What’s your name?

Michael Baltierra

Where are you based?

Seattle, WA

What’s your favorite camera for concert photography?

I started out with a Nikon D7200. I then I decided to try the Sony a6500 and it blew me away. I then picked up the Sony a7iii, which has been my main work camera since mid-2018.

What’s your our favorite lens for concert photography?

I love the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 FE Mount lens.

What’s your number 1 record of all time?

This is a tough one to answer, because I listen to so many styles of music. But if I had to pick just one, it would have to be “Powerslave” by Iron Maiden.

If you could have dinner with one person from music history, alive or dead, who would it be?

Cliff Burton, the late great bassist of Metallica. I would love to pick his brain about his style of playing, musical theory and his influences.

What band is still on your bucket list to take photos of?

Two actually – my favorite two bands Iron Maiden and Metallica. The last two on my list.

What’s your top 3 “Don’ts” of music photography?

• Don’t be rude to the other photographers (don’t Hail Mary a photo, don’t block shots, tap the shoulder to get by); don’t rude to security (don’t argue if they tell you to leave even though you didn’t get your three songs) or to the fans (if the band tosses a pick or a stick – don’t keep it, pass it on to the fans who paid to be at the show).
• Don’t be that person who gets on social media and bashes a band’s PR team for not approving your photo request. Thank the PR team for the response and try again another time. The same PR people may be in the same forums you are, and when they read your post, they’ll just black list you. It happens more that you think.
• Don’t worry about others and what others think. Do your best, don’t be a jerk to others, keep an open mind and be humble. If you get haters, that’s great! That means you’re doing something right or people are envious of your work. Just keep pushing forward.

What’s the No.1 Tip you wished you had known when starting out as a music photographer?

Network! Bring contact info (business cards for example) with you. Follow others on social media. If you are a good person and due decent to good work, people / publications will contact you if they need you to cover a show for them or a venue may reach out to bring you on as a staff.

It has reignited my passion for creativity. It has made me a better photographer and it has helped me move out of Information Technology (which I had been doing since 1996) and into a full time content creator (photographer / videopgrapher) job at the place I have been employed at in the aerospace industry for the last six years.

Why are you a music photographer?

I used to play the bass guitar and I was in various bands in the late 1980s through the early 2000s. I sold my gear because one of my twin sons needed neurosurgery and I needed money to help offset any expenses we had while I was on leave. I told myself I’ll play again one day – sadly, that hasn’t happened. So I figured, with my love for music and photography, if I can’t play, I can snap images. I am really grateful to have been given the opportunity to do so.

What is your biggest dream?

I am fortunate to say that all of my life goals and dreams I have accomplished. I have an awesome wife. I have three great sons. I served my county by joining the US Marine Corps. I am a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But the latest dream or goal is to become self-sufficient through photography (I do shoot portraits / events / weddings). My son also shoots photos and I recently purchased him some gear. We hope to grow our photo and videography services. Also, I hope to one day get some of my work published in larger media outlets.

Follow Michael

Website: https://www.pnwmusicphoto.com

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What’s your name?

Steve Rose

Where are you based?

Los Angeles, CA

What’s your favorite camera for concert photography?

Right now my favorite camera is the Sony a7III, but I recently got a Leica SL and really like that one too.

What’s your our favorite lens for concert photography?

The Sony 70-200 f/2.8 GM

What’s your number 1 record of all time?

Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction. This record did so much for me as a kid when it came out. It got me into music, Slash inspired me to start playing guitar, and it’s one of the best debut records of any band.

If you could have dinner with one person from music history, alive or dead, who would it be?

I’d like to have dinner with Leo Fender. Leo never played an instrument, but created some of the most timeless instruments and amplifiers that are still around today. I’d like to pick his brain about guitar and amp building. If you think about it artists like Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Jaco Pastorius, Phil Lynott, or Jeff Beck all had a Fender in their hands or plugged into a Fender amp. Rock and Roll would not be what it is without geniuses like Leo Fender, Les Paul, and Jim Marshall.

What band is still on your bucket list to take photos of?

I still haven’t had the opportunity to photograph a number of my bucket list bands, but right now Eric Clapton comes to mind as someone that I’d love the opportunity to photograph.

What’s your top 3 “Don’ts” of music photography?

• 1. Don’t hold the camera above your head if front of other photographers. Go to the back of the photo pit, behind the other photographers and do it.
• 2. Don’t act like you have the pit all to yourself. Be respectful of the other photographers in there also doing their job. Be mindful when walking around them and try not to walk into their shot. Also, be respectful of the crew in the pit as well. We are all there doing a job, and all of us are doing are best to get that job done.
• 3. Don’t wear your bag in the pit. There are times when we aren’t allowed a lot of space to work and having a bag on can restrict other photographers from being able to get their shot. Store it under the barricade or see if there is somewhere on site where it can be checked.

What’s the No.1 Tip you wished you had known when starting out as a music photographer?

That a great photo isn’t always a tack-sharp photo. I’ve learned that sometimes a little blur or “energy” in a photo can be just as awesome as a tight, crisp one. It all depends on the moment and what you’re trying to capture on stage.

Shortly before heading out on tour with Journey, I met legendary photographer, Neal Preston, and asked him if he had any advice for me. He told me to make sure that each night I start and end the show in different spots. This way each show won’t feel the same and more importantly look the same. I saw him a few months ago to thank him for his valuable advice and he was honored that I took it and it was beneficial. Listen to my Podcast with Neal Preston here.

