Promotional Packet - Live Gigs Photography - RP Photography Solutions-web
1. Professional Photographer
- Creatve and Commercial Photography To Meet Your Needs
- Bands and Events
Concert And Live Gigs Photography
For me creative photography, my passion, is the chance to work with a client to produce what they need
and want to help push them forward and truly succeed.
A love of life and music is the name of the game for me and expressing this as well as others’experience
through their given pursuits, making my career worth while whilst letting them give back to the commu-
nity and show their love of that pursuit and that it’s worth gettting out there to experience the world for
their own eyes.
I work within the industry primarily as a live
gigs and concert photographer, using versatility
and reliability to produce my work to a standard
that meets the needs of the client. Throughout
the past year, having started my full time career
as a bands and events photographer, I’ve been
pushing the limits; the amount of work I can do
and the quality of work I produce by getting
out as often as possible, pursuing my craft and
knowledge through every opportunity I can get,
utilising what I have learnt for hired gigs. This
has led me to some of the best work of this past year including principal photographer spots at two
festivals (including south London’s Claygate festival
featuring the likes of Rick Wakeman, Martin Turner
and the UK’s number one tribute band four years
running,‘Hat’s Off To Led Zeppelin’).
This experience, as well as 3 years experience prior,
outside of the professional sphere, has enabled me
to progress in the sort of gigs that are feasible for
my level of expertise as a concert photographer,
although, having fulfilled the needs of the various
clients and contacts I have gained over the past
year, I have stagnated in the work I am gaining, thus
the time to expand the horizons of the business is
due and it can’t have come at a better time with the
Hats Off To Led Zeppelin - Live in Concert
at Claygate Festival
The Carnabys - Introduction at their album
launch party - Live concert
2. release of the portfolio and website due in December
2016. This provides an opportunity for bands as my
rates, currently reduced to an absolute rock bottom,
will be set at £80 (+ travel expenses where required)
until December rolls around when the overheads of
the business will rise and with it the rates I charge go
up, confirming a new base rate at £100-160 depend-
ent on the shoot type; still not an excessive number
altogether for the quality of work produced but an
ample chance to establish a client base and experi-
ence.
What I Offer - Concert Photography
As a Concert Photographer I aim to offer a reliable
package, delivering a minimum image count of 8-12
images of a set standard, as well as working to the
clients’needs as per stylistic choice of both editing
and shoot style; whether this be commercial or
photojournalistic or far more unique (creative styles)
where shooting and editing are defined by the aims
of the images as per their use, or the genre(s) that
define the band.
This creative versitility gives me the chance to pro-
duce something truly unique for the client, selecting
off the requirements of the band and shooting live
in concert whilst still achieving those aims. This can
be as simple as an image library for a website or so-
cial media, images of the various band members for
profiles and live shots for blogs etc straight through
to images for album covers and inner sleeves, poster
and promo work. The shoot is defined for you, by
you, and decisions mediated through contact be-
tween me and you prior to the shoot; constraigned
(normally) only by the venue, lighting and perfor-
mance on the day.
For a shoot to truly work for you all the elements
have to come together and as a photographer I am
a part of that process; adequate research and an
understanding of music, the genre and musicians
is key and having spent my life, since a young baby,
around musicians, on tour, at festivals and cheering
on from the sidelines at gigs this is an area I am
confident within. This comes from luckily growing
up with a lead singer and songwriter for a mum
and a band manager for a dad, making young life
interesting, but surrounded by music at all times.
Through this, as well as my own forays out to gigs
and concerts as well as the work conducted during
my time as a professional I bring with me a multi
grenre understanding of the industry from both an
audience perspective as well as the pitfalls met by
musicians through their various pursuits throughout
the industry. This gives me a stronger insight into the
target markets as well as knowing when and where
to avoid potential issues, at least as far as my experi-
ence has taught me. However nothing ever beats the
knowledge of the band, label and manager in these
aspects, however working together it’s amazing what
can be achieved.
