THE TECH STUFF
Firstly, f lash is definitely a ‘no no’. You draw attention
to yourself, risk spoiling the moment for the audience
and the artists and may actually be evicted from the
venue. Plus, from my experience, learned the hard way
of course, the shots will usually look terrible!
I suggest using the viewfinder only and disabling
your camera's LCD. Occasionally I will check a few
shots in the corner of the room, say when I’m about to
change positions, but for the most part I wait until I get
to the computer at home to check out the results.
Be aware too of people working during the performance.
This includes security staff, venue staff and those working
for the band. For example the front of house engineer will
be setup with a clear view to the band, both for listening
purposes and also to cover any tech issues that may occur.
You don’t want to stand tall in front of them, as you’ll prob-
ably only end up with a beer thrown at you (or worse!).BACK STAGE PASS
I'll admit my access to musicians is probably more than
most people experience, and sometimes there is a lev-
el of trust and comfort because of my experience as a
performer too. However, I never assume any familiar-
ity and still approach my photography the same way
I would any photographic subject.
If you are lucky enough to get backstage, explain
what you would like to do, which is to document the
night and capture some great live shots. I always ask if
the performers wouldn’t mind me being backstage to
capture some of their preparation.PHOTO TIPS: MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY
CLOCKWISE LEFT TO RIGHT:
Backstage each person has their
own routine and preference and
it is a good chance to capture
a different side of them. Fujifilm
X-T2. Voigtlander 58mm f1.4
lens. 1/160s @ f1.4, ISO 1250;
I wanted to draw your eye to the
lead singer, but also share the
story of the other members in the
background, slightly in shadow
and out of focus; Fujifilm X-T2,
Voigtlander 58mm f1.4 lens.
1/160s @ f1.4, ISO 1600;
This shot is purposefully framed
in a way to augment angle, light
and shadow but not the face of
the performer. Fujifilm X-T2,
Voigtlander 58mm f1.4 lens.
1/160s @ f1.4, ISO 1600.