I'd say this community is really helpful for getting started, as is Todd's site that this link leads to: [https://ishootshows.com/music-photography-discord/](https://ishootshows.com/music-photography-discord/)
You sound a lot like me about a year ago!
The first place to start is with local places. Bigger venues and even smaller clubs might not let you in with a camera without a photo pass, but there are usually other places (small clubs, bars) that have live music and let anyone bring a camera in. Those are your best bet to really accelerate your career and learn at the same time. Honestly if you hit up a place like that 2-3 times, you’ll come away with pics of anywhere from 8-10 total bands and most likely have to do it in less-than-stellar lighting conditions. It’s not the most glamorous start, but it’s a great place to experiment and gain more experience in a low-pressure environment. Also? Smaller bands are usually EXTREMELY appreciative of any pics taken of them (whether you give them to the band to use or just post them on socials), and a lot of the smaller bands I shot at the beginning of getting started have since hired me to shoot them again later in the year because they liked my work from the first time!
When you have a decent portfolio that can give some good examples of the kind of work you produce, there are a few ways you can go. You can contact bands directly on social media to ask to cover them, or you can sometimes reach out to venues specifically to cover shows for them. In both of those cases, your chances of a ‘yes’ are better if you’re writing for a publication. Usually in exchange for the photo pass you get, the band/pr/venue wants a written review of the show. But if you can write decently well, your odds of getting approved for big shows go up soooo much if you have a publication behind you.
Like I said, I just started doing this in January and I’ve covered some huge bands in my first 10 months, and that’s from having a reputable publication behind me. Examples here:
https://www.musicscenemedia.com/tag/rich-funk/
Thank you so much!!I have actually been asked to give some videos, not pics of mine to one smaller band. Felt awful because his email did not work. Haha. But yes! I will look doing those things, and I will be looking at that link :) thank you so much! I have been told I am a good writer. I love writing :) thank you so much this is alot of very good info for me!
I enjoy band photography, have a couple bands I have good relationships with who invite me to their shows. I also enjoy writing. Where do they put the reviews? I haven't been asked for one, and with most music sites and mags I used to frequent dead, I'm not sure where to even send a writeup these days.
Good advice here, BTW. Thanks.
Thanks to the fact that I dropped out of the computer science faculty and chose to specialize in culture management of photography and video specialization in less than a year, I have made a big love for concerts/gigs shows to capture. I live in a small European country so it's hard to achieve something, but somehow I managed to cover some of the biggest local artists concerts with my photos. But yes, like there was said before, you should start with small local and unknown artists and build a portfolio to look a bit bigger later.
\+ If you are decent writer and can write 400 words easily you should try to create your own music blog. Like I created my own music blog in my native language(only cons right now is for me that i dont have domain i have .wordpress at end but meh mostly right now i focus on quality there and sooner or later i will got that). I wrote old shows (to tell to future artists which i wanna photoshoot that I went there, shot it, and how i felt it, what i was expected from it, etc.) or reviews of whole albums (what I liked, how I felt) + mostly hip-hop, but of album reviews i'm versatile + write some old albums to easier wrote of teenage years vibes :D. So, if you really like music, I suggest you start small and make a simple webpage to put album reviews or some other niche based on music (because if you like albums, like me that should be easily to put at least two reviews at week), and event reviews (maybe you had some quality cell phone photos) etc. and that could maybe speed up your way to step in on concert photography.
\++ For me must have 24-70 2.8 lens, obviously 35 / 50 1.8 are great prime, but 24-70 is great from wide shot to middle tele zoom shot. Like i have 50 1.8 and its just sitting on shelf probably will looking to sell it to earn for other camera or 70-200 2.8 :D
Oh wow! I love Europe so Much. I am from rural Wisconsin, which I know is different but definitely a smaller area, haha.
I love writing and I can easily pop out 400+ words before i even realize it, especially if it is in something I am interested in, like live music. The idea of a music blog is great, but for me I attend smaller bands, as that is what I tend to be more into, so I wonder if it’d gain any traction? I would like to start one anyway, for practice. I wonder if it’d be odd to write about concerts from the ast. Like a year and a half ago? I doubt it, but hey. Who am I to know?
I really do love music, and writing as I have previously stated, and I think that those are both great ideas, writing about shows I’ve been to, and reviewing albums :)
Thank you for the lens recommendations as well, as I am definitely spending money on camera equipment and I am also currently saving up for more :)
Thank you so much for all of this information!!
Because of my illness i was unable to photograph this year till this moment and wanted to reach at least my local top artists, so yeah i wrote about smallest band gigs which i visit and also throwback posts mostly like year ago, to put that nostalgic feeling how great that event was that i remember till this day so... If you have great photo you can easily add great note of that post. Everyone start small to try reaching something bigger, at least you will have some platform to let of something bigger to see what are you capable of. I hope i will not pass out till April because i already have concerts of top artists of my country to shoot and looked to forward to shoot some Worldwide start to make at least small check in my life, next year and i will have at least some platform to show to them depends to them if they accept or declined because not always you will have approved to shoot.
