Concert Photography : HOW to get IN

In this video I cover what it takes to be a concert photographer, and what you can do to get into shows. Sorry if the audio is bad, just moved into my studio office and there is barely any furniture in here.
Follow me on Twitter/IG: @albertxacosta

[@gracet0m]

another way i worked with an artist was through their DJ! i recently worked w lil skies and dm’d his dj to get to shoot his set and skies set for free!!! planned all in 3 days

[@alberto.acosta]

Yes bro!!! That's an amazing idea!!

[@gracet0m]

Albert Acosta u have so much potential dude !!! concert photography/videography is something i wanna do full time. i’m a highschool student and want to try and be an artists content person by my senior year (i’m a sophomore rn) what’re your tips? i’m willing to hustle and grind as much as i can. i’ve shot some shows and have a setup w a local venue i shoot for for free but i need help to get noticed by bigger artists ya feel.

[@alberto.acosta]

Grace Tom thanks for the kind words! And bro that’s amazing. You’re on your way there! Honestly it’s just doing the grunt work and meeting artists thru that that is gunna help you get there. Get as good as you can thru the free work. And keep networking. There’s not easy way to the top, only way is consistency and perseverance. Keep hustling and grinding.

[@mariogonzales2502]

Your definitely on your way there. Your doing your home work.

[@lateshiachilds3640]

Great interview

[@Aurora-rw9lp]

My dream is to do videography/photography for concert/shows. That’d be so lit!

[@willmax95]

BruhhItsAurora thats what I do

[@Aurora-rw9lp]

Max Williams Lucky 😢 that’s my dream as a side job. I hope I can do it one day!!

[@Kinrot]

Same dude, i'm a musicvideo producer but i wanna give concert videography a try but it’s so hard to get these passes😔

[@Aurora-rw9lp]

Kin rot good luck, you got this!!

[@Kinrot]

BruhhItsAurora thanks bro🙏 i hope you make it too one day, just do what your love and work hard everyday 👑

[@dash2k8gmail]

I'm late to the party but have to recommend Albert's tip of HITTING UP THE OPENERS. I literally just sent an email to an opener and he wrote back shortly. He's not a big celebrity yet so he needs as much exposure as he can get, and FREE photography, who doesn't want that? Thank you Albert for pointing out the obvious. My previous inquiries to mid-level talent often went unnoticed, mostly because everyone already uses someone they're familiar with. Hit up the openers for sure. Thanks again.

[@jerikaternora166]

Can you cover what equipment you use? Thanks! Maybe cover from what you started with and what you use now? Also price ranges would be nice. Thank you for sharing your tips with us!!!

[@robwasnj]

Cool video, I started shooting concerts both video and still photos because I enjoy photography and wanted a memory of the event. The positive feedback from the artists has been GREAT, some used it for their profile photos, they shared it with many friends and one thing leading to another before you know it you're met so many people. When I go to shows even at different venues people come up to me and recognize me from shows I'm at, I guess because I'm often running around with a big white lens. It's amazing how much you can learn and how much better your shots will become practicing at local venues. One thing you didn't mention that I found truly helps is NOT sharing or showing photos of artists where they don't look good. Sometimes it can be a great shot otherwise but if the artist hates how they look, fat, funny expression, really anything chances are they won't like what you did. I've chosen technically worse photos to share over perfect shots for this very reason... nobody likes a bad photo of themselves shared. Anyways, my 2 cents, thanks for the video.

[@guilhermebotelho8691]

That's actually really good advice. Thank you!

[@robwasnj]

@@guilhermebotelho8691 It's worked really well for me. Another thing I generally do prior to the show is go peruse their social media and see what they share, get a feeling for what they like or do not. If they have goofy photos, maybe even no makeup shots with fans they'll probably not be upset with anything... on the other hand if it's a 50 year old artists and every photo is highly retouched or they have up photos taken of them 20 years ago when they were 20 lbs lighter there's a good chance they may ask you to take them down or even disallow anyone but their official photographer at shows. I had one artist, I won't mention her name that didn't allow ANY photos taken from the side or behind the stage, in fact I had a manager physically block my lens and chew me out. Very nice artists, I figure she doesn't like her rear end or something. Ironically the photos I did get she LOVED and shared... it was a special moment with some friends on stage with her, she was grateful to have them. Sometimes if you reach out prior and assure them you won't share anything without approval you'll get special permissions. Also doesn't hurt to have a good sampling of your work online somewhere for them to see. happy shooting!

