Excerpted from Chapter 1 of Concert Photography, which also suggests ways to find your way into the music business through a back door, how to catalog and mark your photos, how to put together a portfolio, and how to make yourself a better photographer by study away from the camera.
If you already own a camera and a lens or two, getting started is as easy as photographing a street musician, a free concert in the park, your sister practicing in her bedroom, or any public performance you might encounter. In many cases, you can take your camera to a show for which you've bought a ticket. Just don't count on starting out with Pearl Jam unless you have some very special connections. You have to be properly certified and credentialed to work those kinds of shows. The subject of photo credentials is covered in Chapter 3. There was a time (prior to the 1980s) when you could bring your camera to almost any concert, and in fact that's how many of fthe most successful photographers started. However, that was before the advent of multi-million-dollar merchandising contracts and $40 concert tickets. The big acts claim they need total control to protect their image and to stifle bootleg merchandise.
But don't be discouraged if you can't immediately photograph your favorite rock star. Chances are, you're not ready for prime time anyway. Concert photography is not prohibitively difficult, but it does often require you to work at the limits of your equipment and film. Lighting is usually problematic, and working conditions can be tense, demanding, and hurried. Shooting in concert requires quick reactions and the ability to adjust your focus and aperture with speed and accuracy. It also demands a certain degree of conditioning and flexibility, because you are constantly stooping, bending, kneeling, crawling, and stretching to get into position. If your body or dignity can't take that kind of manipulation, then you're going to severely limit your shooting angles and opportunities. Exercises that strengthen your back, shoulders, legs, and abdominal muscles are helpful. Carrying a 25-lb. camera bag around for several hours takes a heavy toll on your back and shoulders; trips to the chiropractor are a routine part of life for many pro photographers.
And take heart: not every successful act believes its fans are out to rip them off. The Grateful Dead, arguably the world's most successful touring band before Jerry Garcia's death, not only permitted cameras during its 30-year existence, but tape recorders as well. The organization believed that the resulting exposure only helped build the band's fan base. With virtually every show a stadium sell-out, annual ticket sales around 40 million dollars, and several fanzines devoted solely to the band, it looks like they were on to something. And country music stars have always allowed fans to bring cameras to shows. (So far, anyway. Merchandising has also invaded country in a big way as it has become America's new pop music.) The music world is spotted with other big-name artists who permit cameras, but even then their generosity can be thwarted by promoters who impose their own house restrictions. Fortunately, the actual number of bands and musicians with the power and will to exercise the kind of censorship power described here is relatively small compared to the big picture. It's just that they're the most visible. Except for a core group of superstars, however, this is a revolving cast. This year's new "star" can just as easily be next year's has-been that you'll be able to shoot in a 300-seat club.
Finding musicians to photograph is not difficult; you simply have to think beyond the Billboard charts. Top record sellers represent a mere fingertip on the body of live music. For every artist or band on that list, there are hundreds more playing all kinds of music in venues more accessible to a photographer. The spectacular growth of the music industry in the past three decades has created a thriving performance market for a multitude of musical idioms. Besides the more obvious genres of pop, rock, country, blues, jazz, rap, and hip-hop, there's also bluegrass, Irish, flamenco, salsa, folk, Christian, gospel, klezmer, classical, and zydeco, to name a few. And that barely touches on the different kinds of ethnic music and instruments. The range is astounding. All you need is the interest and willingness to search them out and pay some dues. It takes time to learn how to do it right, and doing it professionally takes a substantial investment in equipment. It's best to learn your craft and build a portfolio under less critical conditions at shows where there is no specific demand to produce.
So, how do you actually find situations that permit you to learn the principles of photographing musicians without a lot of pressure or security people? If you don't have immediate access to a band or club, start by assessing your local music scene.
Look around you-live music is everywhere. Not just in obvious places like clubs, theaters, arenas, and stadiums; it's also at parties and in parks, restaurants, churches, schools, streets, living rooms, malls, stores, garages, and even libraries. These performances can take just about any form-a piano player in a mall, a free concert in the park, a school orchestra performance, a singer/guitarist in a church basement, a band rocking out at a party. A good place to start is to pick something or someone close to your personal experience. Does your father, sister, brother, aunt, or another relative play an instrument? Do you have a friend who plays in a garage band? Branch out from there by identifying performances where you know the performer or the person staging the event. That will help alleviate anxiety and build confidence. Any organization or institution that you're a part of (school, church, club, fraternity, etc.) is a good possibility. It doesn't necessarily have to be a concert, either. Most of the ideas and techniques discussed here are equally relevant if you're shooting a school play, a stand-up comedian, or a poetry reading.