A continued love of music and the sights and sounds
it brings has enriched my life and given me a per-
spective that many others never truly attain; sharing
this knoledge and experience with others as well as
getting it right for your fans and potential new audi-
ences is a big deal for me, hopefully helping to get
music back out there in a country struggling to keep
up its number of venues.
Chris Goode of Kindred Spirit
- Live in Concert - A hopeful session musician
Conrad Vingoe
- Live Gig - Tallent Showcase,
Folking Around Kingston
DJ Julia - ‘Jules’ - Rap Artist
- Live in Concert - Kingston Green Radio Fundraiser
3. Sample Shoots
Hats Off To Led Zeppelin - Claygate Festival
A great shoot photographing the UK’s number 1
tribute band since 2013, a very active and vibrant
band and, as the award states, very true to the
original.
The brief for the festival was fairly simple, pro-
motional concert photography, showcasing the
moments of each concert as well as giving me the
chance to make some sales to each of the artists
after the gig for their own publicity. This was made
easier by the concerts taking place on separate
days over two weeks. The challenge with this one
however was to be able to capture the intensity
of the concert and musicians as well as hold true
to the band they were covering, this being a bit of
a challenge with the clash of old and new in the
band’s on-stage persona and dress compared to
that of the original. See what you think. A great
night though and definitely a band worth recom-
mending.
4. Concert Photography, for the mainstay, is
about making impact and defining a message
or story dictated by the band or genre about
the night or event through what the band is
expressing or conveying at the time.
This shoot is a great one to explore this with,
the images intended to be high impact shots
to show the nature of concerts put on by south
London’s Claygate festival, whilst showing
unique and compelling aspects of the acts
performing there.
These shots are great, a high energy band held
strongly by both the way they define them-
selves - stage presence - as well as being a trib-
ute act giving a strong anchor for the images.
This raises an interesting quandary though
with the band. Although sticking closely to the
style and onstage glamour of the band, they
have a very much more modern performance
visually, as though the old act were brought
into the 21th century; not a problem as you can
see, but difficult conveying the authenticity of
the sound through images.
5. Some great images here with a real intensity and
impact; if this is something you really want from
your images this is by far and away my favourite
thing to capture. The power of live music on stage
is always there, whether its in it’s subtleties or
eccentricities but making the image work for you
and getting the worth out of what you put on for
others and how effective that message can be of-
ten comes down to the work of the photographer
beforehand and adequate communication within
that to produce what an advertiser/marketing
agent needs to get your work out there.
I can never replace the promotional work these
people can collate but getting the right image(s)
for your campigns/marketing to succeed is my job
and understanding that from the get-go is the first
step to getting images as you see here.
- I need to know what you want even if I can do -
- a good job regardless -
6. As discussed previously a shoot can be viewed in
many different ways. No matter the location there
is almost no limit to the different styles you can
photograph in - even given the limitations of the
location itself - this is far more evident here, the
styles varying greatly within the same peramiters,
all saying something completely different about
the night, yet all conveying the same basic message
and ethos; the concert image, the band on stage.
The power of the image isn’t just in what you pho-
tograph or how it looks; it’s often how you convey
the message(s) and who you’re speaking to that
counts the most.
7. Concert photography in the end comes down to the moment and the celebration of the energy, life and
memory of that concert, event or gig. All of what can be achieved during that gig is wiped away without
that moment being defined. The true power of that concert image however doesn’t come down to what’s
expected; a defining moment in a career, something so poignant that it can never be seen or experiened
again (although this is something photographers love and strive for), but a moment that can be defined
anywhere, even if it’ll never be the same twice, the kowledge needs to lead to the thought that these
gigs and this band are that good, that much fun and that the experience will always be worthwhile.
8. With all this in mind and what’s truly possible in the space of about
4-10 songs it doesn’t take away from the possibilities of that live set.
The skill aside, there are some things that can never be achieved in the
studio because that energy you get from 30-40 minutes of playing live
is just that hard to replicate. Being a trained wildlife photographer I
appreciate the beauty of the natural and the untempered raw reality of
a live gig. Given a decent skill level it’s incredible what can be achieved.
