by Cathy Alianna Moore
There’s no denying it: live music is back in full swing. After almost two years with no live concerts or festivals, the industry is steadily recovering and breaking records left and right in terms of tour stops, ticket sales, and audience volume. CNBC reports that concert attendance has climbed to 89 million for over 11,000 events this year, and this was only for the performances organized by major entertainment company Live Nation.
This market boom does not only benefit artists, promoters, and fans, however. As more and more people anticipate hearing their favorite musicians beyond streaming apps and within live stadiums, it also offers a viable career opportunity in music photography. Here’s how you can get started in the field.
Charting a career path in music photography
Whether the show is held in a club or arena, music photographers are integral to capturing the key moments in these events. For example, just by looking at the photos from the Megadeth Metal Tour of the Year stop in Peoria, Illinois, artists and fans alike can relive the energy and excitement of that night and have something to look back on for years to come. These photos are also used for commercial and marketing purposes in order to achieve a more successful turnout for upcoming events.
Being a music photographer demands the foundational skills for operating camera equipment and processing high-quality images, which you can learn and hone with the help of professional photography courses and workshops or even through a do-it-yourself approach with guides and resources you can find online.
Networking and portfolio building
The most important thing is that you get yourself out there. You’re already in luck if you live in a city where the music scene is already alive and thriving, but you can also start out as a freelancer by documenting a friend’s gig or actively going to shows where you can introduce yourself to the venue owner or performers.
Take, for example, how touring music videographer and photographer Jordan Pulmano took the leap and made his presence known within artist compounds in Los Angeles. His advice on starting as small as possible was evident in how he set his career into motion by first working with artists for short clips and slow-motion videos.
Along the way, he was able to meet and work with various managers, promoters, and fellow photographers. This allowed him to build his portfolio and land a full-time position at a production company, where he was tasked to shoot music festivals on both the production’s and artists’ sides. The biggest takeaway would be that no gig or booking is too small; each of these presents a great opportunity to develop your portfolio and presence, be it via social media or your own website.
Working as a touring music photographer
Don’t be afraid to work and to network — the more skill, experience, and reputation you cultivate over time, the greater your chances of going on the road with bands as a touring photographer. If you’ve ever wondered what the perks and demands of being a touring photographer are, linked above is a ‘day in the life’ vlog with Danilo Lewis, who works closely with electronic duo The Chainsmokers.
From the video, it’s pretty clear that there’s no dearth of adventure as you go from one event to another via tour bus, spending time with fellow creatives and meeting new people in the process. However, it also comes with the challenging yet gratifying task of shot planning in accordance with the venue, the setlist, and the changing lighting conditions due to large-scale stage production and pyrotechnics.
Essential tools for every music photographer
Since you have to take photos in unpredictable and sometimes less-than-optimal lighting conditions, you need to invest in a state-of-the-art camera. For mirrorless cameras, the Alpha a7R V continues Sony’s tradition of versatility without compromising the quality and resolution of images with its 61MP back-illuminated sensor. You are also offered greater freedom of movement with its multi-angle monitor and side-opening flexibility, allowing you to shoot from anywhere in the venue without losing focus. For DSLRs, on the other hand, the Nikon D850 has a tilting and touch-sensitive LCD screen for better focus and composition when taking overhead shots.
The fast-paced action and minimal lighting during live performances also increase the need for a reliable lens so you can shoot properly exposed and focused photos. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM has low-light capabilities thanks to its high aperture. Aside from its versatile focal length enabling a beautiful bokeh effect, 50mm also offers a great complement to wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Make the most out of your camera gear by having the right camera settings, such as setting a single white balance and using the center focus point for the clearest image.
Because all this high-quality photography gear will be a pain to lug around, you’d need to invest in a trusty camera bag. Featured in the video with music and sports photographer David Bergman is his Think Tank Photo Airport Security rolling camera bag. Not only does it have enough space for your camera, lens, and other equipment, but it can also be a lifesaver. You can carry a stash of extra batteries and SD cards with you in the event of camera failure; equipment loss or theft can even be prevented if your camera bag of choice has air-tight security and locks.
Lastly, music photography also extends to the post-processing stage, so you need a reliable editing program like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to correct lens adjustments and balance the orientation of your photos. Shooting in RAW or uncompressed digital files gives you more room to make edits compared to JPEG files.
