A reader asks about etiquette for presenting performers in a flattering manner. Is photographing a singer with their mouth wide open a display of intensity, or do they just look hungry for the mic?
Love your site! Your photos are a source of inspiration to improve my shots all the time.
I was told that you shouldn’t showcase photos with the artist’s mouths open, as it looks like they’re eating the microphone. I don’t see anything wrong with it, but I have noticed that the press typically only publishes the ‘nice” photos.
When I go through my sets, I would say about 85% of the photos has someone with pursed lips, a wide open mouth or their tongue hanging out.
What is your take on it?
Thanks,
Jo
Hi Jo, thanks for the note.
I believe the essential issue of your question is how we as music photographers portray our subjects. Deciding what to show ultimately comes down to one’s vision and taste.
Think Portrait Shoot
As a concert photographer, my goal is for the final set of images to communicate the essence of the band in a compelling and natural way. I don’t necessarily rule out any expression, but rather look to see which looks best capture the performer and event as I saw it.
In one sense, I approach every gig as a portrait shoot. The charge of distilling a study of the subject still holds true, albeit with a little more action interjected. I don’t think it’s necessarily an issue of what is “nice” to the subject, but simply what best captures the event, the subject, and helps tell a story.
Style and Substance
It’s also worth noting that much of the presentation and expectations for an event depend on the type of music being photographed. A hardcore punk band is going to have a different visual aesthetic and expectation than a singer-songwriter performing an acoustic set, for example. In a rough regard, the more raw and visceral the music, the more “stray” expressions I might give a pass. It all goes back to the music and the images that best represent it.
For a howling frontman doubled over, I wouldn’t rule out bulging eyes, popping veins, or flying spittle. In fact, I might even prefer that. But transfer those same attributes to a folk singer with an acoustic guitar, and they simply don’t fit the story.
Technique and Timing
From a technical standpoint, concert photography can present a huge challenge in regard to capturing the best expressions of a performer, given the short duration for shooting and a slew of other variables. One way to give yourself a wider selection of facial expressions is simply to shoot more. I always tell beginning photographers to shoot as much as they think they need to secure a shot. This is particularly true if the subject is active, either in their body movements or facial expressions.
By shooting more during the key moments, you’ll be able to have a larger number of images to choose from, which should allow for more refined choices in the final set.
Better yet, with experience and practice, simply concentrating on the rhythm of the performance and paying attention to timing will ensure that capturing the facial expressions you want becomes second-nature.
Have Your Say
What are your thoughts on the way you present performers with regard to facial expressions? Does anything go, or do you follow certain guidelines when it comes to mugging singers?
This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Letters, Photography Tutorials and tagged with advice, facial expressions, music photography, photographer, photography, question, screaming, tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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When I’m shooting live music (or anything, really) I’m always looking for that moment. The moment when the musician gets completely lost in what their doing, forgets that the audience is there, and is just completely immersed in their passion for music.
A lot of times this results in shots when their mouths are wide open, but I think that if the passion is there, and if you can feel the photograph, it overrides that feeling that they’re “eating the microphone”.
Hey Sara,
Thanks for adding your thoughts here. The moment you describe is something I think that we all chase in the pit and in our sleep. You’re absolutely right – if the passion is there, there’s no wrong.
Q&A #4: Capturing facial expressions. Etiquette and technique for representing performers in a natural, compelling way. http://is.gd/n0bM
Quite a few of the shots I got last weekend of a singer with mic were almost venturing into the NSFW territory, just because of the way her hands were covering the mic (hope that’s not too graphic for anyone). I was shooting from about 5 feet away with a 70-200mm lens at one point. The band actually liked the shots so much that they’re using one on the advertising for their next gig.
One of the bands I’m shooting this weekend is an 80s hair metal covers band, so that should give me a few interesting facial expressions.
Hey Craig,
Thanks for contributing to this topic. You’re right, mics and different angles can be tricky. One thing I do try to avoid as much as possible is having the mouth obscured entirely – as you suggest, it can make for some awkward shots that don’t always read well. Even having just the corner of the mouth makes a huge difference in comparison to no hint at all.
Metal bands of all varieties are pretty fun to photograph, you should get some great expressions. I’m particularly fond of the guitar face from shredders.
1) Best is that you know/watch/shot/listen the band before, you will know what to expect from them, and know which member will do their “signature pose(s)” while performing, and get into their music/mood to anticipate when they will do that “moment” shot.
2) If never shot the band before, got to research what genre of music are they playing, and narrow down the information from there. Like what kind of dressing, expressions and feel they will be portraying.
3) Overall, the best kind of expressive shot for me will be:
- Look flattering to the person to a certain extent
- Portraying their kind of genre/music feel
- Face and feel of playing with real soul and heart for their music, which I term it as the “orgasm face”
- Of course the technical part of photography must be well done too
- There’s no an absolute right, just your perspective and eye for it
Lastly, I think shooting a rock/metal band would be a good start out for those who want to try gig photography, cause I believe those band members would give more expressive shots while performing, plus the lightings are more dynamic in compared to an acoustic set.
Hey Shiro,
Thanks so much for the great contribution to this topic, I agree with all of your points. Really good stuff here.
I also like your suggestion for rock/metal as a genre for those starting out, both in regard to the lighting and expressions. Rockers will certainly make a lot of different faces while performing, while softer genres are often more nuanced in their expressions.
Shiro just posted a great comment with some suggestions on how to capture great facial expressions from rockers: http://is.gd/n48t
Hi Todd – I agree with all the above. I always try to portray the musician in the most flattering way. So much emotion is displayed during a concert, and facial expessions can, sometimes, look distorted. What I try to focus on is the moment when the performer is in the “zone”, that fleeting second they know they have made a connection with the audience. It’s a “live portrait”…
BTW, thank you for your comment on my Andrew Bird shoot, very much appreciated. Take very good care, and keep up the inspiring work!
Hey Lucia,
Thanks for adding your thoughts here. I think your goal of focusing on the moment the performer is in the “zone” is a great target, and you describe it well.
I should be photographing Andrew Bird this weekend, hopefully I’ll have some opportunities to get my own nicely rimlit shot.
I like capturing the guys screaming… it’s a lot more intriguing than bland photos. And I was totally just listening to the U.A. yesterday, thinking about the show and promos we did with them… good times, cool fellas.