FEATURE:
Take Your Best Shot
PHOTO CREDIT: @andre_furtado/Unsplash
The Importance and Value of Music Photography
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IT is clear that…
PHOTO CREDIT: @aflynnn/Unsplash
without music photographers, there would really be no music journalism! The two go hand in hand. I have always respected photographers and, apart from an expensive bit of trouble earlier this year regarding use of an image on my site, my relationship with music photographers has been care-free and convivial – it is quite expensive clearing photos and those times when I have to pay for images have hit me hard (but that is the way it goes). My site does not make any money and there is no advertising so, for me, it can be quite tricky trying to stay afloat and include the content I want to. This year has been a rough one for everyone in the music industry, but I especially feel sorry for artists. They have really not been able to play live, and it is particularly tough for new artists coming through who might have been planning a busy 2020. Venues are closed so, when they do open next year, I think many are going to be booked up and it will mean acts who were hoping to get into the mix this year might have to wait until 2022! It is really tough, but the same can be said for music photographers. Unlike musicians, there is not really the option to do virtual gigs and find a way around the pandemic. I know they can still work and do what they do, but the whole industry has been hit hard and there is far less new photography out there.
I will talk about gigs and the importance of photography there but, on a basic level, artists require photographs so that they can get their faces seen and music spread. Even though I am not selling what I do and have any commercial ambition, I have had photographs taken professionally because it projects an image and people like to put a face to a name. Technology allows us all to take photos all of the time and add any filter we want, but I get sort of bothered when artists rely on these lo-fi and often scrappy images to promote themselves! I can appreciate how having photos taken is expensive and one cannot do it too often but the impact these images can make is amazing. Many artists will be featured in the press and on blogs; a great photo can hook people in and almost make or break an artist. I have turned down so many artists for interviews and reviews – back when I used to accept requests – based on slapdash and insignificant images; a few pretty bad photos and not a lot else. I have no patience for those artists who say that the ‘music does all the talking’, so, in their minds, they do not need photos taken. Those who feel that image quality is not important are wrong and, so often, I skate past an artist on social media because their photo portfolio is understocked and woeful. This is where photographers come in. Not only are they capturing an artist in a unique moment and helping them find an audience, but I think a relationship can be struck. Many artists use the same photographers because they feel at ease and like they are being represented in the best possible way.
A great shot can last as long as the music in terms of staying in the mind, and I love a great concept where the artist is brought to life and visualised in a way you would not imagine from their music. Prices do vary between photographers, but most are really reasonable - and artists need to think of it as an investment. Many bands cannot get close to one another at the moment, so fewer creative shots are being taken in this area. In a lot of cases it might not be until next year when new and established bands can get some images taken when they are close and have feel normal! There are great articles like this that underline the fact that, frequently, images arrive before the music does:
“Often times before your music is even heard, you’re seen. Whether this be in a record store, on social media, a flier, whatever. That’s just what it is.
High quality, professional imagery shows that you’re not willing to skimp on every detail. And that you’re taking the whole experience of your listeners into consideration.
Getting the attention of your listeners is important. Your music will for sure get their attention, but you want your first visual impression to be a good one.
Your music or whatever else you create is your art, letting other artists into your art with you can be a lot of fun and can expand what you’ve made into other mediums”.
PHOTO CREDIT: @andre_furtado/Unsplash
We all know legendary photographers like RANKIN and Danny Clinch, and, through the years, there have been iconic images posted and shared of much-loved artists. It is impossible to properly explore music photography through the decades but, if you want a guide to good photographers of the moment, then articles like this and this give you some guidance. Historically, I think music photography has been vital when it comes to seeing artists in a new light. Often, interviews can be misleading, or artists do not really give much of themselves away. Photography, I think, allows them to be more open and natural. That is true today. One can get an impression of who an artist or band is through their music; you can listen or read interviews and that will go some way but, really, I think great photography can put artists at ease and paint more than a thousand words. One of my favourite photographers of the moment, Pooneh Ghana, is masterful when it comes to getting the best out of artists – and capturing those brilliant live shots! In an interview from 2017, Ghana was asked about her start and working in different mediums:
“When did you know you wanted to be a photographer? How did you get your start?
