A Musician Photographer who Photographs Musicians
Growing up, I was always cradled by music. When I was a kid I remember singing the words to “Edelweiss” at my first performance. At only 5 years old I was so nervous, I forgot the words. To my shock, the audience started singing the rest of the song with me and I was able to finish the piece with a roaring applause.
Ever since that moment, music has always offered me a sense of support, love and community. As I grew, I played the clarinet and sang for my junior high Jazz band, enjoying trips to the middle of nowhere Kansas with my fellow bandmates. I became drum major in High School and went to college to study Opera!
Currently, I teach piano and voice lessons, write songs in my free time, and do photography! It’s no wonder that through my love of music and photographs, I would want to combine the two.
Here are my tips if you are wanting to be a musician photographer who photographs musicians!
Portrait Photography
Your Artist’s Story - Your solo artists and bands are going to want images for their album art, socials, and posters for upcoming shows. Before you take images of your artist, get to know what they are all about! Take a listen to their music and do a quick interview to hear their story. Though it’s a little extra work, it will go a long way in portraying the story of your artist and best representing their music!
The Music Speaks - Figure out what their music sounds like. Artists will change their sound and style every once in a while to keep up with the times or their creative interests. I personally know this as I have written music as well over the years (Take a listen HERE). You’re going to want to understand what their current writing style is all about. Does it have vintage vibes and would it be perfect for a Prism Lens FX filter? Is it more western, or is it EDM and perfect for a projector shoot? You’re going to want to find out before developing the concept of your shoot!
Wardrobe - Make sure your artist keeps in mind a color palette and style that best represents the story telling imagery you are going for. Hair and Makeup can also be key in this so make sure the MUA is on the same page!
Posing - If you are posing for a rap artist you will probably want to go for more bold and confident posing, whereas an indie band may prefer more awkward and weird styles of posing. Think about the story you are telling and how to best represent your subjects while creating your posing list before the shoot!
Lighting - If I were shooting for a more raw and natural sounding band/artist, I would want to use natural lighting out in nature. Whereas if it were a punk band, rap, or pop I may want to have a darker background and use flash or continuous lighting to create more contrast in my images.
2. Live Music Photography
Taken at the Barbary Coast Saloon in SLC.
When doing Live Music Events for photography I always research the venue I am shooting at ahead of time and make sure I am able to snag a spot in the front before everyone else.
You want to make sure your ISO is not up too high to avoid too grainy of photos (Unless that is the look you are going for).
I also like to bring items to experiment with like these hand held Fractals. They bend and warp the light creating some dramatic and artsy effects.
As a musician and a photographer,
documenting both on camera is a career that creates such joy. You get to be creative, have a front row seat to the concert, and enjoy the music that has helped shape your life!
So grateful for the community that both music and photography have brought to mine!
