So since I am starting out in concert photography and am relatively unfamiliar and fresh to this field, I have been searching all over the web for articles and trying to pick up as many tips and ideas as I can. One of my favorite things about the internet is how resourceful it can be when you really need it. I have come across a lot of good information and I have been learning a lot along the way. A large component of my search inquiries was about lenses and what lens was recommended and what settings were recommended to use while shooting since lighting can be tricky. I read in multiple articles that a good lens to use will be one that has a large aperture, which makes sense due to the lighting. A 50mm f/1.8 was one that I saw recurring throughout the articles so I looked up on the Canon website and found that I could get one for a little over $100, which was relatively cheap compared to other lenses. Anyways, I called my mom and as it so happened she had a 50mm lens that she hasn't used in a while, so she shipped it to me and I am going to see how using it goes and I will bring it to the show along with my 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. One thing I'm worried about with using the 50mm is that it's set to one frame and I don't have the capability to zoom in/out so I will be getting a lot of shots within the same frame, but I'm not too worried about it because I will be moving around a lot and so will the band members, and it will be great for the lighting conditions. It will just take some getting used to since I'm accustomed to having the 18-55mm where I can zoom in and out.
Some of the articles I have found most helpful are:
Concert Photography Tips by Darren Rowse
Rock Concert Photography- 9 Tips on How to Get The Shot by Nyani Quarmyne
Anatomy of a Concert Photography Shoot by Matthias Hombauer
And I have liked pretty much all stuff from Ishootshows.com like this article Becoming a Concert Photographer and 5 Essential Concert Photography Tips.
In addition to all that is going on, I just ordered a backpack from b&h photo to store all my gear in (I'll be posting about it when it gets here), because the bag I have now is just a bit too bulky. The backpack has room for 1-2 camera bodies and 5-6 lenses, is waterproof and I will be able to put my laptop into a separate compartment. I have 3 lenses now and only 1 camera body, my Canon rebel t3, so I will have room to grow with this bag. Also, I'm expecting my business cards to get here within the week, super excited!
And on top of the upcoming shows, I have been posting my Facebook page to the UCF pages and have booked two photoshoots so far with people from the area, so I hope to keep doing that as well. My first shoot is coming up on Saturday, which will be the 7th and the next one won't be until early July because of conflicting schedules. Also, I am planning to do a make-up shoot with my roommate Bridget on Sunday the 8th and will get more practice using the 50mm before Tuesday comes around, even though they will be totally different environments.