Club nights can be some of the best experiences of your life. You’re out with the people you love, listening to great music and having the best time, and taking some photos is the best way to remember these times. Here are some tips to make it easier than ever.
Know Your Camera
Firstly, whether you are using a simple point-and-shoot camera or a Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III, to take great photos, you need to know what your camera does and what its limitations are.
Once you understand your camera, you will know what type of lighting you need, how far away or close by you need to be to your subject, etc.
Watch the Lighting
Speaking of lighting, club lighting can be a tricky thing to work with. It is often not consistent; there are often strobe lights to contend with, lots of neon, and almost everything in between. However, there are plenty of ways to make this work.
For example, strobes aren’t consistent, but they are bright, meaning if you time it correctly, you can easily get a well-lit photo that is still moody and keeps the club feel. You can also use fluorescent signs or something similar to give a subject a gentle glow.
Use the Flash Carefully
The flash on your camera can be tempting to use, especially given the lighting in clubs. However, flashes don’t always produce the best photos; for example, they can catch people by surprise, and their facial expressions will show it.
While this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it at all, you should use it sparingly and only when you think it will truly enhance the photo you are taking.
Long Exposure
Another issue you are going to face is that people simply do not stay still long enough when they’re in the club. They are dancing, walking, jumping, laughing, and everything in between. This makes it difficult to get the right photo.
However, long exposure is your friend in this situation. Instead of a blurry photo, a long exposure captures movement while keeping your subject as clear as possible. There is a big difference between blurry and the blur created by long exposure.
Keep it Candid
Another mistake many people make when taking photos at a party or in a club is trying to take too many posed shots. While this is fine in some situations, you will find that posed photos lose that club authenticity that you are aiming to capture.
Instead, take candid photos. Don’t ask people to look at you, turn, smile, etc.; instead, focus on capturing what they are doing and how they look in the moment.
Moments > Content
Building on the last point, don’t go with the intent of capturing content for your social media accounts. This leads to photos that look overly staged and to you missing out on amazing moments because they weren’t “perfect” enough to be photographed.
Instead, capture the moments that we all experience at a club: people getting excited as the music builds, dancing, friends sharing a drink, etc. Whatever it may be, those are the photos you should aim for.
Keep Shooting
Once again, a common mistake is not taking enough photos. More often than not, you aren’t going to get what you are looking for right away, and you also never know if there is a better moment coming a second or two later.
Because of this, use burst mode to capture multiple photos in quick succession. This allows you to choose the best ones while also giving you far more options.
Focus on Faces
It has already been touched on, but faces will give you the best example of how people are feeling, how much fun they are having, and so on. This means they should be the focus when taking photos.
While more obscure photos of bodies, lighting, etc, can be great, don’t limit yourself to them. Faces are where you will find feeling and emotion, and should be your top priority.
Play with Angles
Most nightclubs are packed with interesting art, cool light fixtures, posters, and so much more. Club walls make great backgrounds, but you won’t be able to utilize them if you don’t play with angles.
When you first arrive, scope out the walls and backdrops and see which ones excite you, then head to the opposite side of the club and start shooting. Change angles and use height to incorporate more or less of these amazing backdrops.
Shoot with the Music
Finally, time your photos with the music. When there is a lull, you will see it on the faces of everyone around you, and their movements will slow and become less interesting. However, as the music builds and when there is a drop, that’s when you will get the best shots.
Whether it is fellow club-goers, the DJ, or the bartenders, you will see the excitement as a new or energetic song is played, and that is when the best photos will be taken.
