Hear Anders Lönnfeldt on concert photography
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Anders Lonnfeldt is a talented photographer and videographer who’s shot some really awesome bands like Swedish House Mafia, Rise Against, The Sounds, Keane, Nightwish, and September. Besides photography, Anders is also a rising cinematographer.
How did you start shooting concert photography?
I had never really been interested in concert photography until I tried it out two summers ago. My friend was gonna shoot a concert at a festival that I also was attending. When he told me that he was gonna shoot one of the bands I thought that I also wanna try it out. So I contacted an artist who was positive about getting some shots from his gig. I managed to catch some really great moments although it was my first time. And after that I got hooked.
What are some big keys to getting great shots at a concerts?
Well, it’s really hard to get great shots since you can’t really control the situation and usually you just get to shoot the first three songs, which last only about ten minutes. The only thing to do really is to shoot what I think looks cool and to take as many photos as possible during that short amount of time. And hopefully, there will be some golden shots among them.
What’s in your gear bag?
Two camera bodies; a Canon 5D Mark III and a Canon 550D in reserve. I don’t have that many lenses, only a Canon 50mm f1.8, Tamron 17-50mm f2.8, Canon 85mm f1.8 and a Canon 70-200mm f2.8. If I’m honest I’m not that much into equipment and I don’t really know that much about it. I always ask my friends and read a lot of reviews before I buy anything new.
Have you ever got to hang out with the bands?
Never. But I have been backstage once at a festival, where you could see all the bands and artists walking around. The artists and bands want their privacy and I respect that, but of course it would be nice to get to chat with them.
What are your favorite images that you’ve taken?
That must be the ones from the latest concert when I shot the Swedish House Mafia. That evening I got to shoot the whole concert so I had plenty of time to catch some great moments. The photos aren’t released yet but will hopefully be so soon.
How did you get started shooting short films and music videos?
I got started in shooting short films quite naturally since it was part of my cinematography studies. And since my graduation I haven’t worked with any really. This is because short films are difficult to make due to the fact that there’s hardly any money involved in short film productions.
I got into music videos via some friends who were really interested in starting to make music videos. I helped them out with the lights during their first production and I totally got hooked. Since it’s so rewarding I could see myself working with music videos a lot more.
What are some tips you would give for a photographer or videographer about lighting?
Most of the time, softer light looks better in my opinion. But otherwise it’s simply trying to see what looks good. Don’t hurry, since lighting takes time. Setting the lighting will take more or less half of the time during a photo shoot. Turn the lights around and see what you think looks good. But before you do, you need to learn the basics, and after that you can start doing whatever you think looks good.
Make sure to check out Anders at AndersLonnfeldt.com and on Facebook.
