Stage photography is not easy to do especially if photographing a live concert. The performers are moving, the lighting levels are low and constantly changing and unless you have a press pass and permitted some free space to take shots, it can be very difficult to fight through the crowds at music festivals to get close enough. With formal seated concerts, it simply isn’t permitted to take photographs anyway and so you need to ask if you might attend a rehearsal of some kind.
It’s useful if you have a portfolio of good images available to back up your credentials as a serious photographer when seeking permission. Getting permission is always a good thing but also think about safety – if you’ve got a long lens and are in the crowd, your lens might get damaged or you might damage somebody else with the lens! For best results, use a long, fast lens, high ISO on good digital SLR and maybe take a monopod as well.
