apps to add filters and make adjustments to your work.

One area that may be overlooked by some, or isn’t one of the first thoughts of a newbie photographer, is how to shoot events such as concerts or football matches. Taking still-life photos is very different from trying to capture the right moment as a goal is unleashed.

If you have an interest in learning this area of photography, then read on for some, hopefully, handy tips.

Firstly, does anyone actually own a camera anymore?

During the last year or more, the world changed somewhat—the virus brought with it social distancing and lockdowns. Due to the amount of time spent indoors, many people started new hobbies to keep themselves occupied.

Some students put this time to good use to learn photography and to understand how their community was now living with Covid. However, unlike some other activities during the lockdowns, photography didn’t take off so much.

Many people joined Netflix as cinemas closed. And others took up the guitar. While Fender had a record-breaking year, camera sales did not.

Back in 2010, digital camera sales worldwide were more than 120 million. But, last year, they didn’t even reach double figures. Does this mean that photography holds no interest for hobbyists? Perhaps it is just because nearly everyone has a smartphone now, and the quality of these cameras is enough for many to take casual snaps with.

What do you need to shoot events?

If you are one of the few that choose to use a camera instead of a smartphone, then you may be interested to understand what you need to take good event photos.

You will need to consider the following:

Camera body
Lenses
Image format
Memory cards
Batteries
Flash/lighting

Camera body

Many indoor events may have poor lights. Today’s concerts do not suffer from poor lighting as much as they used to but expect an indoor event to be poorly lit. Therefore you need the best camera you can get for low lighting.

If you are lucky enough to have a choice of cameras, bring a second one that is full-frame. Try to consider the weight of the cameras, too; you may have to carry them around for a long time if you are shooting something such as a wedding.

Lenses

You will need two lenses at a minimum. One zoom lens should have a maximum f/2.8 aperture and a prime lens with f.18 aperture. This way, you can obtain enough light, and also have a shallower depth of field.

If you have two camera bodies, you can fit the zoom to one, and the prime to another. This means avoiding having to switch lenses around. The zoom lens will give you more depth of field, but the prime lens will allow more light into your shots.

Image format

Always shoot in RAW. When it comes to making adjustments to the color balance and other areas, RAW has huge advantages over JPEGs. Experts in concert photography will also recommend shooting manually at all times.

Extra memory cards and batteries

Shooting in RAW takes up more space than JPEGs, but it is well worth it, as you will discover once you gain more experience. The downside is you will need more memory cards.

Check your batteries are fully charged, your memory cards are empty, and you have enough spares before you go. If you are photographing an event such as a wedding, it is possible you are being requested to do so. Running out of batteries or memory space during it will do nothing for your burgeoning reputation.

Flashes and lighting equipment

While you may understand how to shoot in bright sunlight, taking pictures in poor indoor light is another matter.

It is recommended that you do not rely on the built-in flash and rather use an external one. However, this will depend on the event you are photographing and what images you are trying to capture.

Flashes can sometimes be harsh, but continuous lighting will not always suit the situation. Fortunately, many modern cameras are far better at capturing good images with a high ISO setting.

Some venues are traditionally dark. If you were shooting at an entertainment venue such as a bars and restaurants, you would want to capture the excitement on people’s faces and the atmosphere. Perhaps this is why so many people now play slots online in the privacy of their own homes.

Changing angles when taking shots can help you to find better light, and the difference in results can be quite dramatic.

Capturing the moment

When it comes to the actual event itself, make yourself a list of what you want to capture. If you are shooting a wedding, then there will no doubt be many requests from the happy couple. If you are doing corporate work for a bars and restaurants, then they will have their own requirements.

It will be important to manage expectations if you are working for someone else. If you are shooting for pleasure or freelancing, then look for those special moments that can’t be staged.

Candid wedding moments make great photos and memories. At concerts, look for that moment when the lead singer is looking straight at you or decides to join the audience. When this happens, just keep shooting.

Summary

Having the right equipment and shooting in the right mode will get you off to a great start. Try to position yourself where the lighting works best on your subject when indoors.

Use the RAW format and then post-process it in Lightroom. If you manage to capture the perfect moment at an event, then RAW files will allow Lightroom the best chance at optimizing your shot.

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