Pit Stop Vol. 1-Courtesty in the Photo Pit, Please!

by Jenn Cohen

logo credit: unguarde.dk

Yay! Your bff’s cousin’s friend got you a photo pass for a concert! Congratulations! No, really, congrats. However, before you jump into the photo pit with your shiny new camera or . . . (insert gag reflex here) iPhone, there are a few basics you should consider.

Let’s start with, perhaps, the biggest offense: the iPhone. If you’re planning on going into the pit with an iPhone, plan on being run over. Even better? Get out, and come back when you can take quality photos of the band that made it possible for you to have this opportunity.

Have a flash? Turn it off. Not only is it distracting to the musicians and other photographers, your pictures will look like crap. Learn how to shoot without it.

Most photo pits are small, and (most) seasoned photogs have an unspoken symbiosis, like a choreographed dance, if you will. There is mutual respect. If you’re tall, stand in the back; quarters are tight, backpacks have no place there. Want to move around? A simple tap on the shoulder let’s someone know you’re behind them; never walk in front of another photographer. Seriously.

Also, it’s not necessary to style your hair as high as it can possibly go. The band members will neither notice, nor care, how your hair looks. They’re working, and likely being blinded by someone’s flash, so they can’t see you anyway. Also, it sucks to be the person behind you getting a mouthful when you back up without looking behind you.

Look, we all start somewhere. There will be photographers in the pit who have been doing this for years. They will be the ones with those “big cameras.” They’ve worked hard, saved their money to buy quality gear to support their skills, so at the very least, shoot with something more respectable than an iPhone.

Your best defense is to befriend a seasoned photog before you go in. No matter how well you think you’ll blend in, you might as well be wearing head-to-toe fluorescent orange. Ask questions; don’t assume that because you shoot photos of your friends you’ll be an expert at your first show. Concert photography is very different, learn the basics before you go in.

Oh, and if you plan on lifting your camera up to get some hail-Mary shot, plan on being called out. And remembered. Respect boundaries.

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