Where to Find Work
Shooting live performances can be very enjoyable and is a very competitive line of work. A good way to start out is shooting for blogs. Smaller, genre-specific blogs are the easiest to communicate with and get your foot in the door. Typically, there is no monetary payment. However, you might receive a free ticket or two.
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Pulsephoenix.com is a typical indie arts blog, featuring local events and staffed by talented volunteers. Look for an arts blog in your area. |
Print and online newspapers and magazines are places where you can start making money. However, these publications can be difficult places to find freelance work or permanent employment, since you typically need previous experience and a portfolio to be qualified for a position.
A management team may hire photographers to cover their artists' events, whether it's for a special performance or they just need new live images for publicity purposes. Generally, once you shoot for a band's management, and they are happy with the results, they will call on you to shoot other artists they manage as well.
In the past, I have shot under this type of arrangement for free when it was a band I considered up-and-coming. The next thing I knew, I was getting paid work covering bands that were managed by the same company!
In addition to management companies, some artists will hire a publicity company and, in turn, the publicity company will hire a photographer. Radio stations also need photographers to cover the concerts they organize. While they want photos of the performers, their main objective is to have photos to show their sponsors—shots of people enjoying their products.
For example, let's say a beer company sponsors a radio station's summer concert. Your job is to get photos of people drinking their beer and having fun. The priority for shooting the band is secondary.
Venues will hire what is called a "house photographer" to photograph each show. These photos are used for promotion of the venue in ads and to be hung around the venue.
The Photo Release
People who are new to event photography may not realize that there can be a lot of paperwork involved. It is becoming more commonplace for the artist to require a photographer to sign a release, or contract, dealing with the use of the photographs. This is generally something that comes with a high-profile artist.
There can be a variety of issues that are involved with these contracts. The most common one concerns the designated use of the photographs. For example, when I was shooting for a blog a while back, I had to sign an agreement that stipulated the photos were only approved to appear on that blog. That meant that I could not put them on my Web site or my social media platforms.
Another stipulation that is becoming more prevalent is an artist requiring their approval of the images you would like to post. Basically, you select the images you want to include in your coverage and send them to the artist's management and they, in turn, either say "yes" or "no" to each image.
The most troubling trend in many recent agreements is, basically, a forfeiture of your copyright to the image. Some artists are including language in the contracts that gives the right to use photos you take at the performance for any of their own needs without being compensated. This means that your photo could become the next big-selling poster or album cover and you would not be entitled to any revenue.
Many photographers consider this unreasonable and will decline to shoot an artist if this stipulation is included in the contract. (A sample of one of these contracts is included in your downloads.)
Cameras
It's often said that the photographer, not the camera, makes a photo great. While that is true for the most part, using the right equipment is part of being a quality photographer.
When choosing a camera for live performances, those that have higher ISO settings provide more impressive final images. During my first years of working as a photographer, I was shooting with a Canon 1Ds Mark II. When it first hit the market, it was a top-of-the-line camera.
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When selecting a camera for live performances, choose one that has high ISO settings like this Canon 5D Mark II. |
However, it was eventually damaged and I replaced it with a 5D Mark II. While my first camera was adequate for performances, I got much better results with the higher ISO settings in my new and more affordable camera.
When selecting a camera body, you should consider how many frames per second it is capable of shooting. In order to get that perfect shot, you should rely on burst mode if you sense that something extraordinary is about to occur.
The last thing to consider is the camera's autofocus. For instance, a Canon Rebel model doesn't autofocus as quickly as the 5D or 70D. The 5D Mark III has a significantly upgraded autofocus system compared to the 5D Mark II camera.
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This performance was in a small club with dim lighting. If I wasn't able to bump my ISO up to 3200 while shooting wide open at f/2.8, I wouldn't have been able to get a good exposure at any point of the performance.
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Lenses
Your lens choice is just as important as your camera. Since the majority of performances occur in low light, a fast lens is key to getting good images. While f/2.8 is pretty standard for performances and a great option, the faster the better.
There are a number of affordable options for fast fixed-length lenses with apertures like f/1.8 or f/1.4. It is never a bad idea to have one of these with you during a performance. While you lose the convenience of a zoom lens, the benefit of the wider aperture may be worth it in many instances.
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Using a wide angle lens allows you to get creative with angles and get close to the performers.
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Camera Bodies
It is common for event photographers to not only carry a back-up camera body, but also use two camera bodies during their shoots. This allows you to switch between different lenses quickly and often.
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Using two cameras while shooting performances allows you to zoom in on individuals and then easily change to shooting a wide shot showing the whole stage. |
For example, when I shoot concerts, I like to have one body with a wide-angle lens and a second body with a 70-200 mm lens.
This allows me to shoot images of the performers that are right up in front of the stage and wide full-stage shots in addition to shooting close-up images of the performers that are at the back of the stage.