Below you can see one of those moments and the power, mood and
drama instigated; honesty sells and live gigs are just that, regardless of
how that artist chooses to convey that expression.
I always put my all into a gig is the point to remember; from looking
out for the artist by not getting in the way and in keeping my time
photographing as short as I can to get the job done, to pushing the
photography and number of images to the limit of what is sensible.
This is my passion and I’ll give you all I can for the time I have to offer.
9. Sample Shoots
- The Carnabys _ Album Launch Party - Music Venue Trust
A fantastic gig photographing a
great up-and-coming band, the
Carnabys; their album launch
party and the main press con-
cert for the band’s work with
the live music venue trust. The
local band just having come off
a host of tours, both the band
themselves and with a host of
other major league musicians
from Bruce Springsteen, Kings
of Leon, Lenny Kravitz to sup-
port spots with Blondie, Im-
agine Dragons, Patti Smith and
Starsailor. Their sellout tours
have encompassed them as one
of the UK’s next generation of
major league bands, defining
their genre and playing‘power-
ful, explosive and energetic live
shows’.
This shoot wasn’t just to pro-
mote their new album,‘Too
Much, Never Enough’, but also
the fact that all the profits from
their pre-sales of the album
(managing to reach no. 24 in the
itunes album charts in the first
few days of its release) would go
to help the‘save live music’initi-
ative of the music venue trust.
A big move for the
band and a major
chance for publicity,
photos going through
to both the venue and
the Music Venue Trust.
One of my favourite
shoots to date.
10. With the Carnabys
and the Music Venue
Trust I wanted to do
something a bit differ-
ent; the shots aimed
to show off the venue,
the band and music as
a culture. This defined
the shoot as a real
chance to show off
the energy, enjoyment
and passion and you
couldn’t really pick a
better band to do this
with.
Here you see some of
those captures fitting
in with the image on
the first page showing
the love these guys
have for what they do,
the size of the venue
and crowd aside.
The intimacy as per size of the location and stage
was a problem for this shoot, the location being
rammed from wall to wall, you really have to sell
rather than work with size as nothing beats a de-
cent depth of field. The shoot benefitted massively
though with the venue being a local hangout for
the guys and somewhere they first started playing,
helping convey the points mentioned and despite
being a challenge the gig ended up being the most
enjoyable event of the year for both the music and
working as a professional.
11. The hard part about this shoot
wasn’t making an image that
worked or dictated the points
that were necessary but show-
ing off a style that is dictated
almost entirely by self and
self-expression. Indi bands are
great, so much character, but
selling this for how much they
are worth is a challenge.
The Carnabys are right up there
in self-expression, giving their
all and doing what’s popular
because it’s who they are and
how they show this. Great fun
to shoot, very hard to make
work and sell.
The challenge here was a hard
one to meet as you can see from
the shots on this page, not a
problem, but rather how you
view it. I’ve attempted to pursue
the expression and pre-define
editing styles with lighting
choice and framing in cam-
era and in the moment - one
of my favourite ways to work,
although this does make most
shots very organic in structure;
another reason why I can’t stress
enough how important it is to
pre-define the parameters of
what’s needed and the target
audiences.
A great example
of contrast here
showing that
shots have to
work together
when in vol-
ume. In this
case the image
here doesn’t
exactly fit with
the other shots
in image style,
however when
combined with
accenting text
as here sud-
denly the series
comes to life;
an accenting
image defining
the style and
adding to the
other shots as
a comparable
definition.
12. The definition of‘Cool’is
something I often try to
define in shoots, especially
with rock and indie music,
not something that has to
define me as a photographer
or a person but a definitive
part of culture and music,
especially when working to
a target market and trying
to‘sell’an artist, a moment
or an experience. A defined
term and label that can make
or break a band’s success -
even if not always applicable
to success.
