Boudist » Music Photography

Rock Photography panel discussion

Daniel Boud — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:49:23 +0000

Nick Cave does not endorse this event - but he does signify 'Rock Photography'

This Friday evening Tony Mott (music photography legend), Joe Ferrara (Art Director of Rolling Stone Australia) and little old me are talking at the Australian Centre for Photography about “Rock Photography“.

Tony will give a 30 minute presentation which will leave you in awe of his career and give you plenty of chuckles – then it’s over to a panel discussion with all three of us which is chaired by Tali Udovich from Blender gallery.

Some of the things up for discussion will include:

How to get started as a photographer?
How do unknown photographers get their work published?
When does the artist pay? When does the record company pay? When does the magazine pay? When don’t you get paid?
How much can you expect to be paid for an image?
On a technical level, what are the basics that you must ensure are in place with each image?
What makes a great image?

We’ll be taking questions from the audience, so it’s your chance to find out from those working in the industry whatever you want to know.

I know i’ll certainly be keen to hear from Rolling Stone how you get an assignment from them these days. And how a freelance photographer can compete with the Getty behemoth.

If there’s anything in particular you’d like to ask, leave a comment here and i’ll make sure it gets addressed.

In summary:

What: Panel discussion on Rock Photography
When: Friday 19th February 2010, 6-8pm
Where: Australian Centre for Photography, 257 Oxford St Paddington
Why: Everything you ever wanted to know about rock photography and tales from the frontline
How much: $10 for ACP Members, $20 for non-members

Them Crooked Photo Contracts

Daniel Boud — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:13:25 +0000

Is publishing this Coldplay photo really damaging the artist?

I was asked for comment by The Music Network the other week about a photo contract that photographers were required to sign in order to shoot Them Crooked Vultures live. The article was prompted by a discussion thread on Flickr about it. I thought i’d expand my thoughts on the issue.

You may have noticed that I don’t photograph nearly as much live music as I used to. That’s for a number of reasons, but largely because i’m tired of having to sign away the rights to my photographs every time I shoot a show as an accredited photographer.

Most times a photographer is let into a concert to shoot their first three songs, they are made to sign a contract in order to get in. That contract is sometimes with the concert promoter, sometimes with band management.

What the contract normally states is along the lines of “by allowing you to photograph this concert you are limited to publishing the photos once only in the one publication you represent”. Except it’s expressed in much more legalistic jargon.

Alarmingly what is becoming even more commonplace is contracts that explicitly take away the photographers copyright and moral rights and transfer it to the band.

What that means is that without paying the photographer a cent, the bands management could demand the photos from a photographer and print them on t-shirts, album covers or posters and not even credit the photographer.

Them Crooked Vultures photo contract

I find it frustrating enough to have to limit where my photos appear to one publication, but these contracts are getting even more exploitative.

Is it legal and enforceable?

When i asked veteran concert photographer Tony Mott what he thinks of contracts he said,

“I ignore them. They’re illegal anyway. My only advice is don’t argue because then you don’t get your access. Just sign it, date it and time it. Almost instantaneously it becomes null and void. To have a contract you need to have consulted a lawyer. Plus, they never give you a copy.”

Read more at Mess and Noise.

Unfortunately legal opinion doesn’t seem to be on Tony’s side. At the Underexposed music photography symposium copyright specialist Ellen Beattie explained that the contracts are legal and binding. Similarly, lawyer Michael Easton told The Music Network,

“You should only sign something if you are happy to be bound by it”.

Making a mint from concert photos

I think artist’s management seem to think that photographers are getting rich off their image – it’s so far from the truth. Most photographers are actually there due to a passion for their craft and a love of music. The monetary compensation is meagre.

By instituting a contract that robs the photographer of the right to publish their photos, or even be acknowledged as the photographer is a kick in the face.

Cruel intentions?

I don’t think the artist’s intention is to actually go through with demanding photographer’s images and exploiting them for nothing, and i’ve never heard of that happening, so i think it’s an incredibly heavy handed and unnecessary approach.