[@sofia9529]

im a freshman in high school and i've been interested in photography for as long as i can remember. next school year i'm going to do a photography class and hopefully keep doing it until im a senior and so on because recently i've really liked the idea of being a concert photographer. i would say photos i find on instagram and pinterest from concerts of bands i like have been my main inspiration for wanting to go into this profession when im older :)

[@jadenchen6361]

Heyyyy!!! I just started but I loved your tips and just how humble you were in this video! Definitely will apply what you talked about! Good luck with your journey!!!

[@JamesNaleski]

Dude you nailed it. Providing value is everything!

[@davidnobre2857]

Dude thank you so much. This is actually such a helpful vid. Love homie all the best

[@JuliRay]

I loved the tips! I'm starting on the business and I really appreciate rumble people that let us "use their brain" and knowledge. Thnx man!

[@lrb05131963]

I did a lot free stuff ,after 4 years of frustrations and some success here and there ,not many,I stayed with working on my skills and each job I reinvested in myself by buying better pro gear and now I am getting calls from museums , magazines ,concerts venues etc., last one I got paid many zeros at the end ,keep working ,but the most important thing is that I know my passion for photography was going to be my life from the get go ,no plan B

[@alberto.acosta]

That’s what I’m talking about!!

[@TSteib]

This was truly motivational❤️❤️ CONGRATS and proud of you for not giving up!

[@trevchills3533]

Thank you for sharing your experiences! This is very valuable.

[@thisjourneycalledlife5957]

This info is super crucial! Thank you so much for this video 🙏🏽

[@joshuaread1302]

I started as a club photographer! I do agree with practicing in low light it builds up over time

[@SashaLarie21]

Appreciate you dropping jewels he jewels. Youre a blessing!

[@veesi18]

Hi,Great tips man, Thanks a lot, I've got my first concert photo shooting experience in April, super excited how it will work out. As You said- I will do it for free and will see where I bring myself in future with all this, once again Thanks dude for sharing the knowledge / your experience on this subject- good luck to you in life! :))

[@akirakulture]

sooo dope, thank you for this!

[@Cameronbecht]

Im tryna get into concert photography and this for sure helped!

[@Mandowar56]

Just ran into this video. Going to try this out. Thank you

[@ChrisDMack]

Great advice. Thanks for the upload

[@Scottollio]

I was working an unrelated a gig for Volbeat and just happened to get a few amazing photos of Hetfield while he was walking around the festival. I was not even trying, so it was definitely a right place at the right time kind of thing.

[@Gian.J]

Very insightful! Thank you!

[@azimut5226]

Thank you for mking this video man! :D

[@gaarakabuto1]

I know compact cameras won't give you any credability when you are trying to accomplish something serious,but in every event I always have on my pocket a Ricoh GR3 alongside with 2 SLR (1 digital and 1 analog because since i started with the analog i was constantly asked to do more of them) and there are so many times that GR3 got the money shot instead of the other two.My point is don't get too intimidated by the market's standards,if you feel confortable with one specific camera that isn't ment to be for your kind of photography but it has what you need,use it!

[@juliepwhitephotography9340]

Thank you, this was helpful. Stay warm

[@shotbymellophotography]

Great video, will work hard to get to where you're at in your career!

[@HappyNerdPhoto]

Hey Albert, Great video it was very helpful! After going to a concert this past weekend I had the thought of wanting to try my hand at concert photography to add it to my portfolio. 1 thing you mentioned was having a publication? Can you give me more info on that or how to pursue?

[@kevinduque209]

Great video!