I always prefer to approach this from an‘indie’perspective, re-
gardless of the band or genre. What is‘Cool’about this person,
their work or their performance, what defines them; rather than
attempting to fit predefined expectations. Here you can see
some examples from the shoot, looking into character, sound,
vibrancy and skill.
The appearance that defines you on stage is not my decision
and may well never be, however how this is conveyed and seen
outside the theatre of the stage often is, even if I never choose
which images are selected or how they are used; discussion
in respect to this is wise but often impossible to dictate shots
to on the night, although attempting to sit
within defined areas such as genre, previous
work, style and taste are something always
considered.
The power an image has in definaing a
band, sound, moment is immense and is
often why so much thought has to be put
into images and image selection. My
aim however is to be able to pull some-
thing definitive off within these re-
spects under any circumstances or
at any gig location. How good this
can be is defined by how much
help that place can give me in
oportunities and style through
decor and lighting as well
as how much thought the
band or managment put
into their shows. I can’t be
perfect but I can try hard
to produce work to the
best possible out-
comes for the night;
solid thought into
venue choice when
hiring is however
worth remember-
ing.
13. At the end of the day the best part about a
concert has to be the drama; the enjoyment
and expression given by the musicians. It’s one
of the main reasons so many people are ob-
sessed with the famous and although I’ll never
subscribe to the same ideas and thoughts of a
tabloid magazine or empathise with the
parazzi, I get it.
The power of music is to excite, enlighten and
give something more back to life and to do this
through the expression of the artists and the
people behind them.
My photography is strongly inspired by expres-
sion and a love of the artform. As mentioned
before I’ve grown up around music and mu-
sicians and it has been a part of my life for as
long as I can remember. I honestly don’t know
what I’d do without it. I feel partially responsi-
ble as a photographer to share that love with
others and show people why it’s such an im-
portant part of my life. Music is crucial through-
out modern culture; helping shape and define
who we are in our lives today; from excess and
riches down through to those with little to
spare who need that something in their lives.
14. Sample Shoots
- Kaleb Mckane
Album Launch and Artist Release
A great night and the launch
gig for the artist’s solo career,
Kaleb Mckane, a long-standing
member of the‘Never the Bride’
line-up as their lead guitarist
and an excellent performer and
exquisite rock guitarist, making
his debut here as a lead singer
starting out on his own path
with his own band.
The venue was a great one for
photographs, having a very edgy
look due to a huge ventilation
and extraction set-up on the
ceiling, great for photos with a
grungy theme. However with
style, genre and song choices of
the band there were a variety of
issues with the shoot, a number
of which are listed over the next
few pages. As a result this shoot
works as a perfect run-through
of a shoot from start to end,
defining the pitfalls faced within
concert photography and how
work, practice and experience
come together to produce an
end product. A great way to see
the inner workings of my mind
as a photographer during a
shoot and how I personally
combat those issues.
15. Part of the problem with this shoot and one
of the biggest issues when shooting a band
is making the shots fit them, their style and
their genre. Above you can see two shots that
work to their genre of music; however not the
angles I would have chosen by preference.
Below you can see two shots that conform to the norm
of my shooting preference, exaggerated angles to
enhance impact, bold colour choices accenting the
performer’s appearance and dramatic scenery. Here
however this just doesn’t work. The decor and lighting
reminding rather strongly of metal and industrial metal,
fitting the bassist in the image well with his choice of
clothing but far from the modern classic rock that the
band sits within. The images above far more befitting of
the genre of choice.
It’s often hard at shoots
like this when you see
something you love
and want nothing
more than to capture
it within the imagery.
However at shoots we
often sacrifice aspects
of the image to fulfill
the brief; this shoot is a
great example of that,
the whole of the ceiling
being almost unusable
for the images.
16. A lovely example here of a shot going right; mood drama
and the‘coolness aspect’all coming together as one. I love
black and white photography and it really allows a pho-
tographer to account for those moments when everything
is right other than the lighting. Although b&w is an artform
unto itself it can be a real lifesaver when photographing at
a live concert like this. Black and White always adds some-
thing to an image, normally a sense of class or ruggedness,
perfect for this shot.