It was a very gradual thing that happened. In high school, I stumbled upon Lomography’s website and instantly fell in love with their cameras/films. I also loved the community of photographers on their website all sharing each other’s work and posting photography tips. It created a really inspiring atmosphere for me at that time. From there, I started shooting on a bunch of cheap film cameras I’d buy off the internet and take them to shows with me for fun.
IN THIS PHOTO: The Big Moon/PHOTO CREDIT: Pooneh Ghana
That was also around the same time I bought a Polaroid camera and started snapping polaroids of the bands I’d go see and meet at the shows. I did it all totally as a hobby at that time, without a photo pass or anything. I lived in San Antonio and would travel up to Austin almost every week to go to see a band. Or if it wasn’t Austin, I would plan a trip that involved either going to a bunch of shows or going to a festival. I started uploading my shots to Flickr, and really came to enjoy music photography more as I did it. I wanted to learn more and more about photography in general, things like developing film, which light modifiers to use, which lenses to buy, how to get into the photo pits at show, how to build a portfolio, etc. I think at some point I just figured that I love photography, live music, supporting the bands I love, traveling, and working on my own schedule, so let’s try to make this music photographer thing work!
What was the first camera you picked up? Do you still use it?
A Holga was the first camera I ever bought, but my dad’s Pentax K1000 was the first camera I ever picked up. I remember loving to play on it when I was kid, even though I had no idea what I was doing with it. I have a different Pentax now that I love shooting on, and the K1000 is still with my dad.
PHOTO CREDIT: @joshrocklage/Unsplash
What’s the best part of shooting live music? What’s the best part of shooting portraits? Do you prefer one over the other?
I like both just as equally. With live music, you don’t really have control of your environment or what’s gonna happen while you’re shooting. All you can do is be alert during the performance and have your camera ready to capture those perfect moments and the energy of the room. On the opposite spectrum with portraits, you have complete control of what’s going on in the photo and of the subject. The lighting, setting, positioning of everyone in the shot, etc., can all typically be controlled and modified to bring an exact idea to life. I love the intimacy of shooting portraits as well. So I’d say live music and portraits both inspire a lot of creativity in shooting, but in completely different ways. Which is why I wouldn’t want to choose one over the other”.
If you are interested in becoming a music photographer then there are guides out there, and I think there is a greater demand now than ever. With so many new artists out there, I think good music photographers are a precious resource. It can be hard to make a good living from it at the start and, in a hard year like 2020, there are fewer opportunities for photographers. Whilst the cost of starting out even on a budget level can be quite expensive, I don’t think photographers should be put off.
PHOTO CREDIT: @aljandro/Unsplash
There is less money available shooting live, but there are ways to make money. For many photographers, the main source of their income will be shooting portraits and albums/single covers. The value that photographers bring to artists is immense, and I think they are unsung heroes when it comes to pushing an artist’s music to new people and getting them recognised. A great visual spread online can make such a big difference in terms of marketing, and a perfect shot that catches your eye can draw you to the music and, from there, you are connected to that artist. One of the biggest loses of this year is live music and, with it, the lack of great live photography. Obviously, nearly everyone these days takes shots at gigs, and that has made it hard for a lot of photographers to compete. The expertise and undeniable quality that a professional brings to the table (as opposed fans) is huge! As this article explains, live photography is hugely important for artists:
“However, concert photography is way more than just taking you back into the concert you saw the other night, or a concert you saw ten years ago. It is almost critical for any musician to have pictures taken of them at their shows. It is a form of promotion. Those pictures are what makes people WANT to attend a show because it “looked” fun, or epic. Concert photography is also an art form. A form self expression. But also something that triggers the feelings of others. It affects the lives of others”.
I don’t think we should undervalue music photography and how important it is. Artists can photo themselves, but it is less likely to make an impression than the sort of invention and quality one gets from a professional. Let’s hope that things start to get back to normal next year and we can enjoy some brilliantly engaging live shots and portraits of new and existing artists. There have been some great images shot this year but, in a weird and limited year, not quite as many as usual. Music is important to us all and we all put so much stock in artists, but I really think that music photographers (and the role they play) should be…
PHOTO CREDIT: Memory for life ↗/Unsplash
PUT in the spotlight.