So you want to become a night club photographer? Well keep on reading then because with this series of articles I am going to write I am going to show you exactly how to become a night club photographer and what equipment and settings you should use to get the best results.

The Equipment

First of all I may as well start with the equipment. If your just starting out then chances are you won’t be able to afford the best equipment in the world, but don’t worry about that because when I first started out I went up against the pros in many fields and it was often my work that got printed and published in the papers. You could use a point and shoot camera, and I’ve often seen this being the case in some clubs but this shouldn’t be an option to you. If you want to learn how to take good photos and progress as a photographer then you will need a DSLR camera.

Most people will call these “professional” cameras as professionals use them, but the correct term is either “Slr” for older cameras or DSLR for the newer digital models.

If you’re looking for an affordable starter DSLR then I recommend 3 camera models.

Canon 1000D (Camera I started with)

Sony Alpha A290

Nikon D3000

I personally preferred the canon simply because it felt more comfortable to hold and had a better build quality.

The Lenses

The next thing you may want to think about when shooting nightclub photography is the lens that you want to use with your camera. Because of the lack of light you get in some clubs you may want a camera with a low aperture around the f2.8 aperture mark. You will also want a lens that will have a wide angle at the bottom end because you will find when you’re out shooting in clubs that many people will jump into your photo and all of a sudden you will need to zoom out to fit all of them in. A wide angle lens also helps when there’s not much room available to take your shots.

An excellent camera lens for nightclub photography that meets the above requirements is the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 however this lens is around $1100, so a compromise will have to be made. Another excellent lens for nightclub photography is the canon 18-55mm f3.5 to f5.6 which can be picked up for less than $170, it is also worth noting that this lens comes with most Canons 1000D Starter packages.

If you’re a new photographer I would recommend going with the Canon 1000D and the Kit lens because it has everything you need to get started other than a flash, which is going to be the next section covered below.

The Flash

You won’t be able to shoot nightclub photography without a flash gun. You could use the onboard flash with your camera; however this will create harsh shadows on your photos which will create unflattering photos.

I recommend the canon 430EX II Flash for new photographers, a review of the canon 430EX II can be seen here.

Over time you may also want to get an ETTL cord which will allow you to take your flash off your camera which will then result in more creative shots.

I believe this is more than enough information to get you started into night club photography. Keep on checking back for more nightclub photography tips as I will update this website with new posts on what settings to use, and how to land your first job as a nightclub photographer.

For general DSLR Tips keep on browsing this site.