[@officialtiimo]

Great video! Really helpful :)

[@someshalwe5841]

Thanks a lot, bro this help a lot ❤😘😘

[@JStieloSoloPhysique1987]

I swear I googled photographing California festivals yesterday , and today I get this video in my suggested theme 🤔 lol oh well

[@momenttom4969]

This video is gold. Truly. To me it has everything in it you need to know anyone will ever tell you. ONE QUESTION (4.05), what exactly are OPENERS? I'm dutch and not familiair with the term

[@lucasavila1972]

Tom Heuijerjans openers are smaller artists who perform before the main artist

[@NikosOnTheRun]

Quite insightful! Thanks :D

[@lateshiachilds3640]

This is some great information. I'm 37 I want to get into being a concert photographer or event photographer at a music festival.

[@willmax95]

Thats really cool! You should totally do it, its a really fun thing to take on.

[@willmax95]

I also just posted a video on some advice for it

[@767planeguy]

Labor of Love for sure

[@Cjcool03]

Great Tips ..

[@krispatterson4411]

I am very interested in doing this for a living i already do it as a hobby and i have done so for a long time. I work in a bar with plenty of local banks. I am going to a show tomorrow night:)

[@heymaisu1487]

Please let us know about Filming such live Music Concerts as beginners.

[@mienatehrani8498]

hey albert which camera would you recommend for beginners and which lenses? Thank u

[@c-willharris3782]

I want to get into this feild so so bad

[@giinashin]

which camera would you recommend for a beginner??

[@Des_Armoni]

That was tone stith at 02:16 nice

[@kemonterogers5633]

Thanks

[@electric_meadows_racing]

how do you get a press pass?

[@Dadagagarod]

Would be cool to know about payment

[@ThreeLions82]

I can't find any tip videos for journalists getting into events. Anyone have any links?

[@milicorrea8415]

How do I find the openers?

[@victoriarose4716]

I was the 1k like just saying

[@TheJimenez14.]

bro Justin is my boy 🔥🔥💪🏻

[@ogblendz1025]

Do you use flash when shooting? Im new to this and trying to get my setting and everything together

[@ZodiacStudios]

no no no, when i go to concerts i sometimes see the photographers use flash and it's distracting to the artist and the audience

[@deziraereben1334]

how soon in advance do you think would be appropriate to get in touch with artist?

[@rigamortis5882]

as soon as you know they are playing a show in your area

[@undergroundsounds332]

Can you or do you sell your concert photos? I've personally boughten tickets and taken very high quality photos from the pit of major artists and can't really find a direct answer anywhere.

[@BenjaminFreddie]

Totally helpful. How fast are the lens(es) you tend to use for your concert photography?

[@alberto.acosta]

Thank you brotha. Usually 1.7-2.0. In big events or nice venues the lighting on stage is great and even 2.8 works.

[@RiffUnderground]

This works well for photography but does the same apply for videography only? I shoot tons of shows but options to step up to the bigger events is proving very difficult as a single videographer isn't as useful to an event as a 3-man crew. A single photographer seems more likely to get through to door but i'd rather get in through the back of what i'm genuinely passionate about, which is filming. Those opportunities are too few. Would love to know your thoughts on this.

[@foamsoap41]

I really would love to start shooting bigger concerts than I do now (local bands etc) but I use a Canon Rebel EOS G with 35mm. I feel like I won't be taken seriously without a DSLR :/

[@RichFrollini]

You're probably correct. Most of the shows that I shoot require that all photographers be properly credentialed, and they must shoot with professional equipment.

[@RA-xx4mz]

If you have steady income, buy a medium notch camera and some lenses on credit.

[@alberto.acosta]

It's not about the camera!! I was shooting with a Panasonic G7 which is a 600$ camera with a 200-600$ lens. Most people at the same shows were shooting with $2-3k Sonys and Lens no cheaper than $600. Worrying about what people think will keep you from shooting bigger events and expanding as an artist.

[@edwinlapitan4736]

So when you ask to work for a publication, let's say a radio station, what kind of work would you provide them with? Also if they accept, how would you go about using the company name to apply for a press pass?

