Okay. It happens to a lot of photographers, and it probably is going to happen to you if it hasn’t already. You’re going to get comfortable with a certain shooting style and your photos are going to look the same–all the time. Photographers begin to develop their skills and start to take great photos; however, when this happens nightclub photographers begin to find themselves in a comfort zone that they never want to leave. This, in turn, leads to a lack of creativity which leads to nightclub photos that practically look the same. Typical lighting, typical poses, typical subjects. If you want to be great, then you’re going to have to take some out-of-the-box photos!

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your shots. You can’t be, or else you going to be just like any other nightclub photography junkie. One easy nightclub photography tip you should use to produce some creative photos is to experiment with your flash settings and exposure levels. A perfect exposure isn’t necessarily a dynamic and exciting photo. Take a look at the photo above. When I took this photo, I wanted to give these party goers a ‘celebrity feel’ in the photo (i.e. bright, flashy lights). I used a wireless flash and decided to have some fun. I set my flash to manual and increased the power (i.e. to produce a brighter light). I then asked a stranger (which is always fun) to point the flash at the group. With a slow shutter speed (1/4),  I took a 4 shot burst, and this was pretty much the effect I wanted. I wanted the subjects to be blown out a bit while other people in the picture weren’t affected by the brighter light.

So, that’s one easy way to experiment at the club. But, if you’re still hesitant to play around while out at a shoot, then experiment during your post processing. Here, you can get as crazy as you want and not worry about ruining your photo. You should have a back up!

There are so many things you can do during post processing that it would be impossible for me to go over everything. I do enjoy limiting the number of colors in a photo, like you see above, and this is something you might want to play around with when editing. When shooting from within a Dj’s booth, I really like the effect of keeping purples and blues and pretty much getting rid of everything else. Of course, different situations will produce different results, but you get the idea!

So get out there and really, don’t be afraid to experiment! if you want to be great at nightclub photography, learn to expand your repertoire and get some original shots!

Creating light trails in nightclub photography is a fun technique to help set you apart from normal photographers. The process involves using a long shutter speed (about a second or more will do the trick). To create light trails, compose your photo the way you want to, press the shutter, and then move your camera body in a rapid direction before the shutter closes. You could move your camera up and down, side to side, or even in a circular motion.

What this will do, is pull small bright points of light in the direction you moved your camera. It will drag them out because of your camera’s slower shutter speed. But because your flash is on, preferably on 2nd curtain (i.e. rear curtain) sync, it will freeze your subject still, while allowing only the movement of light & colors. You can create some amazing photos in a nightclub situation this way. Experiment with this technique when shooting people who are dancing and on the DJ when he/she is spinning.

When photographers first learn to use the light trail and add it to their arsenal of nightclub photography techniques, they tend to overuse it. Make sure that isn’t you. Having a couple photos that use light trails is a great way to add diversity to your nightclub photography portfolio, however, having too many will make you look like an amateur. Use the technique from time-to-time only.

Beneath it all, nightclub photography is about people. People having a good time are what usually make a nightclub photo great, and no matter where you are photographing, people are people and there are some general principles of photography to try and remember and apply when possible:

1. Shooting low gives a person strength and power; shooting “down” on a person gives a sense of vulnerability or weakness.
2. Try not to photograph up someone’s nostrils (very unattractive).
3. Move your position (or the person) so that they are not square to the camera – no “passport shots” please. Angles and bends give dynamics, interest and energy.
4. Work the light. No need to try for the classic portrait, seek out that dynamic, dramatic light to help accentuate the character, mood, and presence of your subject.
5. Be conscious of your background: Is it important in your image? Or do you want to open up your aperture and soften it?
6. Some basic compositional elements about photographing people do come into play as a refresher here for nightclub photography:

• Cropping off part of a leg or arm is always more successful if done NOT too close to a joint, as it can appear as a true amputation. Try not to leave your subjects “footless” by camera cropping your image and leaving off part or the entire foot.

• Legs, arms, etc., are all more attractive if they have a bend in them; if there is a joint, bend it – a straight arm is stiff and awkward.

• Watch for merges (from the background); try to keep some kind of  light from growing out of someone’s head.

• Separation of limbs; especially in silhouettes. Let some light come through between an arm and the rest of the body. Try not to have both legs merged into one large body part.

Just as people partying bring life to a nightclub, people will bring life and energy into your nightclub photos. Make sure to use angles, proper posing, and framing to get the best people photos you can.