Last week I asked, “What’s your favorite thing about being a music photographer?” Here are your answers.
@conormichael: I love music. I also love photography. It’s so simple, but it’s an amazing thing to combine two things I’m so passionate about.
@igorxa: I love it when they pose for the camera. It’s like my own private show
@jadieeeee: Music and photography together in one sweaty, usually low-paying package! What’s not to love!? It’s the most amazing job!
@lhkwok: Just being able to preserve the memory and feel of that show, whether it was amazing or horrible
@jasonsheesley: The combination of two passions. Photography and ROCKING OUT!
@LizFromStLouis: Being able to capture the energy and excitement of the band and their crowd is the best part.
@BandPhotography: Getting close to the MUSIC.
@delineated: Knowing instinctively right after clicking that you nailed the “money shot”. No better feeling than that, really.
@liveon35mm: Having spent the night on Facebook chatting with a guy Imet at the Semi Precious Weapons gig and realizing it is your close friend! Small world.
@shotbykim: That flutter in your stomach everytime the lights go down and you are at the front of a large venue.
@libberding: The best part is seeing my photo+credit next to a great review in print and online!
@paigekparsons: The satisfaction of hearing from an artist’s parents that you’ve captured that special something. I figure they ought to know!
@crickontour: The challenge of finding the key moment of show where everything (lights/band/singer) comes together to make an epic photo.
@sk8bette: The energy.
@dokool: Getting great shots of the fans in the mosh pit that the other photogs don’t get because they’re too busy snapping band photos.
@HazardGallery: Capturing images of new artists, with their excitement and energy on stage is fantastic!
@Studio7Bismarck: The best thing about concert photography has to be the adrenaline rush you get in the pit while shooting.
@andysquire: Thinking you got something special, having to wait til the end, and then finding out you have!
@shoottothrill: Watching a bands concert that, without being there for work, would never go and check out.
What’s your favorite thing?
So, what’s your favorite thing about being a music photographer? Feel free to comment below or @ reply to me on Twitter with your answer.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 5:52 pm and is filed under Music Photography and tagged with about, advice, best, concert photography, music photographer, photographer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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The Best Part About Being a Music Photographer: http://bit.ly/5pCyy
The best part of being a concert photographer is THE CHICKS!!!
:)
Ha!
@Alonso that was my second response to this inquiry, actually =P
Yea I could agree with Alanso. With that big DSLR and a photo pass they always ask if I’m part of the band. It even makes by own girlfriend impressed!
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The feeling of freedom is unique. When I photograph a band I feel like I could do anything in that moment. Like nothing could stop me from being free and happy :)
for 99% of the shoots i do, i’m a fan of the band and have actively set up the assignment…i would have no interest in shooting some big megastar just to do it. therefore, for me the best part of concert photography is the proximity to musicians i truly enjoy while they are just doing their thing, and i’m just doing mine.
Just shot Blue October and i’m still buzzing that’s the best part of being a music photographer.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the “The Best Part of Being A Music Photog” post! Keep ‘em coming: http://bit.ly/5pCyy
After the bad things, the goods things. There is a lot of good things!
The first one is meeting other photographers. Sharing tips/tricks experiences etc and finally becoming friend with some of them. That’s the first thing I would say being the best part!
Second, is the way some people in the audience react when you are taking pictures (remember a girl asking me if I had enough place).
Third part is the kick it gives! You have a pass, you have your camera and let’s go!
But the 2 first things are for me the best parts!
Well I always like the audience shots.
Love the first 3 songs no flash challenge (wrote a whole chapter on that in my book Pop Cultured).
Love the variety of commissioned work from country to hip hop and beyond.
Love going in to the unknown as surprises keep us on our toes.
Don’t like contracts handed out by stupid managers.
Plenty more too but that’s enough for now.
Being drenched in sweat from 2 sides;)
That’s gross, Damien. Thanks for joining in the discussion.
when they start posing for you and have a connection with the camera.
when the speakers are blasting through your ears. and the band just making everybody mosh, i love it. even though i dont have an slr camera XD
When your in the pit, and things are getting out of control, the band is going crazy on stage, the crowd is launching cans,trash,slushies at you, you are getting pushed into the stage by crowd surfers, and security. Then it all disappears for a brief moment, and all that remains is you, and your camera, getting that great shot, time seems to disappear among all the choas, then you look down at that LCD screen and you see “The Shot” and it all becomes real again, that is what I love….plus the chicks!
Chasing the light patterns and managing to get a great shot that is “The Moment” and also being able to watch the performance in front of the stage.
I’m shooting concerts as a hobby but a serious one, this helps me to shoot the ones that I also like to listen. The downside is I’m not payed :) I was shooting for Turkey’s only Jazz mag but after feeling the passion I can say that I prefer the rock concerts :) I’ll try my chance in a comming festival that having big names like Linkin Park, The Prodigy, NIN, Santigold, Juliette Lewis, Santigold, Kaiser Chief’s, Razorlight. But as being freelancer and having no connection in the organisation I’ll probably just enjoy the music :)
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Best part of being a music photographer. Being able to walk out IN FRONT of people who have waited in line for hours and are squashed up against the barricades. Being so close the musicians!
The coolest thing for me is walking into someones house & seeing a picture that I took hanging on their wall..the fact that somebody digs that picture enuff to display it prominently is HELLA COOL !!
Also getting to watch the band’s reaction as they see yer pix for the first time is really cool also !! I usually try to get another shot of them actually going thru the pictures & what their reaction is !!
Seeing a shot I took blown up to a poster or on a teeshirt is really cool too !!
plus the chicks & free refreshments !!!
For me probably being so close to the people who’ve inspired me and capturing them doing what they enjoy.
Some times i’ll stand and watch for a few seconds cause i’m in complete awe at how close i am to my favorite band and then quickly remind myself i should be shooting.
and when you get to tell people that you’re shooting the band and they’re well impressed.
:)