Concerts are an amazing experience, but they can be a lot of work. If you want to enjoy yourself while also getting some great photos or video, there are a few things you should consider before heading out the door.
Here are my tips for what to wear to a concert:
If you’re going to be taking photos at a concert, here are some things that I suggest wearing:
- Comfortable shoes. You’ll be standing for hours and walking around a lot.
- Clothes that are easy to move in. If you wear to a concert with clothes that restrict your movement, it’s going to make taking photos more difficult. This means avoiding tight jeans or other restrictive clothing!
- Clothes that are easy to change into. At any given moment during the concert, there might be an opportunity where I need to change my shirt or pants really quickly so I can get the shot I want of the artist performing on stage and believe me when I say this happens often! If your clothes don’t easily come off without any buttons or zippers getting in your way (this has happened before), then what good is having them?
- A change of clothes for after the show wraps up (this is optional but highly recommended). If it’s hot out and/or if there’s been rain earlier in the day/night before/during whatever musical event we’re talking about here, then wearing something lighter than what was originally planned will definitely come in handy afterwards! Plus—if there’s any chance whatsoever that alcohol might get involved later on down at some point during this evening…then having something dryer would probably help prevent chafing later on down road…haha just kidding maybe not though honestly
1. Make sure you’re wearing shoes that won’t come off in the crush of bodies
- Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off. The crush of bodies in the pit is so intense, you probably won’t be able to take your shoes off, but if they’re easy to get on and off, it might save you some time.
- Wear shoes that will let you dance! It’s always better to wear something with a little more give than something stiffer or with less support. You’ll thank yourself later when your feet don’t ache as much after dancing for hours straight at the concert.
- Wear shoes that won’t fall off if you fall over (and this goes for any footwear). If there’s one thing worse than having a pair of heels rip through your foot while dancing at a show—it’s tearing them off in agony because they’ve been stuck under someone else’s shoe for half an hour during a mosh pit breakdown section.* Don’t wear heels too high up—the taller the heel, the harder it will be for people around them not notice when their foot slips out from under them while they’re trying desperately not to knock over other people around them.* Wear comfortable shoes! Seriously guys: no one wants sore feet after spending hours dancing in uncomfortable footwear; especially not after spending hours dancing only moments before
2. Bring a change of clothes as well as you’ll sweat through your first outfit
If you intend on dancing and jumping around during the show, bring a change of clothes as well. You’ll sweat through your first outfit.
You should also wear clothing that is comfortable so that you can focus on enjoying yourself at the concert instead of worrying about your discomfort. Don’t wear anything too flashy; if it’s nighttime and there are lights flashing everywhere, they may distract from the performance or even cause an accident by preventing people from seeing well enough to avoid tripping over each other’s feet.
If you’re unsure about whether or not your professional camera qualifies as a “professional” camera, ask yourself these questions:
- Does it have a detachable lens?
- Is it larger than my hand? (If so, I’d say go for it.)
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, chances are your gear is considered professional. If it’s not and you still have reservations about bringing it into the venue, then leave it at home—you’ll be happier doing so in the long run.
3. Some photographers spend the majority of their time kneeling
While you can get great shots of people standing up, some photographers spend the majority of their time kneeling in order to get better shots.
There are several reasons why photographers prefer to kneel when they shoot. Most important is that it helps them get low. While a photographer who is shooting from above can still make good images, sometimes there are many people in front, so getting down low will allow you to include more people in your photograph.
Another reason for choosing to use this technique is that it can be difficult for a photographer who is standing to quickly move out of the way or capture something unexpected that happens on stage or during an event. You’re also less likely to miss something if you are closer than if you are far away from the action. Additionally, some venues have poor lighting so by being closer and using natural light as much as possible means not having shadows cast on faces or distracting reflections on glasses/sunglasses
4. Bright colors can get washed out under stage lighting
- Bright colors can get washed out under stage lighting. If you’re wearing a bright-colored outfit and want to make sure it shows up in photos, be careful of what color you wear underneath your patterned sweater or dress. Even if it looks great in daylight, it may end up being so much brighter than the stage lights that it gets washed out.
- Make sure your outfit shows up in photos with other people there too! You might think this is obvious advice, but I’ve seen concertgoers who don’t consider this when choosing an outfit for a show—and then get disappointed when they arrive at their seats and realize that everyone else has chosen dark clothing that stands out more than their own garb. The solution here is simple: just wear dark clothing on top so that any light-colored patterns or details are visible at least once during the night (or even better yet twice—when both performers come onstage together), rather than relying solely on showing off your style while waiting around backstage between sets.
5. Make sure to dress comfortably and photographically
I’m sure you’re already aware that concerts are loud, and they can be exhausting as well. You’ll want to make sure you’re dressed comfortably enough so that you can stand for hours at a time without wearing out your feet, legs or back. It’s also a good idea to dress in layers so that if the event is unexpectedly warm or cold, you can easily adjust.
As far as photography goes concerts are dark! Especially if it’s an outdoor event like Coachella or Lollapalooza (which it probably will be). You’ll want to make sure whatever camera gear you bring is up to par with whatever light conditions may arise and remember that if there’s one thing worse than being in a dark place where everyone around you has their phone out taking pictures, it’s being in such a place with someone who insists on using flash mode on their camera phone!
Conclusion
No matter what kind of concert you’re attending, make sure you’re dressed for the occasion. You don’t want to be that person who runs a photo because they didn’t think about what they were wearing before getting into the pit! If you have any questions or tips for us, please leave them in the comments below so we can all learn from each other’s experiences as photographers and concertgoers alike.