Like most photographers, I’ve never reviewed a piece of gear before. Also like most photographers, I tend to voraciously read reviews each time I consider upgrading. Many of these reviews parse through micro-level analysis of pixel detail, noise levels, and test charts but to me fail to answer the simple question: “will this help me get the shot?”
Photographer David Bergman has been a concert tour photographer for more than 30 years and shares his tips for making continually unique and engaging photos through a multi-city stadium concert tour.
Live music and the resumption of public schools have become a flashpoint (1, 2) in the battle about masks and vaccines in the public sector. My son is homeschooled so I cannot speak to that, but I can speak about live music.
Event photography is an art form, and it takes a while to achieve what you’re looking for. Not only does shooting an event require you to be constantly on the move, but it’s also necessary to know how to fully use each setting on your camera.
I'm often told that being a professional concert photographer is the coolest job in the world. In order to dispel some myths surrounding what I do and also support others who want to get into the profession, I’m going to peel back the curtain of the entire process from preparation to editing.
I am writing this concert photography guide in response to several ‘How to’ guides I have seen online that don’t quite hit the mark on how to take great live concert photographs. Most of the articles focus too much on the obvious, like concerts are dark and avoid things in your way (like mic stands and such). Personally, I think it is a bit patronizing to suggest that you are letting the photographer in on the ‘professional secrets’ if it is written by a non-professional music photographer, so this is my guide.
Concert photographer Rich Gastwirt came up with this unusual "viral" business card for getting his website URL into people's hands.
Over the last couple of weeks, the matter of photo contracts has once again been debated. First came Jason Sheldon’s blog post, calling Taylor Swift out on her hypocrisy when attacking Apple for demanding musicians give away their music for free while doing the exact same thing to concert photographers in her photo contracts. If you’re reading this, you’re probably well aware of that whole ordeal, so there’s no need to get into it further other than to say that I fully support Sheldon’s views.
"Please turn off or silence your cell phones, and absolutely no photography."
The request at the beginning of Tony Bennett's (Yes, I'm old and I like jazz. Deal with it.) rapturously received concert last week at San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall was standard stuff. What happened afterward was far from standard, however.
For three years, Italy-based photographer James Mollison visited music concerts and photographed the rabid fans outside. The resulting photographs became an interesting project titled, The Disciples, which shows how people emulate the singers and bands they love to form their identity.