Concert and event photography lenses are often
referred to as “fast glass,” meaning lenses with
maximum apertures of f/2.8 or wider. There are
some situations where a lens with a maximum
aperture of f/4 or smaller might work, but to be
able to use shutter speeds high enough to freeze
the action, at times pretty fast action, you need to
use lenses that can open up really wide. The two
most common zoom lenses for concert and event
work are the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and the
24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Every camera and lens manu-
facturer makes a version of these lenses, and for
good reason — they are incredibly useful for just
about all types of photography. If I went back and
looked at all my concert images, I would estimate
that more than 70 percent of them were taken
with the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens or its predecessor,
the 80-200mm f/2.8 lens. The combination of a
wide aperture and long focal length makes this
the perfect lens for getting in close and getting
wider shots without having to change lenses.
Many times photographing concerts or events in
really low light calls for lenses that can open up
to even wider apertures; this is when you need a
prime lens that can open up to an amazing f/1.4,
f/1.8, or f/2.0. These lenses allow you to get up to
a full stop of light over the zoom lenses, which
can mean the difference between getting the shot
and missing it. The good news is that many of the
prime lenses are actually cheaper than zoom lenses
but usually at much shorter focal lengths; how-
ever, this is a great place to start. The longer focal
lengths, those over 50mm, usually demand a
premium price tag; for example, I have an older
85mm f/1.4 lens that has really saved me in some
of the dimly lit bars I have shot in, but it cost■ The distance of the movement. If the objectis far away and only a very small part of your
frame, then you can get away with a slower
shutter speed, as it won’t travel very far in
the frame.
■ The importance of the movement. This is ajudgment call every time you take a photo. Is
it important to freeze everything in the frame
or just the main part? Is it important to freeze
the guitar and the hand, or does a little blur
add to the image as long as the rest is sharp.
In the end, it is practice that will enable you to
pick the right shutter speed for action stopping in
a variety of situations, but it is important to check
the results at 100 percent on the back of the cam-
era and not just by looking at the thumbnail.
Learn how to view the images at 100 percent
using your camera manual.
Know your gear
One thing that doesn’t change, no matter what
size show you are photographing, is that the gear
does matter. That doesn’t mean you have to go
and buy the newest camera and lenses as they
come out (even though I’m sure the camera and
lens manufacturers would disagree), but you do
need to choose your camera and lenses wisely.
If you want to try some of the gear
before you buy it, then consider rent-
ing from your local camera store or one of the online
camera rental services like http://www.lensprotogo.com or
http://www.borrowlenses.com.tipThe two pieces of gear that are most important to
concert photographers are cameras with high ISO
and low-noise capability and lenses with a wide
maximum aperture.
x-ref Gear is covered in detail in Chapter 3.