Live music photography requires fast lenses and cameras with low noise to capture moments in low light conditions. Photographers should bring earplugs and get lots of photos to increase the chances of capturing good shots, as many will be out of focus or blurred. Lighting is important - larger venues have more light while heavily filtered light provides too little. Photographers should focus on the lead singer, guitarists, drummers, and capturing band member interactions. Using a flash can work if used minimally and properly positioned.

1. Live Music Photography
(and other on stage events too)

2. Equipment
• Ear plugs. The cheap foam ones are very good
• Fast lenses and cameras with big sensors and
low noise are great
• But DX sensors are useful for extending the
range of long lenses (200mm equals 300mm)
• But you can shoot with pretty much anything

3. Get Lots of Bad Photos
• Get lots of bad photos you’ll get more good photos
• Along with sports this is the type of photography with
the highest proportion of out of focus, blurred and
just bad photographs
• If the faces are mostly in shadow or moving too fast
shoot whenever you can get a technically good
photo-you can pick the best expressions later
• Check the shots on the monitor quickly but not often
• Shot lots when something good is happening

4. One of My Bad Photos

5. Lighting is Very Important
• The amount varies from plenty to not nearly
enough.
• Generally the bigger the venue the more the light
• Heavily filtered light (all one deep colour) is
generally too low to get a good photo
• Compose with the highlights and bright midtones
• Remember separation
• The shadows are usually too dark to count on
getting much detail

6. And the Speed of the Band
• Some bands move fast almost all the time,
• And some hardly at all.
• Fast bands need high shutter speeds
• With little depth of field it is hard to follow
focus
• Take lots of pictures…oh, I already said that

7. When the Lights are Low
• If the light is low wait for them to stop or
slow
• Focus shoot, focus shoot,repeat
• There is no depth of field

8. Who do we photograph
• Mostly the lead singers
• Try shots from near the centre- you’ll be
low, so the angles will be tough
• From the side you’ll get more flattering
angles on singers, but they’ll mostly be
in profile
• Photograph rappers from the palm side
of the microphone hand

9. Some Hints
• Earplugs
• All things being equal photograph from the
guitar body side (stage right)
• If it’s crowded work your way along the side
(saying “Excuse me please”)and then in
towards the stage right along the speakers
• Balance getting the shot with being a jerk
• If you’re getting paid be a jerk if you really
have to
• Gauge the atmosphere. With some bands
you can do whatever you want

10. More Hints
• Try a few different positions
• If they do something good be ready for
them to do it again

11. Tight Head Shots
• Look for good expression, face not
blocked by the microphone, no bad
shadow on face the from microphone
• If the face is mostly blocked shoot
whenever it’s clear

12. Wait for the Singer to Back off
the Microphone

13. Photograph rappers from the palm
side of the microphone hand

14. Lots of noise, bad colour but a
good photo

15. Direct Flash Worked in
the 70’s

16. Playing Instruments
• Guitarist on knees. Shoot from their head
level or a little lower
• Guitarist writhing on stage-hard to get a good
shot but try and get close and above
• Drummers-facial expression and drumsticks
hitting or coming down
• Keyboards-really the hands and head need to
be close to the keyboard but that doesn’t
happened much
• Bass-photograph pretty much every
recognizable expression

17. Two Heads are Better Than One
• Two band members interacting
• You probably can’t get them both in
focus
• Focus on the one facing you
• If they are both equally facing focus in
the most dynamic one

18. The Whole Band
• Hard to get let alone make good
• Position yourself to get the drummer in
the shot
• Usually near the centre standing up
• A wide lens will give a more dynamic
shot but make the drummer small

20. The Whole Band
(easier if there’s no keyboards)

21. Flash
• Flash usually not allowed in big venues
• Use the least amount of light possible
• Flash bounced from ceiling generally doesn’t
look good(kills the stage lighting)
• Direct flash is better
• You can sometimes get a great shot with
flash and a long exposure
• Bouncing off a side wall can work

22. Bounced Flash

23. Back light face in darkness
• Lens wide open
• Shutter speed not too slow-1/30 or faster-
unless the light is too low
• Adjust ISO if necessary
• Just enough flash to light face
• White balance for face (warm lights are better
than blue faces but you can adjust this if you
shoot RAW)
• Also could filter flash to tungsten light balance

24. Fill Flash