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!

So it’s October, and July came and went. We were supposed to launch the guide then and and revamp the web site a little bit. Unfortunately, I’ve been tied up with some other work I have going which has been keeping me from finishing things. We are definitely still here though and will have the guide ready for all of you early 2010! Guaranteed!!! For all of you who have emailed inquiring about the guide, it is not yet for purchase, which is why you cannot get to the shopping cart yet. As I mentioned though, we will get everything up and running for all of you ASAP. Again, sorry for the delay. It will be worth the wait.

Well, I’m on the road again, this time I’m in Asia. I’m having a great time, but I’ve got some major jet lag!

Thanks to all those who have been signing up for our Newsletter. We haven’t forgotten about you! All of you who sign up will get a free segment of the Ultimate Nightclub Photography Guide. I have to personally apologize because I didn’t plan on having to travel so much, which is preventing me from finishing up the guide, and the website. For those of you who sign up for out Newsletter, we will send you a note once we’re fully up and running!

In the meantime, our blog has been pretty active and there have been some educational comments/conversations going on among users. Feel free to get involved in the discussions! I will be placing a “Recent Comments” section in our blog so all of you will know about the latest discussions.

That’s all for now. I wanted to give all of you a quick update. I’ll be posting more tips soon!

I’ve been traveling for a few weeks around South America so I haven’t had a chance to sit down and write in the Nightclub Photography Online blog. Right now, I’m in Buenos Aires, Argentina and finally have some time to write.

A quick update on the Ultimate Nightclub Photography Guide for all of you who have been inquiring, it’s almost done! We want it to be perfect. Please bear with us. It will be ready soon!

So I finally got to take my camera out to a club in Buenos Aires the other night, and I have to say, it was awesome. The people in Argentina really know how to party! They stay up really late compared to people in America, too. Instead of writing about photography tips or techniques, I wanted to briefly write about the power that the camera can have even in foreign lands!

Taking great photos in nightclubs while people are partying is a great way to start up conversations. My Spanish isn’t as good as it used to be, but I didn’t need it.  When I handed people my business card, and they realized I was from the U.S., they loved it and felt obliged to show me a good time. The people started speaking English, tried to speak English, or found someone who did! In turn, I kept capturing the party moments. It’s amazing!

So, not only can you make money while you’re partying, but as a nightclub photographer, you have the power to cross cultures and “fit-in” even in foreign territory!

By the way, I highly recommended partying it up in Buenos Aires!

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.