|
That’s It. Click. Lovely. Click. Just like that. Click. Hold it…..Click. Got it! The work of a professional music photographer is something more special than the casual snaps seen on social media sites taken via hand-held cell phones and Tweeted ‘round the world with low-resolution, or worse, blurry to the point of indistinguishable— who wants to squint at a memento and say, “Who is that? What show was that?!?” or worse, “What the #?!” “I missed the shot!!” Sometimes even professionals miss the shot, is that a trade secret here? From the back of the room, the last row, a shot above the heads in the crowd facing down that empty stage with the waiting microphones and stage monitors, the quiet instruments, a humming amplifier or two, a little feedback just to tease, warm up the room with a hint of the show’s beginning… Click. The show rolls along, the songs and sounds wash over the crowd, sometimes hysteric, other times unimpressed. Ah, a job’s a job. Click. But you do not always get concert shots, do you, Mr. Music Photographer? Nor do you find the interesting artistic pictures in the studio? That is why you take these bands out into the streets for something “exotic”. Everyone looks like they’re having a good time, enjoying what they do, where they are, enjoying life, sharing in the beauty of the world. The music photographer has got a good eye and can take that special shot. Influenced by Karsh, perhaps? Click. Reload? From the wings, or maybe from above looking down from the lighting rigs, the catwalk—maybe just at the right moment when the fireball high note leaves the lead singer’s mouth or the fireworks explode on cue to the last few snare drum taps capturing the send-off at the end of the awesome show just before the band darts offstage to catch their breath and then return to the adoring crowd of screaming fans for the encore…. It’s been a rock and roll show, alright…. Click. Not only documenting for fans their music heroes in action, whether onstage, backstage, poolside at the hotel, in the car en route to a radio publicity stop, in the tour bus out there on the road somewhere between gigs and a chance to catch 40 winks, or waiting at the airport, train station, chip shop, etc….. but also documenting history. For some people music is a way of life, for others it’s a living, for other people it is the only reason to live. And you are there capturing the moments that most people do not get to be witness to. Thank you, music photographer. You have seen from behind your lens all sorts of musicians, fans, roadies, gear, album covers, magazine covers – you have seen them come and go and you make them stay in our minds and hearts. You have had a job most people would die for. Seen most of the greats and helped shaped some of those legends too. Has it rubbed off? Are you a legend too, now? A name? A brand? A reputation? Hey, music photographer, you’ve given us a bloody marvelous body of work over the years. You’ve seen the world in ways most people only dream of, and yet thankfully, you’ve let people see that world too—now let’s get a drink, luv. Let’s hear some stories.
Related Articles -
music, photographer,
|