I think all photographers would be happy with an agreement that denied any rights to reproduce images for commercial use. We don’t want to sell the images for unauthorised merchandise; t-shirts, posters and the like.

What we do want is the right to publish our photos on our own websites. We want the right to say yes to Rolling Stone or SPIN magazine when they get in contact about publishing our photos. We want to be able to use our photos for editorial use, which is generally positive publicity for the artist.

How much harm can no contract be?

U2: photographer friendly

You may have heard of the little Dublin band called U2. They have no photo contract at all. AC/DC? No photo contract. It doesn’t seem to have adversely affected their careers or limited their ability to make money from their image.

At any concert, all the fans in the crowd who photograph the show don’t sign a contract. Their photos can be just as good quality as the professionals, plus they can shoot after the three song limit. Are all those fan photos damaging the artist? There’s nothing stopping those fans selling or publishing their photos.

Paying for a ticket and shooting the whole show can yield better photos than being accredited

A fairer solution

If bands deem it necessary to have a contract which states the terms of entry then i think it really only needs to state the basics:

First three songs, no flash
Entry is at the photographers own risk
The photos will be used for editorial use only – no commercial use allowed

I’d love to hear opinions from those in the industry about why this contract wouldn’t work?

Any other opinions from photographers? Bands? Management? Tour promoters?

Britpop live music photo exhibition

Daniel Boud — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:55:37 +0000

Next week i’m having a little photo show with a couple of snapper mates, in association with the British Indie night Britpop.

It’ll be me, Graham Denholm and Mark Metcalfe, all showing photos of British bands performing.

I’ve managed to dig out the trinity of britpop heroes Noel Gallagher, Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albarn plus more modern fare such as The Horrors, Editors, New Young Pony Club and Amy Winehouse.

There’s a preview night this Wednesday from 6-9pm, with free beer courtesy of VB Raw.

It’s an invite only affair – but consider yourself invited – just RSVP to john@britpop.com.au

Then on Saturday 7th November, it’ll be open alongside Britpop, the british indie club night.

It all happens at The Abercrombie Hotel in Chippendale. Cnr Broadway and Abercrombie St.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll see.

The Horrors by Daniel Boud

The Pipettes by Daniel Boud

Arctic Monkeys by Graham Denholm

Franz Ferdinand by Graham Denholm

Kaiser Chiefs by Mark Metcalfe

Doves by Mark Metcalfe

Hope to see you there.

Bluejuice through the years

Daniel Boud — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:13:17 +0000

Jake Stone in an outtake from the Problems album shoot. January 2007

To coincide with the release of bluejuice’s new album Head of the Hawk, i dug out some of my photos from the archives for a pictorial retrospective in Tangent magazine.

Stav and Jake at Megaphon studios on the day they recorded Vitriol. July 2006

At Big Jesus Burger studios during recording of Head of the Hawk. January 2009

Jake taking time out at Big Jesus Burger studios. January 2009

The complicated relationship of duelling frontmen Jake and Stav. January 2007

Kylie Keene photographing bluejuice at Splendour in the Grass. August 2008

Jake crowd surfing at the Sydney Big Day Out. January 2008

Jake, walking around on a broken leg. June 2008

The album art for their first album, Problems. January 2007

Jake, totally spent, moments after finishing a show at The Metro. June 2009

Bluejuice is in the midst of an Australian tour at the moment and Head of the Hawk is out now.

Wolfmother lays their Cosmic Egg

Daniel Boud — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:45:37 +0000

Wolfmother II played a free outdoor concert at the Entertainment Quarter (always Fox Studios to me) last Friday for Take 40 Live and Guitar Hero 5.

It was good to shoot them on a relatively small stage for a change, not the festival stages they primarily grace these days.

With TV lighting, an enthusiastic crowd and a light spatter of rain it was a pleasure to photograph.

Erin McNaught filming for MTV

You can see some video from the show online or on Channel 9 this Sunday at 1pm.

For a journey through Wolfmother’s past see my Wolfmother archives.

Interview with Tony Mott

Daniel Boud — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:48:02 +0000

An interview i did with music photographer veteran Tony Mott has just been published on Mess and Noise.