I started off taking photos with an iphone six and a moment lens on it HAHA.
There really is no one way to do it, but the most accessible way would be to get involved with your local music scene. Make a list of all of your local venues and begin attending those shows with your camera. From there you can start photographing and developing your style while getting friendly with the local bands and promoters. It can be worth reaching out to promoters as well and offering to photograph some shows for free entry. Once you feel comfortable enough you can start charging for your work if you would like to do pursue that.
Career wise, some people are very lucky to be adopted by a band that makes it big and takes them on the road with them. Touring is essentially the end game for concert photography and the lifestyle + work commitment (being able to leave your home for 2+ months at a time) will be something you are either built for or not. You might develop a feeling that you constantly have to output masterpieces in order to stay relevant online. Theres plenty more to it but those are the major hurdles i face within my own career doing concert photography full time. You have to be resilient in the fact that you are kind of on your own and many bands and management companies see you as easily replaceable.
On the other hand, if your goal is simply to photograph really cool shows in your area, then getting in with publications is not that hard as long as you make decent work. They will take care of getting you photo passes for the shows you would like to shoot in exchange for your photo services.
Sorry for the Late Reply! :
Haha I am with an iPhone 14 pro max, right now.
My only thing is, that a lot of venues around me do not allow actual cameras, and I feel like I’d be denied entry. I live closest to Madison, WI of which I have gone to venues such as the Sylvee, Majestic, and so on. There are not too many, but I can say I go there enough.
It’d be a dream of mine to travel and photograph an artist on tour, but hometown venues are satiable as well, as I just adore photography and live music.
I get the whole “You may develop a feeling that you constantly have to feel like putting out masterpieces” part, as I do have OCD and I have always wondered if that would be a problem within a “job” or career like that.
I hate to talk about myself, but I would say that I would be understanding to be let go of such a position, and easily replaced, and I understand that I would have to have some sort of “niche” for lack of a better term, or a certain style.
I am happy with trying my hand in talking to publications, and I love writing, and it helps especially if what I am right about is something that I love, like music.
thank you so much for all of your input, information and help! :)
Concert photography isn't about portfolio but who you write for. I've just started and I'm part of a publication. In a matter of months, I'm now shooting in one of the main venues in London.
If you need any advice give me message
I'd say this community is really helpful for getting started, as is Todd's site that this link leads to: [https://ishootshows.com/music-photography-discord/](https://ishootshows.com/music-photography-discord/)
Thank you so much! I will definitely look into that! Thank you so much! :)
You sound a lot like me about a year ago! The first place to start is with local places. Bigger venues and even smaller clubs might not let you in with a camera without a photo pass, but there are usually other places (small clubs, bars) that have live music and let anyone bring a camera in. Those are your best bet to really accelerate your career and learn at the same time. Honestly if you hit up a place like that 2-3 times, you’ll come away with pics of anywhere from 8-10 total bands and most likely have to do it in less-than-stellar lighting conditions. It’s not the most glamorous start, but it’s a great place to experiment and gain more experience in a low-pressure environment. Also? Smaller bands are usually EXTREMELY appreciative of any pics taken of them (whether you give them to the band to use or just post them on socials), and a lot of the smaller bands I shot at the beginning of getting started have since hired me to shoot them again later in the year because they liked my work from the first time! When you have a decent portfolio that can give some good examples of the kind of work you produce, there are a few ways you can go. You can contact bands directly on social media to ask to cover them, or you can sometimes reach out to venues specifically to cover shows for them. In both of those cases, your chances of a ‘yes’ are better if you’re writing for a publication. Usually in exchange for the photo pass you get, the band/pr/venue wants a written review of the show. But if you can write decently well, your odds of getting approved for big shows go up soooo much if you have a publication behind you. Like I said, I just started doing this in January and I’ve covered some huge bands in my first 10 months, and that’s from having a reputable publication behind me. Examples here: https://www.musicscenemedia.com/tag/rich-funk/
Thank you so much!!I have actually been asked to give some videos, not pics of mine to one smaller band. Felt awful because his email did not work. Haha. But yes! I will look doing those things, and I will be looking at that link :) thank you so much! I have been told I am a good writer. I love writing :) thank you so much this is alot of very good info for me!
I enjoy band photography, have a couple bands I have good relationships with who invite me to their shows. I also enjoy writing. Where do they put the reviews? I haven't been asked for one, and with most music sites and mags I used to frequent dead, I'm not sure where to even send a writeup these days. Good advice here, BTW. Thanks.
