Getting Started in Live Music Photography
Gan: Ceirios Bebb
Hello! My name is Ceirios, I’m a freelance music photographer from South Wales and in this article I’m going to share some knowledge on all things music photography, including how to shoot your first live gig, getting to know your camera and building a portfolio.
Where To Begin?
Taking that first step in the right direction can be the hardest part of the process so hopefully as you read this, you will develop the confidence, skills and ideas to photograph your first show and assemble that portfolio.
Before you go out to work under the time pressure of a real gig, It’s a good idea to get to know the basics of your camera.
All cameras with a manual mode option will have three main settings: Shutter Speed, ISO and Aperture.
- The SHUTTER SPEED is an important one for music photography if you want to capture the movement and energy of a gig. The shutter speed represents how long the camera shutter stays open, faster shutter speed (higher numbers) captures images quicker, great for having clear images of the movement and energy of onstage performances. An ideal shutter speed for music photography would be 1/250 or higher.
- Next up is ISO. This controls the camera’s sensitivity to light which is important for music photography as more often than not, you will be dealing with dark venues with very little light. Having a higher ISO ideally around 3200 means the camera will be more sensitive to the light. Understanding ISO level can help you reduce the chance of noise, when dark photos are fuzzy or pixelated.
- Finally we have APERTURE which controls the size of the opening in the lens, wider aperture (lower numbers) letting in more light and narrower aperture (higher numbers) letting in less light. The aperture also affects how much of the scene is in focus with a wider aperture creating a blurry, out of focus background for the in focus subject and narrower aperture getting a wider depth of field and having more of the scene in focus. In a dark gig photography situation a lower, wider aperture is best, letting as much light in as possible.
Many phone cameras also have a pro mode where you adjust these settings which is great to get practice before investing in a camera. It’s also good to start out taking photos of anything and everything, getting used to using these settings and mastering the camera. This will also give you a chance to practice editing which is an important part of making your work stand out and developing a unique style.
Shooting Your First Gig!
Now that you have a basic understanding of the capabilities of a camera and have practised taking photos with it you should be prepared to shoot your first gig. To start with it’s all about building the portfolio, improving with practice and experimentation. This means doing a lot of work for free which gives you the space to play around and make mistakes whilst also developing consistency in your work. At this stage it is also a great time to build up a following and network by sharing photos with the bands and venues. Networking is a huge part of freelance photography and almost as important as the photos themselves.
- STEP 1 - Go on Google Maps and find as many local venues as you can. Looking through Instagram or TikTok for local bands is also a fantastic idea. There are so many independent venues and new bands waiting to be discovered across the whole of Wales.
- STEP 2 - Email the bands and venues! The more the better. A short simple email is best as some venues and bands can be busy therefore not have the time to read super long emails. This can be something along the lines of…
- STEP 3 - Await answers, some people will often take a while to reply but don’t let this discourage you! Patience is key as venues with a busy inbox or bands with upcoming events may take a little longer to reply.
- STEP 4 - You’ve made it to your first gig, make sure to show up on time to make a good impression on the band or venue so that they might recommend you to others or have you back for some paid work. Take as many photos as you can during the sets, at least one of the hundreds of photos will be worth sharing! You can even go the extra mile and ask the band if they would like any backstage shots or a group photo at the gig.
- STEP 5 - After a good night's sleep it’s time to edit, this is where you can go wild playing with the colours and features of your editing software. The most popular editing software is Adobe Lightroom but there are many free editing apps and software out there like Luminar Neo, Apple Photos for apple users, GIMP or paint.NET. Spending some time experimenting with your edits is a great way to find a way to make your photos stand out and your individual style.
- STEP 6 - Share them! Sending the photos with the bands and venues first, while the gig is still fresh in their minds. They will be thinking about making social media posts about the gig so getting your photos over soon after gives them the opportunity to use share them with their networks and capture a much wider audience to discover your work. Share them on your own social media accounts too! Instagram is a great way to build a digital portfolio that is easily accessible to most people.
Once you’ve done your first gig you are past that first step. Continue to show up to local gigs and shows until you’ve built a solid consistent portfolio. Another great tip is to go to music related networking events, the perfect place to meet all sorts of people in the music industry who will very likely be needing some kind of photos at some point in their career.
Good Luck!
Ceirios