When you're ready to venture into the unknown, you can find plenty of free or self-produced concerts by scouring regional newspapers and bulletin boards in music stores, libraries, schools, churches, grocery stores, and Laundromats. You'll be amazed to discover just how many there are and how few require special permission to shoot. It doesn't really matter what instrument or what kind of music it is, though it helps if you like the music. You can learn basic camera skills and the fundamental principles of composition, lighting, focusing, and exposure by photographing anyone.
Take your camera to some of the shows that interest you or offer the most promising conditions; in most cases, you'll find little or no resistance if you don't disturb the show. If you have any doubts, or just want to pave the way, call ahead or get there early enough to ask permission of the artist or someone involved in the show's production. Diplomacy and sensitivity are paramount; you'll discover early on that your chance of success depends largely on your ability to deal with people who work in the business. In many cases, you'll find that the artists or promoters are delighted by your interest. If they ask for anything, it will probably be a print or two. That's pretty cheap tuition. This approach is a great way to build relationships with local musicians and get a feel for the mechanics of working a show. But remember, your performance will be watched carefully. Your camera does not grant special privilege to disrupt the show in your pursuit of good photos. If your actions are disrespectful to the audience or artist, you won't be welcome again. Work quietly and unobtrusively, and you'll be appreciated by all.
These kinds of performances also offer more than just the opportunity to build your skills. They also provide opportunity to establish contacts and sell some photos. Every working musician and band needs publicity photos, and they all like to see shots of themselves performing, especially if they make them look good. Maybe you'll sell a few prints. If they really like your work, it could lead to a productive working relationship.
Perhaps the best places for novice shooters to gain experience are the thousands of nightclubs and bars across the country that present live music. There are few cities or towns without at least one such place. Clubs and bars are the nurturing ground of popular music. That's where you'll find the stars of the future working on their craft, the great masters of the past, and a lot of very talented people who never get famous outside their own circle of friends. (And, of course, you'll hear a lot that aren't so good, too.)
Nightclubs and bars provide a measure of intimacy between musician and audience not possible in larger venues. Just about every successful musician has had to pay club dues at one time or another. In fact, many successful recording artists still play clubs. In certain musical idioms (blues, bluegrass, and folk, for instance) that's often the top rung of the ladder. Venues can run the gamut from a 10-seat, no-cover bar featuring a local synthesizer player to a 2,000-seat nightclub headlining top-name acts. Obviously, you're most likely to run into opposition at the fancier clubs headlining the bigger names, but not always. You might also find opposition in places that feature solo or acoustic acts easily disturbed by noise or movement. In most cases, the venue manager or owner controls access, which again entails diplomacy on your part. Check out the clubs, bars, and restaurants in town that offer live entertainment and find out if they have a policy on cameras. If they do, it will usually be posted at the door or mentioned in their advertising. Find one that you know doesn't care and start there. They're great places for a baptism of fire. However, regular club work requires a lifestyle commitment. It can be a tough gig if you don't function particularly well with late hours, cigarette smoke, and drunks.
If you're a fan of bluegrass, folk, blues, or jazz, don't neglect festivals if they're within your geographical reach. They are a great way to build a portfolio quickly because of the large number of acts on a typical bill. Most bluegrass, folk, and blues festivals I've attended have open seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Few restrict the use of cameras, although access in front of the stage is often controlled. (Jazz festivals are another story; they're usually more upscale and more tightly regulated.) Festivals can be particularly rewarding to shoot. Security is generally less oppressive than at rock and pop events, and performers are more accessible and less paranoid about being photographed. Even if you don't have access to the pit area in front of the stage, you can usually get close enough to fill your frame if you're willing to get in line early outside the gate or are adept at slipping through a crowd. Also, many of these events take place, at least partially, during daylight hours, which reduces lighting problems. You can find out when and where these kinds of events take place by watching local media or consulting magazines such as Living Blues, Sing Out!, and Bluegrass Unlimited.
Other surprisingly good possibilities are state and county fairs, which now routinely bring in big-name concert acts of all idioms. Many of these venues are outside and shows happen at just about any time of the day. Sometimes the price of the concert is even part of the fair's entrance fee. And because people sometimes bring cameras to fairs, there are often no restrictions on taking them into the show. It usually depends on how much money the promoter has spent on security or how particular the artist is about his or her image. Get there early and scope out the venue. You'll find that you're often dealing with temporary stages set up to take advantage of grandstand seating, leading to some strange configurations. If you have a ticket with an assigned seat number, find out if you're close enough to shoot from your seat. In many cases, however, you'll discover that these types of events feature "festival seating." This is a fanciful term coined by promoters that means there are no seats, just a big, wide-open area where everybody stands. Turn this to your advantage by arriving early enough to establish a place at the front of the pack.
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