17. Kaleb is an excellent guitarist and
when struggling for something to
photograph at a gig during the al-
lotted time, looking to the skill sets
of the musicians is often one of the
safest ways for me to capitalise on
images. Skill, and comfort within
that skill, shine through on stage
and nothing beats a good guitar
face when someone’s concentrat-
ing, Kaleb’s got the luck of having
one that still looks cool when he’s
pulling it off
- people’s expressions when per-
forming, especially during solos
is one of my favourite things to
capture as expression and drama
really sells, and it’s great fun to
photograph someone when they’re
going mental on stage!
18. The Kaleb Mckane gig was a great chance to test out some ideas and re-
ally push what I could do. Like the Carnabys the venue wasn’t huge, seat-
ing about 100 people at the most; once again though some nice lighting
and wonderful decor, although this wasn’t entirely helpful for the style
and genre of the band - I did have a worrying tendency to go towards a
‘Kerrang!- esque style, especially with the large ventilation network on
the ceiling and cool colour palette of the lighting.
The big challenge here was to follow through with the genre the artist
defines, a very much classic rock meets modern era kind of style, great
fun to shoot but difficult under the circumstances. Being a very much
font-man led band however my focus remained almost solely with Kaleb
himself, being both the lead singer and lead guitarist, making the
kinds of shots here much more definitive than usual.
This left me sticking much more to close-ups to avoid including
the confusing background, featuring small portions of the back-
ground such as the concentric circles from the ventilation
system as seen on the first page, utilising items and objects
included more as accents to help define the genre or
personality rather than major features to the image.
One of the main objectives was to hold true to the
power of the frontman through each of the imag-
es and stress this through every opportunity be
it through masculinity, sexuality, skill or just
the power,‘coolness’or mood by any other
term.
19. One of the most helpful
parts of the shoot was
the definition of the gig
itself as both a launch gig
for the artist as well as
the new album - in turn
helping to give some defi-
nition and structure to the
shots and shooting style.
This gave me the chance
to help define the artist
on the night, having only
the main cover photo of
the artist as a solo act to
go on - an ultra-modern
‘rock look’portrait, very
minimalist and closely
featuring a sturdy and
sexual nature to the image
as its defining points - as
well as the title of the new
album‘Talking to God’
hopefully expressed nicely
here through the last
two images, despite the
theme‘Rock God’/‘Guitar
Legend’being a recurring
feature of the images from
the night.
Although you’ll find the style being rather
exploratory throughout the shoot the imag-
es still work together, aimed to be a definitive
documentation of the night as well as potential
publicity photos to help with the launch of the
artist.
20. The biggest thing here being the close-ups
and solo artist shots - the main band imag-
es and wide shots didn’t get much atten-
tion, however this doesn’t mean they were
missed out entirely having had more than
40 shots sent through to the managment
after the shoot.
The images in this respect were explored
at the start of the shoot, which, as you can
probably see from the images here were
exhausted fairly quickly as mainly docu-
mentary evidence of the night itself rather
than sturdy images for image libraries, and
promotion due to the nature of the venue
and lighting choices as discussed earlier.
This doesn’t mean that shots like these
were ignored for the rest of the shoot but
rather sidelined for those that would be
more important and more useful to the
band.
With live shoots like these, as mentioned
previously, I aim to produce a minimum of
8-12 images for each shoot, regardless of
shoot direction. The aim for me at a shoot,
or at least how I regiment myself through-
out the process is by minimum defined
aims, be this the requirements of the
booker or by my own standard; generally
aimed to be a shot of each artist looking
their best, showing some defining aspect of
them on the night, a‘cool’image/’concert
image’, crowd interaction, interaction with
the photographer, a‘band image’as well as
significant moments of the concert itself or
the on-stage performance by the artists.
The thing to remember is that I’m capable
of doing my own thing and have a regi-
mented way of approaching the shoot but
making me aware of what’s needed before-
hand, be it style or specified images, helps
the process through and improves the
resulting portfolio.