Miscellaneous Equipment
Two important accessories for performance photography are monopods and step stools. Monopods can give some of the benefits of a tripod without taking up too much room or getting in another photographer's way. Step stools are very helpful if you are shooting a bigger event on a tall stage.
A couple of years ago, I shot Mumford and Sons at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. The stage was significantly taller than I am. Many of the other photographers were using step stools and, I'm sure, getting better photos.
The next time I shot at that venue, I made sure to bring a step stool. While that's something I had to learn from experience, it is something you are now aware of and should consider.
General Guidelines
In general, most events you will be shooting will occur in venues that share some common characteristics in terms of how they impact your photography. You will be shooting in low lighting from a location in front of an audience. Flash photography is rarely allowed because of the inherent distraction it is to the audience and the performers.
While stage lighting looks bright to the audience, it isn't that bright to our cameras. Because most venues do not allow flash, you have to become comfortable shooting at a high ISO with a wide aperture and, at times, with a slower than usual shutter speed.
You may have to make tough decisions regarding your settings. For example, should you boost up your ISO to 12800 to get a good exposure even though the final image will be extremely noisy and lack of quality? You may need to decide whether you want to risk blurry images by using a slower shutter speed or accept dark images that are sharp.
I often covered Buddy Guy's Legends, a show about the blues icon Buddy Guy. In the show, Buddy tended to move around a lot and there were many times when he wasn't near a stage light. My solution was to shoot at a slower shutter speed. I would drop my shutter down to 1/15th or 1/10th of a second while resting my elbow on the stage in an attempt to steady the camera. I knew many of the photos would have motion blur, but I was also able to get a handful of shots that were exposed well and made it into my portfolio.
Tips for Specific Venues
For most photographers, their first experience with performance photography will come in a small bar or club. They are the most accessible for an inexperienced photographer and have the most relaxed rules regarding photography.
Many of these venues have no policies regarding use of a camera. You are allowed to bring your camera and shoot with no questions asked. While that is ideal for a photographer, the lighting is generally not.
These venues have the least powerful lighting and very little variety. The lighting may be all one color, often times red. Usually, there is no lighting tech and they set the lights up in a "one-size-fits-all" manner. Some of these venues don't provide stage lighting. That leads to the question of using flash. Small venues like this are the only places that may allow you to use flash, but it is a judgment call you have to make.
If using a flash is against the rules, someone from the venue will let you know. It's important to be courteous in this situation. It doesn't bother anyone when you're not using a flash and you can take as many pictures as you want. But if you are firing your flash the entire show, it will take the attention away from the act on stage.
In any case, try and use the stage lighting when possible. If it is not going to work then proceed to use your flash while being considerate of the patrons and performers.
A way to use flash while still incorporating the ambient stage lighting is a technique called dragging the shutter. The basic idea is to use flash with a slower shutter speed. The flash will go off and freeze the subject and the shutter stays open to allow time to get a good exposure with the ambient light. A good starting point in terms of shutter speed is 1/20th of a second. The slower the shutter, the more ambient light you will utilize.
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I took this image while in the photo pit at the Fox Theater in Oakland. I am facing the crowd as opposed to the stage because one of the performers came out to walk across the barrier that separates the crowd from the photo pit and the stage.
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Concert halls, theaters, and ballrooms are the venues where many of the more prominent acts will perform. These venues have more rules regarding photography and require permission to bring in cameras. In most instances, you need to be granted a photo pass. Photo pass requests are usually granted by the performers' management, but in some cases the venue may provide them.
Generally, photo passes are granted to photographers who work for magazines, newspapers, or blogs—publications that can provide the artist publicity. Your chances of receiving a photo pass are definitely better if you work for one of these, but there are also other ways.
When I was in college, I worked for the school newspaper. This gave me the opportunity to shoot concerts on campus and in the local area. I was able to put together a portfolio and begin requesting passes from a performer's management company without working for a publication.
Many times, I never received a response. However, sometimes I would be granted the pass in exchange for providing photos to the artist after the concert. Being able to continue shooting shows allowed me to eventually go back to newspaper and blog work again.
The popularity of the artist is a big factor when requesting passes without a publication. It is better to attempt this approach with acts that are still considered up-and-coming. World-famous acts don't have much need for free photography from an inexperienced shooter.
Once granted a photo pass, there are rules that come with it. You will start to observe restrictions concerning how much of the performance you may shoot in a venue of this size. It is an industry standard to allow the first two or three songs or 10 to 15 minutes of a performance to be photographed.
Some of these venues have a security barrier between the crowd and the stage, thus creating a pit. If you are designated to shoot from the photo pit, you have an opportunity to get some really nice, close-up shots.
Shooting from the photo pit is always preferable to shooting from the crowd. You want to create images that the crowd is unable to see. Sometimes the pit can get congested with other photographers. In these situations, you need to find a balance between professional courtesy and making sure you get the shots you need.
