How to edit concert photos?
I was at an Ellie Goulding concert in Boston last night, and I'm wondering if anyone has any good editing techniques for concert photos? My photos aren't ~professional~, but they aren't terrible. here's one of the photos: http://i52.tinypic.com/xc3aci.jpg
What I'm asking, is what do you think I should do to edit them? (Lightning, softness/sharpness, color, etc)
*I use Photoshop CS5.
Thanks!xo
Update:(Links to tutorials would be helpful too, thanks xx)
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Hi, I too love to take concert photos! First off, here is a sample edit of your photo: http://i51.tinypic.com/muj4ht.jpg (It's your photo, I'll delete it from my hard drive.)
My initial tips:
1. CROP - see suggested crop. I crop almost all of my photos, shooting with a little extra room gives better odds of a successful shot
2. Darken - I went crazy with your background to make the point, but I find that when subjects are backlit like yours, a darker background makes them pop. It also focuses the attention on the subject. Contrast helps here too, but watch your saturation, some concert photos get too saturated and they look like candy (IMHO).
3. Softness vs. Sharpness is a religious question. Many concert photographers want to go as sharp and gritty as they can with their shots. (Often tied to converting to b&w.) But with female performers, this can often be very unflattering. Use your judgement on a case by case basis.
The key to good concert photos is to practice practice practice. Here's one of mine in b&w: http://i55.tinypic.com/pvbsj.jpg and one in color: http://i51.tinypic.com/vqjghc.jpg.
Best of luck with it!
Photoshop is going to be the best program out there HOWEVER it all depends on your skills in the program and the photos you're working with. A photo can only be cropped so much before it begins to lose quality if you shot the pictures with a camera that only takes 3 MB pictures as opposed to a camera that takes 12 MB pictures. Photoshop is also going to get expensive so - how much are you willing to spend on a program? Another option is Lightroom. Cheaper, but fewer options to work with when it comes to editing.
No questions asked, the best site for Photoshop tutorials is: http://www.photoeditinglessons.com/
All tutorials are in video format, which makes them easier for you to follow along with the instructor. The videos are interactive and very easy to follow, this will help you learn piano three times faster. Good Luck!