We spoke for about half an hour over Skype, me in Sydney, Tony in his temporary home in Melbourne.

Tony’s someone i’ve always admired in the photography business. He’s gotten where he has through sheer passion for his work and by being a gentleman. It’s a good reminder that sometimes nice guys finish first.

Here’s a few choice quotes from the conversation.

On photo contracts:

“I ignore them. They’re illegal anyway. My only advice is, don’t argue because then you don’t get your access. Just sign it, date it and time it. Almost instantaneously it becomes null and void.”

On Getty Images:

“Getty are obviously quite evil in their strategy and do want to rule the world.”

On competitive photographers:

“Some other photographers always seem to feel like they’re competing with other photographers, i think i’m competing with myself. I always want to be better than i am.”

On switching to digital:

“I hate digital. I still shoot film, but digital’s that much easier and cheaper. People say digital is better, but it’s not better, it’s easier.”

“The good news is that digital is easy to do, the bad news is that it’s harder to sell. Everyone’s doing it.”

On photographing Coldplay at the 2001 Big Day Out:

“We did a session in Auckland and it was really fucking rubbish.”

On why he keeps shooting:

“The beauty of photography is that you’re never the best you’ll ever be. You’ve always got new ideas. I just genuinely enjoy photography.”

Read the whole thing.

You can see Tony talk about his 25 year career if you’re in Melbourne tomorrow night at the Thornbury Theatre.

Children Collide : a photo retrospective 2004-2009

Daniel Boud — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:19:52 +0000

For no reason in particular and in no particular order, here’s some Children Collide photos from the archives.

At the 2009 Big Day Out.

At The Annandale in 2008. This show got a rave review from Time Out.

At Homebake 2006.

At the opening night of now defunct Rebel Rebel.

At SXSW in 2007.

Johnny with Vincent Juggernaut in 2004 at Switchblade Sister.

With Simon from The Cops at a Reverberation gig in 2005.

Back with one of their original drummers at Candy’s Apartment in 2005.

At Spectrum in 2006.

They’re on tour again and have just been added to V Festival. Check out their myspace for details.

Gig photography etiquette

Daniel Boud — Thu, 03 May 2007 01:03:31 +0000

The letter above appears in this week’s Drum Media. Apologies for the crappy picture, i just snapped it quickly on my phone.

Despite being a concert snapper myself, i wholeheartedly agree with everything this punter says. It makes me so irate when i see other photographers do stupid stuff like point their external flash backwards into the faces of the crowd and snap away continuously at the action on stage.

There is an etiquette to concert photography and those photographers who are so arrogant or so unaware of the annoyance they’re causing give us all a bad name.

Concert Photography Masterclass : Part 2

Daniel Boud — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 18:15:11 +0000

This is the second and final part of my guide to concert photography.

Technique

You can be technically adept but still take poor photos, the trick is knowing when to click the shutter. Watch the performance for a moment, where is the light on stage? You may have to wait for the performer to move into the light.

My favourite shots are ones that show emotion and energy. Go for a shot when the singer steps away from the mic, you don’t want it obscuring your shot.
Try and get one when the singer is "in the moment", reaching for a high note or gesticulating.

The other thing to remember is that shooting digital means you can take lots of photos. Go nuts.

ISO 1600 | F2.8 | 28mm | 1/320 sec

Keep an eye on the background and lighting. Backlighting your subject can give a beautiful effect

Consider the background

While you’ll be concentrating hard on capturing the performer in the foreground don’t forget to keep an eye on what’s visible in the background of the frame. A simple backdrop is usually best, so position yourself to avoid getting the lighting rig or advertising banners in the back of your shot. Any clutter in the background will just distract from the focal point of your shot.

One effect that can look good is backlighting the subject. If you spot a particularly bright spotlight behind a performer move around till it’s directly behind the subject. It’ll give them a warm halo of light. A solar eclipse-like effect.

ISO 800 | F2.8 | 28mm | 1/125 sec

Sometimes the action off-stage is just as photo worthy as the action on-stage.

