Capture the high notes
Music photography has always been an enjoyable sideline since my days of drumming, back in Sheffield. Shooting the behind-the-scenes japes of our tour bus and arranging our promo shots planted the seed of having fun with the world of live music and trying to visually record it.
Powerful shots are highly dependent on the artist though as if there’s nothing coming from the stage, there’s often not much that you can do about it. On the other hand, there are times when music photography is definitely like shooting fish in a barrel. Your lighting is picked for you, the artist is not listening to any suggestions for poses, you only get to shoot during the first three songs and you often have limited movement so you therefore have to shoot what’s given to you. When these factors are combined, it’s hard to get excited about shooting a concert as, if you have the right settings, you could get a perfectly acceptable shot with your eyes closed. I’m always baffled by some photographers that turn up at gigs and shoot the artist with straight flash. It may be frustrating leaving your exposures in the hands of the lighting engineer but a flat, lifeless flashed photo is DULL.
My interest is only raised when I try to find something different. There are loads of exceptionally good photographers out there that manage to capture the mood, excitement and passion of these performances and if you’re struggling, look for inspiration, not an easy way out.
Thankfully, if the artist is right and you can get a decent angle, you can get the opportunity to get something strong whether it’s down to emotion, composition or just fluke.
Due to my employers, I’ve been spoiled with the concerts that I cover so I’m more experienced with stadiums than the Dog & Duck but sometimes get to play around with my toys in more intimate venues.
Being a music fan, it’s a real pleasure to be able to get to see and shoot some of these musical legends from all genres while they’re doing what they’re famous for. It’s an honour to get to photograph people that I’d never normally pay to see and am often surprised at how much fun their shows are!
One of the side-effects is that it often makes me want to get up and start playing drums again. An odd coincidence is that for some reason, a considerable amount of the press photographers in London are ex-drummers and, apparently, goalkeepers. Must be something about liking to be in the background, I guess. I was just talking to a photographer from The Times tonight and have decided to have a bit of a go with his band soon. That’s going to be quite a bizarre experience after over 5 years away from my kit!
Now, what was it again?
*Right-left-right-right, left-right-left-left…*
I love photographing bands, I could do it all day. It would be pretty much the perfect job I reckon.
I once thought that and I know plenty of photographers who would agree but it gets a bit routine for me. Good fun when mixed with other things but I think if I had to shoot 3 gigs a night, it’d soon lose ALL pleasure..
Nice article Leon. You know that music photography is something that I want to and will get into at some point, and when I see your images, as well as those of other contacts I have made via flickr, I have something to aspire to.
I don’t live in the best part of the world (deepest darkest Suffolk) for live music, so I shall continue to prostitute myself until I get the single opportunity I need.
Nice one.
A very good read, my liege. I was in the process of writing something similar, but just don’t have the time. Can I link this article via my blog, if that’s ok?
Of course! More than happy to be linked! You shoot far more music than me though so I’m sure your personal insights would be appreciated by your readers.
Gig photography for a student newspaper back in uni days 20 years ago did dreams for my engineering degree . Not.
Still, I never paid to see bands and discovered the joys of pushing tmax to 3200 and the mindf*ck of shooting some dodgy folk band where the shutter release was *loud* just before Gaye Bikers on Acid, impenetrably lit with uv for fluro effects on the costumes and set.
That UV must have been fun to meter for!
[...] on from my recent post about shooting music, it was great to photograph someone who really savours the theatrical side of stagework with props, [...]
Ah, I love band photography but it must be nice to be able to shoot from on stage. When you’re confined to the “snappers pit” and it’s “first 3 numbers and no bl**din’ flash” then it can be, er, challenging. That and the sadistic lighting “engineer” who decides on 3 different shades of deep red spotlights make for a less-than satisfactory outcome. Good pictures though!
I love these images, how did you manage to get them so crisp in low light conditions? High ISO, the lens or both? (Sorry for such a ‘work related’ comment…)
I think it’s all about good glass. Spot metering on a decent piece of glass makes all the difference. Don’t apologise for asking technical questions. That’s what I thought this blog would end up being when I started it so feel free to ask what you want!