B&W or colour for concerts... how do you decide

[foto-sf]

I like B&W photos, particularly for concert photography. I just think it looks better since stage lighting can be very varied wrt colours and intensity. Having the whole slot in B&W evens things out and gives the band's set a more unified feel. Never had a complaint (yet), in fact feedback so far has been very positive. People like B&W, it seems.

I would love to know how you (fellow photographers) decide between colour or B&W? Are there any out there that process for both B&W and colour and let the client decide which they want? Or do you finalise this before hand? My instructions are usually very simple i.e. get some great shots. Not much to go on...

 

[TimHughes]

B&W can be a great option if either it fits the mood or the lighting is truly terrible. If a lot of effort has gone into the stage design and lighting then it’s maybe a shame not to show the colors. I rarely have anyone specifically ask for B&W and I don’t usually offer the two options. I hope this helps.

 

[BRAYVENSTER]

Personally I would shoot in Raw, see how they come out and process accordingly. You can get some great unexpected colour combinations which may make the images really pop.....

 

[swanseamale47]

I tend to do both, usually depending on lighting and what I fancy for a shot. I shoot in raw though and do the conversion in LR or PS. I do occasionally shoot in BW in camera, but it's normally stuff for myself and I'm after a certain look.

 

[GeeJay57]

Either can work, it depends on the shot(s) and what you or the band/artist are looking for,

 

[lindsay]

I think your metal band shots definitely benefit from being in B&W, I don't think colour would suit them. However as was said above, shooting in raw gives you the option.

 

[foto-sf]

Personally I would shoot in Raw, see how they come out and process accordingly. You can get some great unexpected colour combinations which may make the images really pop.....

I always shoot raw. The colours can be a problem since many of these bands just use the in-house lights, whatever they may be. This means no common colour scheme for each set, the sound guy just sets the light program to auto and that's it. This is the main reason why I do so much BW, it gives a consistent look to each band's set..

I tend to do both, usually depending on lighting and what I fancy for a shot. I shoot in raw though and do the conversion in LR or PS. I do occasionally shoot in BW in camera, but it's normally stuff for myself and I'm after a certain look.

I do this in LR too.

I think your metal band shots definitely benefit from being in B&W, I don't think colour would suit them. However as was said above, shooting in raw gives you the option.

See my response to Steve above...