If you're heading to a concert or festival anytime soon – then don't miss out on these clever photo and filming hacks shared by Samsung's Smartphone Specialist for Mobile Experience, Kadesh Beckford.
Samsung makes the best camera phones on the market (at least in my opinion), and as a proud owner of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, I tend to use my smartphone a lot more than my "proper" cameras for photography lately, purely for the ease of use and the fact that it's always in my pocket. But even if you aren't an Android user and prefer one of the best iPhones for photography instead, Kadesh's tips are still worth remembering.
I've been photographing local gigs and festivals from the age of 14, but it wasn't until my time studying at University that I started to get photo passes and really take music photography up a level.
Unfortunately, it's getting a lot trickier to obtain credentials and passes to major events as a freelancer these days, so I'm resigned to using my smartphone for filming festivals and navigating amongst the swarms of selfie snappers and the sea of budget camera phones to get the shots I want.
I think Kadesh'samera setting secrets will come in super handy the next time I want to take some photos or film some snippets of a concert (I'm seeing Kygo in Ibiza soon) using just my camera phone. Take a look at his hacks below, or check out my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review to learn why I think it's excellent for content creators.
Festival Photo hacks
Utilise Golden hour rules
According to Kadesh, early evening light is your best friend for getting those glowing crowd shots. If you use portrait mode on your camera phone to blur out distractions, you'll be able to capture that perfect shot of yourself and your friends.
Ultra-wide for atmosphere
By switching to your phone's ultra-wide lens, you'll be able to capture the full scale and essence of the stage and crowd. It’s a perfect way to show the sea of hands in the air, as well as the artist on stage.
Go low for drama
Kadesh suggests that if you hold your phone lower than eye-level when shooting the stage, it will not only create a unique point of view shot – but also make the artist look larger than life.
Switch off the flash
Stage lighting should be adequate enough for photographing a concert, and using flash will just wash your subject out. From my experience, this also a big no-no for anyone shooting from the photo pit or capturing content as a press photographer, and you must abide by the "frst 3, no flash" policy 90% of the time. This means no flash, and you can only photograph the first 3 songs of an artists setlist.
Keep it steady
I know this can be another thing to lug around and a bit of a pain to carry, but Kadesh reckons that using a tripod is essential for long exposure shots of any lasers or fireworks. However, you could even just rest your phone on a barrier and keep it steady for the same effect. This should give you smoother clips without relying on in-phone stabilisation.
Concert videography tips
Shoot in 4K at 60fps (UHD60)
If your camera phone of choice is capable, shooting footage in 4K at 60fps (UHD60) gives you crisp, smooth footage, and the flexibility to edit later without losing any quality. You can then share the clip across your social media in the highest-res possible.
Note: Shooting in 4K eats power, so be sure to pack a portable charger or one of the best power banks to keep your phone juiced up.
Turn HDR on for concerts
Turning HDR (high dynamic range) on in your camera settings when it comes to concert filming can help to balance out stage lighting, which often blows out any highlights or leaves faces in shadow.
Ensure Super Steady stabilisation is OFF
This one’s a bit controversial, but Kadesh says that switching Super Steady stabilisation off actually keeps the stage lighting sharp and stops your footage from looking artificially wobbly when the phone tries to “correct” big movements.
“When you’re filming live music, the energy comes through in the crowd, you want to capture that naturally rather than have your phone fight it.”
Lock your focus and contrast
Focus the camera on your artist, and turn the contrast down slightly using the on screen slider. Next, lock these settings in place by tapping the lock icon. No more blown-out spotlights or auto-adjusts ruining your clip.
Stick to pre-set zooms, not pinch-and-zoom
Pre-set zoom levels on camera phones (such as 2X, 5X) keep your videos sharper. Using the customised pinch-to-zoom method instead can leave you with grainy footage.
Elevate your audio
Samsung-specific tip: Audio Eraser
If you have a Samsung, specifically one of the S25 series models, then you can benefit from the Audio Eraser feature. I tested this out during my last visit to Samsung HQ, and it's really impressive.
One of the biggest gripes of concert footage involves the one fan in front of you who is belting out every lyric. However, Audio Eraser, the Galaxy’s built-in AI sound tool, can save the day. “You’re left with crisp vocals and music, as if you had a backstage pass,” Kadesh explains.
After filming, head into the Gallery app and find your video, tap the Galaxy AI icon, and you can literally strip out unwanted noise, whether that’s wind, crowd chatter, or a drunk dude singing along to Pink Pony Club.
Kadesh also suggests investing in an external mic for better sound quality. Plug in a small clip-on mic for next-level audio in your concert clips.