Lighting in these venues is considerably better than in the small bars and clubs and, keep in mind, using flash will always be prohibited. The lighting will be brighter and have more variety in terms of color and placement. In many places, the lighting will be continuously changing as the show progresses. The stage is usually taller than in the smaller venues, oftentimes two to four feet tall.
Arenas and stadiums are the largest venue at which you would shoot events. Stadiums have the biggest acts, biggest crowds, and the most restricted access. Generally, unless you have some sort of personal connection to the artist, you would need to be shooting for a major publication to obtain a photo pass.
These venues will always have a photo pit in front for photographers. Occasionally, at the request of the artist, photographers have to shoot from the sound booth, which is significantly further back. The only time I've had this happen was when I was shooting a concert of a young pop artist whose glamorous look was important to her image. The rumor was that she was having acne issues and didn't want anything too close up. I've heard of similar requests for older artists.
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Lighting in stadium and arena shows tends to be the brightest and have the most variation over the course of the show. I took this photo during a stadium show where the lights were constantly moving, changing color and brightness.
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The lighting in stadiums is generally some of the best you will find for events. For live music, there is usually very bright stage lighting that will allow you to shoot at a lower than usual ISO. Light shows with rapidly-changing light are not uncommon and will take some getting used to.
My approach to this type of lighting is that I know there's going to be some frames that are blown out or too dark because of how much the light changes. In this instance, I just attempt to do my best to adjust on the fly by raising and dropping my shutter speed as I shoot.
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I shot both these images at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Calif. The venue is the size of an arena and has a stage that is easily 3 feet taller than I am. If I didn't have a step stool, it would have been impossible to get these shots.
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Having the right equipment and having access is only part of getting great shots for your portfolio and for your client. Familiarity with the performers through research can make the difference between getting good or satisfactory shots and getting great shots.
If you're willing to do research before a performance, you will be able to learn things about the performers and/or the venue that will help you make key decisions while shooting. One of the first things to research is the venue itself.
Take the time to find out things such as the size of the venue, the stage, and whether there is a pit for photographers. You can conduct an online search for images from recent shows of a particular venue to get an idea of the way it looks during a performance.
The next thing to do is research the performer. If it is a musical performer, you can often find previous recent set lists by searching online. Oftentimes, performers stick to a few variations of the set list and if you have a good idea of what numbers they open the show with, you can make decisions about focal lengths and settings ahead of time.
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A shot of alt country rock band Those Darlins in concert. You can check out some of their Youtube videos at this link. How would you approach shooting a band like this? |
If you know a band opens with a very high-energy song that will most likely include a lot of movement, you'll want to make sure you're using a fast lens and a high ISO to stop the motion.
You Tube, Vimeo, and Daily Motion are great resources for photographers. Usually you can find a video of the artists other recent performances and get an idea of their usual stage set up and lighting. If you see a video of an artist and notice everyone is spread out on stage, but you'd like a group shot, then you know you'll need a wide-angle lens.
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Although I had photographed them before, I decided to research this band's stage setup before shooting them again. Since they were now playing bigger venues, they were also more spread out on stage. I made sure to have my wide-angle lens handy.
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In addition to researching the venue and the performer, you'll also have to know your client. As I mentioned earlier, different clients look for different results from their photographers.
Generally, if you are working for a newspaper, the artist's management or publicity company, you'll need to focus on shots of the performers, dramatic moments in the performance, as well as crowd shots. When you work for a radio station, a sponsor of an event or a venue, you'll need to make sure to get atmospheric shots, a variety of crowd shots, as well as shots of the sponsor's products and signage.
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When working for a concert organizer, such as a radio station, shots like this one featuring a sponsor's product are as important to capture as the performer on stage.
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Live performances are an intriguing thing to shoot and many people have an interest in it. What most don't realize is that it is difficult and you are usually working under less than ideal conditions. It's important to make sure you have the right equipment and that you are prepared before going in and haphazardly shooting. The difference between continuing to have access and getting paying jobs and being a hobbyist that sometimes getting access can come down to the work you put in before you ever arrive at the performance.
Classic Shots
Before you head out to the show, let's wrap up our lesson with a look at some classic shots for performance photography. These are just some essentials of a live performance that you may want to think about capturing with your photography.
An artist close-up shot captures the expression on the lead singer's face. Showing the artist in close-up provides an intimate sense of the performer's experience.
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Folk rock artist, Lissie, performing at the Independent in San Francisco. |
A profile or silhouette shot captures a performer in a moment of high drama or energy. Performers express themselves physically and as photographers we need to look out for poses that capture the energy of the performance.
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Lissie performing at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Same artist, different venue, different composition. |
Musical instruments are beautiful things; think about the shape of a guitar, a piano, or a trombone. When you are shooting a live performance, look for ways to capture the experience of playing or the shape and feeling of the music in the instruments.
We all love those moments when musicians connect in a jam or a moment of camaraderie. Look for moments when musicians are playing together, connecting, enjoying the music. Those make great photographs.
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Alternative country rock band, Drive-By Truckers, at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, Calif. |
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