[@jonathansommer3243]

Edwin Lapitan for concert photography, publications will use your photos on their blogs or concert reviews. When contact managers or festivals say “hello, my name is _____ and I am a concert photographer with ___ publication. I’m reaching out for ____ reason, thank you very much.”

[@AnantRasane]

I want parctical shows like

[@THEREALRICK28]

Indica🔥 0:15

[@jamesdeak630]

Great advice, you listen to Gary Vee huh?!

[@megsterchick5]

So I’ve taken a few pictures at concerts over the past year. Is a Canon T6i a good enough camera to start off?

[@danielpalumbo8375]

Yes! However, it's all in the lens for the most part. I recommend picking up a 50mm 1.8 or 35mm 1.8 for starters. They both let in a lot of light and will produce some great photos.

[@allanbruno8201]

​@@danielpalumbo8375 Dont get "mid term" lens for concert photography, like the 35mm or 50m. Get a Wide angle lens to take shots covering the whole event and a telephoto to isolate the artist and be able to shoot from far(it'll be needed, trust me). For the telephoto, i'd recommend the 70-200mm f2.8 if you have the money, or a 55-250mm f 4-5.6 if you're short on budget(keep in mind that this is a slow lens, so it'll be a bit hard to shoot night concerts with this one)

[@danielpalumbo8375]

@@allanbruno8201 Thanks so much! I actually just picked up a 70-200 2.8, and what a difference it has made. What do you recommend in terms of a nice wide angle? Best.

[@allanbruno8201]

@@danielpalumbo8375 I would recommend the 24mm f2.8 since it's an amazing and cheap lens. But if you desire more options, the 17-35mm f2.8 does the job

[@danielpalumbo8375]

@@allanbruno8201 Thanks a ton!!

[@jacksonwhalen219]

What’s the best starter camera for doing this?

[@someshalwe5841]

Any full frame camera

[@someshalwe5841]

But you need better aperture lens like f 1.2,1.4,1.8

[@xpy1]

What if you do t know anyone

[@RA-xx4mz]

2HELPFUL!

[@mewtwo8891]

Young PLO

[@Demitrival]

Do u recommend getting a photography major? And or business?

[@MaInfamous]

Wat kind of camera do you use?

[@alberto.acosta]

I started out with the Panasonic G7. Now i'm shooting with a Sony A7Riii, huge step up.

[@MaInfamous]

dope ! thanks for the reply.

[@sophiaornelas2764]

I have a canon T3i and I know that that’s all I can afford as of right now, do you think it would be good to start using? thank you.

[@Wol40289TV]

everybody starts somehwere!

[@appu1336]

Which lens gud with canon 80D for concert

[@christophermcardle9915]

Hello there! I run with a T5i. An APS-C sized sensor such as yours. For concerts my go to is my Canon 50mm f1.4 but ideally any lens that can shoot at f2.8 or lower will be better.

[@emeraldarguelles]

if you're a student you can use your school's paper for passes !!

[@TheClentz]

you can sometimes if you go to a larger university and depending on what show

[@MrJubjub13579]

How do radio stations use your work?

[@alberto.acosta]

MrJubjub13579 me personally they havn’t. I know people who have though. Radio stations always have their own festivals they put together. And many times shows. So that’s how one would get into concerts through radio. It’s all in the matter of reaching out

[@MrJubjub13579]

oh ok, interesting. liked your video thanks man

[@robertlylebadilla9005]

pinoy kba?

[@aminatascamara6304]

So if it’s free how can u make a living 😩

[@alberto.acosta]

Well eventually you'll get picked up by media companies and get paid. also bands start to recognize your work and hire you to shoot their set. OR many many many things can come from doing it, as it has in my career. I havnt shot a free thing In over 3 years.

[@Yoshi.shoots]

I actually started my photo stuff backwards, I started with a big show( Gojira, Code Orange) got in through code orange and have been shooting since. I'd love your feedback on my work @yeshua_flores_

[@Yoshi.shoots]

On ig*

[@alberto.acosta]

Yo that’s crazy!! Amazing. I’ll check it out

[@raywalsh4382]

Work for free 🚩