Thanks to the fact that I dropped out of the computer science faculty and chose to specialize in culture management of photography and video specialization in less than a year, I have made a big love for concerts/gigs shows to capture. I live in a small European country so it's hard to achieve something, but somehow I managed to cover some of the biggest local artists concerts with my photos. But yes, like there was said before, you should start with small local and unknown artists and build a portfolio to look a bit bigger later. \+ If you are decent writer and can write 400 words easily you should try to create your own music blog. Like I created my own music blog in my native language(only cons right now is for me that i dont have domain i have .wordpress at end but meh mostly right now i focus on quality there and sooner or later i will got that). I wrote old shows (to tell to future artists which i wanna photoshoot that I went there, shot it, and how i felt it, what i was expected from it, etc.) or reviews of whole albums (what I liked, how I felt) + mostly hip-hop, but of album reviews i'm versatile + write some old albums to easier wrote of teenage years vibes :D. So, if you really like music, I suggest you start small and make a simple webpage to put album reviews or some other niche based on music (because if you like albums, like me that should be easily to put at least two reviews at week), and event reviews (maybe you had some quality cell phone photos) etc. and that could maybe speed up your way to step in on concert photography. \++ For me must have 24-70 2.8 lens, obviously 35 / 50 1.8 are great prime, but 24-70 is great from wide shot to middle tele zoom shot. Like i have 50 1.8 and its just sitting on shelf probably will looking to sell it to earn for other camera or 70-200 2.8 :D
Oh wow! I love Europe so Much. I am from rural Wisconsin, which I know is different but definitely a smaller area, haha. I love writing and I can easily pop out 400+ words before i even realize it, especially if it is in something I am interested in, like live music. The idea of a music blog is great, but for me I attend smaller bands, as that is what I tend to be more into, so I wonder if it’d gain any traction? I would like to start one anyway, for practice. I wonder if it’d be odd to write about concerts from the ast. Like a year and a half ago? I doubt it, but hey. Who am I to know? I really do love music, and writing as I have previously stated, and I think that those are both great ideas, writing about shows I’ve been to, and reviewing albums :) Thank you for the lens recommendations as well, as I am definitely spending money on camera equipment and I am also currently saving up for more :) Thank you so much for all of this information!!
Because of my illness i was unable to photograph this year till this moment and wanted to reach at least my local top artists, so yeah i wrote about smallest band gigs which i visit and also throwback posts mostly like year ago, to put that nostalgic feeling how great that event was that i remember till this day so... If you have great photo you can easily add great note of that post. Everyone start small to try reaching something bigger, at least you will have some platform to let of something bigger to see what are you capable of. I hope i will not pass out till April because i already have concerts of top artists of my country to shoot and looked to forward to shoot some Worldwide start to make at least small check in my life, next year and i will have at least some platform to show to them depends to them if they accept or declined because not always you will have approved to shoot.
I started off taking photos with an iphone six and a moment lens on it HAHA. There really is no one way to do it, but the most accessible way would be to get involved with your local music scene. Make a list of all of your local venues and begin attending those shows with your camera. From there you can start photographing and developing your style while getting friendly with the local bands and promoters. It can be worth reaching out to promoters as well and offering to photograph some shows for free entry. Once you feel comfortable enough you can start charging for your work if you would like to do pursue that. Career wise, some people are very lucky to be adopted by a band that makes it big and takes them on the road with them. Touring is essentially the end game for concert photography and the lifestyle + work commitment (being able to leave your home for 2+ months at a time) will be something you are either built for or not. You might develop a feeling that you constantly have to output masterpieces in order to stay relevant online. Theres plenty more to it but those are the major hurdles i face within my own career doing concert photography full time. You have to be resilient in the fact that you are kind of on your own and many bands and management companies see you as easily replaceable. On the other hand, if your goal is simply to photograph really cool shows in your area, then getting in with publications is not that hard as long as you make decent work. They will take care of getting you photo passes for the shows you would like to shoot in exchange for your photo services.
Sorry for the Late Reply! : Haha I am with an iPhone 14 pro max, right now. My only thing is, that a lot of venues around me do not allow actual cameras, and I feel like I’d be denied entry. I live closest to Madison, WI of which I have gone to venues such as the Sylvee, Majestic, and so on. There are not too many, but I can say I go there enough. It’d be a dream of mine to travel and photograph an artist on tour, but hometown venues are satiable as well, as I just adore photography and live music. I get the whole “You may develop a feeling that you constantly have to feel like putting out masterpieces” part, as I do have OCD and I have always wondered if that would be a problem within a “job” or career like that. I hate to talk about myself, but I would say that I would be understanding to be let go of such a position, and easily replaced, and I understand that I would have to have some sort of “niche” for lack of a better term, or a certain style. I am happy with trying my hand in talking to publications, and I love writing, and it helps especially if what I am right about is something that I love, like music. thank you so much for all of your input, information and help! :)
Concert photography isn't about portfolio but who you write for. I've just started and I'm part of a publication. In a matter of months, I'm now shooting in one of the main venues in London. If you need any advice give me message
That is amazing, I will definitely message you I love writing, and I love taking pictures :) Thank you so much, and I apologize for the late reply! :)