The Atmosphere

While the action on stage is what you’re primarily there to record, don’t forget to look around you and capture other elements to the show.

Once you know you’ve got some great shots of the performance think about grabbing some shots of the crowd. If you can get the performer and the crowd in the same shot, even better.

If you’re photographing a festival, shots of the audience and the vibe of the day are particularly important. Think of Glastonbury, and it’s images of floods and mud soaked punters that come to mind before any particular performer.

A music festival is about a lot more than the acts on stage, and you ought to take photos to tell that story.

Editing, flash and ettiquette

After you’ve taken hundreds of shots at a show, cull them down to the best 20 or 30. Then cull that down to the best 3.

If you’re going to show other people your photos don’t show them everything, just the very best.

They’ll assume all your shots are that good.

Photoshop

Sometimes your photos may need a tweak in post-processing. This isn’t unique to digital photography, people have been tinkering in dark rooms forever so it’s certainly not cheating to adjust your images in Photoshop. I usually just adjust the levels.

To make the blacks really black, bring up the contrast a little. Don’t change too much though, it’ll just look obvious and cheesy. Plus photo agencies and publications may not accept images that have been overly manipulated.

Photoshop can also help you remove an overwhelming colour cast, which under stage light is often red. Try tweaking the curves and colour balance to find a level that looks natural.

ISO 800 | F1.8 | 50mm | 1/200sec

The venue this shot was taken at only had red stage light, the bane of a concert photographer’s existence. Photoshop to the rescue! A tweak of the colour balance and a spot of burning improved this shot while still looking natural.

Sometimes the colour of the stage light will be so murky and red that the image is almost unusable. In this instance try converting your image to black and white and the image may improve dramatically.

Be aware that very few publications will run black and white photos these days though.

For shots taken at high ISO values you may want to run your shots through noise reduction software. Noise Ninja and Neat Image are widely used and quite effective.

Flash and etiquette

Flash is generally forbidden in concerts but sometimes unavoidable to get a decent shot. I wouldn’t use an on-camera flash, an external flash will work much better.

If you’re in a small venue try bouncing it off a ceiling or wall – not in the performer or audiences face. Don’t go overboard with the flash, it’s distracting and quickly irritating, so if you have to use it keep it to an absolute minimum.

ISO 400 | F2.8 | 59mm | 1/125 sec

If it bleeds, it leads. When I saw Ryan Jarman from The Cribs bleeding from the mouth I knew the red stage light wouldn’t pick it up. A good time to use a flash.

Etiquette

Be nice to those around you. If you’re shooting from the audience don’t just shove your way to the front.

If you want to get closer, tap someone on the shoulder, smile and ask if they mind you moving forward to take some photos.
If you need to stand right in front of someone ask them if they mind and promise you’ll only be there for a minute. Keep that promise and move on.

If you’re in the photo pit be considerate of your fellow photographers. Keep an eye out for them and never walk in front of a shot while they’re composing it.

Always respect security, if they tell you to stop taking photos it’s not worth the hassle to argue.

Just put your camera away and enjoy the show.

Well that’s my advice all wrapped up, i hope you found it useful.

If you haven’t seen the first part, check out Concert Photography Masterclass.

Concert Photography Masterclass

Daniel Boud — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 05:12:41 +0000

For issue 46 of Digital Photographer magazine i wrote an article about concert photography. It gives an overview of everything an aspiring live music photographer might want to know.

I republish it here across two posts. I’ll outline the preparation you’ll need to do before you get to the venue, the process for acquiring a photo pass, the gear you’ll need, the settings you might want to use, some thoughts on technique, etiquette and editing.

Iggy Pop

ISO 800 | f4.5 | 90mm | 1/250 sec

Imagine you’re at a concert and instead of finding your seat at the back of the arena or contending with hundreds of sardine-like punters, you’re ushered to the very front, right at the performers’ feet.

If you score a photo pass, that could be you.

But you’re not there for fun; you have a job to do: to quickly capture on camera the essence and energy of the performance.

