technology, photography, music

Live Music Specific Tips

Here a few things I’ve picked up along the way that have helped me out when shooting at a music venue. None are hard and fast rules, but they’ve helped me take the photos I want with the minimum of hassle, and all the while still enjoying the show

• Know the venue

Know where the best spots to shoot are, how to navigate there the most efficiently, etc. Find spots that give you a good variety of angles. I tend toward the upper back corners, balconies, and the side corners of the stage. These angles mitigate the dreaded microphone stand issue. If it is a new venue for you, get there early, or shoot the opening act, just to get a feel for the flow of the place. It is also helpful to know where the traffic jams are going to be inside the club (around bars, bathrooms, other narrow places) so you can avoid them when you are moving around.

• Move around

Photos all taken from the same vantage are pretty boring. When I shoot, I want to create a feel for being at the show, and the only way I’ve found to do that is to take pictures from everywhere. A friend of mine who shoots movie stills for a living suggested that I take “establishing shots” of the crowd to capture the feeling of being there in addition to the closeups of the band members. I like the results I get from doing so. Of course this doesn’t really work if you are shooting a huge show at an arena, but for the smaller clubs, festivals etc, its the way to go.

• Don’t be afraid to ask folks to let you in for a minute.

Generally, if you are polite, I’ve found that people are totally willing to allow you to shoot in front of them for a few moments, so long as you are quick and polite about it. If they are huffy or unwilling, move on, usually someone will let you take a few shots. Just be ready to stick and move when they do.

• Use your flashlight

It is an interesting phenomena, but pretty much anyone wielding a flashlight at a show (pointing it at the ground in front of you of course) can part the masses of people in the crowd and allow you to move through the crowd with your piles of gear. I’m not at all suggesting you be a jerk about it, and some venues may not appreciate it, but it is a useful tactic. It’s not going to get you to the front of the stage, but it may well get you back from the front without stepping on bags, toes, or drinks. Its also handy when you drop your lens cap in the pit and can’t find it.

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Grace Potter @ Terminal 5

• Get good at switching lenses in the dark
        
This will happen over time if you shoot long enough, but its a skill you will want to develop. Switching between the 50 and the 70-200 in the pit when you only have 3 songs to shoot is something you are going to want to do fast and effectively.

• You will never get access if you don’t ask for it ahead of time.

Work media contacts, magazines, blogs, bands directly, PR houses, your friends brothers mom who used to date a music promoter. Whatever you gotta do, work every angle you can. (without crossing lines of course) Don’t just show up to a venue with your dSLR and 70-200 lens and expect to walk in the door, you are probably going to be sad if you do.

• Respect venue staff, even if it means you don’t get to shoot where you want to or when you want to.

Likely you will come back to that venue at some point, and you always want to leave people with the impression you are a professional, respectful individual. The other night I was shooting at a venue and the door folks gave me the wrong kind of pass (VIP instead of Photo) and they wouldn’t let me into the pit. The show was about to start, and I had very little time to get the right credentials. I didn’t argue, the issue got resolved and the security folks and I had a good laugh about it. The security guys have a difficult and shitty job, don’t make it worse. (even if they are being toolboxes)
Shooting a show is a privilege not a right. Act accordingly. (unless you are one of the very few full-time professional music photographers, in which case you probably aren’t reading this

• Don’t shoot with a flash unless specifically requested/required.

It messes up all the other photographers to have your flash going off in the pit, plus distracts the performers and fans. Honestly, you shouldn’t need a flash if you have the right glass, and realistically the output of your flash is going to pale in comparison with any of the lighting on the stage. So please, as a courtesy to the rest of us, leave the flash at home, and for goodness sakes don’t try to use the tiny fill flash built into your camera. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, i.e. if you are working for the band and doing promotional shots or you are in an extremely dark venue, but even in that case, courtesy would dictate you don’t go popping off your flash like its a fashion shoot

• Don’t be a pit douche.

Sharing is caring in the pit. Its a cramped, loud place, and everyone is moving very fast, because we all have the same 3 songs to get our shots. Some general kindness rules include: Don’t bump people while they are taking a shot, duck under their lenses. Tap people on the shoulder gently when you want to pass them. Keep moving to allow others to take their shots, and also so as to not block the paying crowd members who had the dedication to be in the front row. Don’t get up in the artists face, and if you are going to stand on the steps in the pit, make sure you do so quickly so you don’t block the crowd or annoy the artists. It’s all about the courtesy.

• Above all, have fun.

Put your camera down once in a while and just enjoy the show. It is extremely unlikely you are ever going to get paid any appreciable amount of money for doing live music photography. So it had better be something you enjoy, otherwise lugging 15 pounds of gear to shows a few times a week will soon wear you down into a sullen and jaded burnout. For me this is all about combining 2 things I love to do, hear live music and take photos. I don’t really have an agenda with it, aside from seeing lots of live music, and thats why it stays fun.

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Asobi Seksu @ Joe’s Pub

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