Several factors make stage photography a challenge, including unpredictable action, low lighting, a moving subject and a restricted time limit.

If you have a photo pass you’ll likely be set with the industry standard ‘three songs, no flash’ rule. That gives you about 10 minutes to quickly judge the stage light and capture the action on stage. Without a pass you’ll be physically constrained and annoying other punters while you’re shooting.

The upshot is, you’re photographing a performance, which by its nature ought to be dramatic and visually appealing. The performer is on stage to entertain, looking their best under atmospheric stage light, giving it their all.

While this article is specifically geared to live music, much of the advice is applicable to any low light or stage photography.

ISO 800 | F2.8 | 30mm | 1/160 sec

This relatively unknown band called The Scare may not be high profile, but a shot this dramatic can make a great addition to your portfolio.

Before the show and choosing gear

If you’ve never shot a live performance before, be hesitant before pulling strings to request or accept a photo pass for a big concert. Photographing action on stage is quite different to any other type of photography, and until you’ve practiced enough, you may not be ready for the big stages.

If you do get a photo pass for a big gig, you’ll have to work very quickly, in the dark, surrounded by other photographers, security and fans.

You’ll want to feel totally confident about your ability to choose the right gear and settings so you don’t stuff up a big assignment.

Spend some weeks (or months) shooting events at small, local venues.

You’ll have to get used to working with stage light and anticipating what makes a good shot before requesting pit access.

Getting a Photo Pass

Once you’re confident in your ability to take stage photographs you’ll want to aim to get access to the photo pit for bigger performances. It’s a tightly guarded area in front of the stage.

Access is usually controlled by the concert promoter, and can be gained from the band’s manager or the tour manager, but rarely the actual venue.

Your role as an accredited photographer is to capture the performance on camera in order for those images to be published.

You’re part of the give and take of the publicity machine; in exchange for access to a show it’s expected your photos will be published to further promote the act.

That means in order to request a pass you need to be accredited via a publication or photo agency. It’s unlikely you’ll be granted photo pit access as an unaffiliated freelance photographer.

If you don’t already work with a publication that could seek photo access, you may have to start at the bottom and begin sending your portfolio to different publications advertising your services as a concert photographer.

Many concert shooters start out working for free for online publications or street press before they migrate to more mainstream media outlets.

It’s probably the best way to start out and improve your skills.

ISO 800 | F2.8 | 28mm | 1/60 sec

Shot from the crowd at a Dandy Warhols concert. You don’t need a photo pass to get some great shots.

Preparation

Being prepared doesn’t just mean having the right gear. If you’ve got a photo pass it means double-checking the pass is confirmed before you get to the venue and knowing the name and number of the tour manager or promoter should any problems arise at the venue.

If you’re anticipating having to change lenses, have the other lens out of your camera bag ready to switch. Some photographers shoot with two cameras slung over their shoulder, one mounted with a wide-angle lens, the other with a telephoto.

You also ought to have a spare battery and flash card ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Gear

The Camera

Nearly all concert shooters work on digital SLRs. Because much stage shooting is in low light, you’ll often be using an ISO setting of 800 or above.

When choosing a camera make sure you get one that performs without too much digital noise in that range. The Canon 400D (aka Rebel XTi) or newer 450D (aka Rebel XSi) is very capable, as are most of the newer model SLRs.

Lenses

It all depends on the venue and the light but generally my preference is for large aperture (f2.8 or below) prime lenses. They’re the fastest lenses you’re likely to find and are often just that bit sharper than zooms.

There’s no excuse for not having a 50mm f1.8 lens in your kit, they can be found new for around $100.

Once you’ve got that mid-range covered you’ll want to look at the other extremes: a wide-angle and a possibly a telephoto.

Keep in mind that if you’re shooting from the front of the stage a long telephoto isn’t usually necessary and you’re better off with something wider. You’ll find yourself shooting less than 100mm most of the time.

ISO 800 | F8 | 28mm | 1/160 sec

As with all photography, it’s all about the lighting. Good lighting, a great pose and click, you’ve got yourself a killer shot.

Gear Guide

Here is some camera equipment that might come in handy shooting live music. It’s a mix a some high end professional gear and more affordable but very good mid-range gear.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
The ultimate festival or arena companion. It helps get closer to the action on the bigger stages, and the image stabilisation helps in the low light.

Nikon AF-S VR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED
For the Nikon shooter who needs a telephoto zoom. With handy vibration reduction.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
A great low-light performer with a wide aperture. The Canon 50mm f1.8 also offers excellent value for money.

Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4
Very good in low-light, which is essential for stage shooting.

Tamron SP AF28-75MM F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF)
Much better value than the Canon or Nikon equivalent. This versatile lens covers the useful 28-75mm range.

Canon EOS 450D
You don’t need the top of the line digital SLR to successfully a capture live performance. This little gem performs well at high ISO’s necessary for low light shooting.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III N
For the professional who requires a fast and rugged camera. This beast has 21.1 megapixels and shoots 5 frames per second.

Camera Settings

ISO

You’ll probably want to set your ISO level to 800 or 1600. At 1600 the images will be getting grainy, but that’s sometimes unavoidable. If you’re in a venue with plenty of light set your ISO lower.

Metering

If your camera allows you to change the type of light metering you should set it to spot mode if available, or partial metering if not. This gives a smaller defined area where your camera will evaluate the light, so the background light won’t affect an accurate exposure of the subject.

Aperture

To let as much light into the camera as possible you’ll need to shoot at relatively wide apertures, often f2.8 or lower. In that range there’ll be a smaller area that’s in focus, so you have to be very exact with your focus point.

Shutter Speed

In a low-light situation you’re going to need to shoot at low shutter speeds in order to get enough light in the camera. Remember the slower your shutter speed the more likely your shots won’t be sharp, either because the subject moves or your hands move.

Sometimes the images may be underexposed, but if the image is sharp and slightly underexposed it can be rescued in Photoshop. If the image is not sharp then there’s no amount of Photoshopping that can rescue it.

Also, if you’re using a telephoto lens you’ll need to shoot at a higher shutter speed, as camera shake from your hands will be more evident.

ISO 800 | F2.2 | 50mm | 1/320 sec

When you can, try shooting at higher shutter speed or lower ISO. There was enough light on stage to shoot The Black Keys at 1/320 second.

Aperture and Shutter speed combined

If you’re new to stage photography, set your camera to shutter priority or aperture priority and take some test shots.

Once you get to a setting that’s got enough light and is still sharp, stick with that. On shutter priority the aperture will adjust automatically depending on the available light.

Don’t forget to intermittently check your shots on the camera screen and have a glance at the histogram. You want to make sure they’re correctly exposed. If you have to, err on the side of underexposure.

You can always give the brightness a bump in photoshop but nothing will fix your shot if all the highlights are blown out.

All digital photos have Exif data stored in them, this records all your camera settings for each photo. When you’re reviewing your photos later look at the Exif data and note the aperture and shutter speed of your shots and you’ll begin to work out why the shots turned out the way they did.

That’s it for part one. See part 2 for tips on technique, editing, flash and ettiquette.

Boudist » Music Photography

Rock Photography panel discussion

Related Posts

Them Crooked Photo Contracts

Is it legal and enforceable?

Making a mint from concert photos

Cruel intentions?

How much harm can no contract be?

Paying for a ticket and shooting the whole show can yield better photos than being accredited

A fairer solution

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Britpop live music photo exhibition

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Bluejuice through the years

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Wolfmother lays their Cosmic Egg

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Interview with Tony Mott

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Children Collide : a photo retrospective 2004-2009

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Gig photography etiquette

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Concert Photography Masterclass : Part 2

Technique

Consider the background

The Atmosphere

Editing, flash and ettiquette

Photoshop

Flash and etiquette

Etiquette

Related Posts

Concert Photography Masterclass

Before the show and choosing gear

Getting a Photo Pass

Preparation

Gear

The Camera

Lenses

Gear Guide

Camera Settings

ISO

Metering

Aperture

Shutter Speed

Aperture and Shutter speed combined

Related Posts