Why are you a music photographer?

Once I realized I wasn’t going to make it as a musician, I decided to photograph those that did make it. Actually, once I realized that I had some ability to take a decent photograph, I decided to dedicate myself in the field of music photography and really hone that skill. I think that being a musician and knowing how to anticipate what a band member will do on stage has helped me a great deal. Every time I’m in the pit, I’m trying to find ways to capture a unique perspective or a key moment that can convey the emotion and energy of that performance to anyone who sees that photo.

What is your biggest dream?

Shhh… I’m living my biggest dream. I make a living as a professional concert photographer. I think that’s pretty great and am really fortunate for the experiences that I’ve had, the photos that I’ve taken, and the friends that I have made. It would also be cool if my son decides to be in a band when he grows up and I get to photograph him. I’d better get more than 3 songs!

Follow Steve

Website: https://www.steverosephotos.com/

Listen to our interview on being a tour photographer

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What’s your name?

Deb Kloeden

Where are you based?

Australia – Adelaide & Melbourne

What’s your favorite camera for concert photography?

Canon 5D MkII

What’s your our favorite lens for concert photography?

Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8

What’s your number 1 record of all time?

Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon. It still seems ageless and it’s complexities still impress. The first time I heard it was on an early quadraphonic hifi system in a student flat in Christchurch, New Zealand. I nearly wore it out.

If you could have dinner with one person from music history, alive or dead, who would it be?

John Lennon. I was so inspired by his music, his passion for peace in the world and his brilliant way with words. I think John is going to be busy with dinner dates when we all reach the restaurant in the sky.

What band is still on your bucket list to take photos of?

Pink Floyd, but that’s probably not going to happen … so The Rolling Stones. They are such an iconic band and provided much of the sound track to my youth.

What’s your top 3 “Don’ts” of music photography?

• Don’t shoot in jpg
• Don’t forget to back up your photo files
• Don’t be afraid to shoot into the lights. You can snap some cool lens flares with the right settings

What’s the No.1 Tip you wished you had known when starting out as a music photographer?

What was the coolest story you experienced as a music photographer? 

One day when I was shooting the Byron Bay Bluesfest this year, I saw Jack Johnson hanging out, outside the media tent. I raced to the entrance of the tent and stood there smiling at him (we had been asked not to approach the artists so I didn’t). He saw me, came across with hand outstretched to shake mine and said ‘Hi, I’m Jack’. I call him ‘my mate Jack’ now.

Why are you a music photographer?

I love music and photography. I love the excitement of shooting live shows and being so close to the artists I admire. I really enjoy the editing process and seeing what I’ve captured after a show. I enjoy the challenge of always trying to improve. When I don’t have any gigs to shoot, I get withdrawals.

What is your biggest dream?

To have a giant poster (or digital image) of one of my photos displayed in an iconic public place

Follow Deb

Website: https://www.debkloedenphotography.com/

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What’s your name?

Raul Soria Jr.

Where are you based?

Honolulu, Hawaii (soon to be Portland, OR)

What’s your favorite camera for concert photography?

I’m using a Canon EOS R. So far I’m loving it. That camera is my first jump into the world of mirrorless photography, so it’s a whole new universe for me. The ability to see my image through the viewfinder seconds after I’ve taken it still blows my mind. I’ve only known Canon, so I’ve just been upgrading models when the duct tape starts to get sticky on my previous camera.

What’s your our favorite lens for concert photography?

I can’t say I have a definitive favorite since every situation lends itself to a different answer. At the moment, my Canon 70-200 f/2.8 has been my go-to for the venues and distances I shoot. That being said, I never leave the house without my Canon 50mm f/1.4, though. It’s my safety net.

What’s your number 1 record of all time?

As the years go by, my musical tastes have been changing along with color of the hair on my head. So I’m gonna list a few. First and foremost, The Blues Brothers Soundtrack is one of those timeless collections I can listen to on repeat. Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Louis Jordan, James Brown, Cab Calloway all on one album. I have some great childhood memories attached to those songs and that movie. The Gathering’s Home and any album with Anneke Van Giersbergen’s angelic voice shoots straight to the top of my list as well. But when it comes to the album that started it all for me and spawned everything else in my life thus far, it will always be dad’s favorite, Metallica’s Black Album.

If you could have dinner with one person from music history, alive or dead, who would it be?

If I could bend both space and time, I’d love to have a roundtable chat with Weird Al and Tom Lehrer and ask them both about the secret to eternal youth. Last week I had lunch with Rob Trujillo and Kirk Hammett out in Waikiki. That actually happened, so anything is possible.

What band is still on your bucket list to take photos of?

Metallica. Their music formed who I am. And I’m not talking just this 3-song crap. I’d love to be a fly on the wall for a week at one of those massive stadium shows and just capture the raw energy that follows them around on and off the stage.

What’s your top 3 “Don’ts” of music photography?

I’m not into the Don’t’s as much as I am about Do’s.

1) DO have empathy for others, including those on stage, working the show and in the crowd. This includes the artists living in the images you share. I don’t care how sharp that photo is, no one wants to see a terrible image of themselves. Just be conscious about those other music worshipping souls existing around you and everyone will leave happy.

2) DO be stoked on the gear you already have. Cameras are just tools to achieve your vision like a pencil or a paintbrush. When it’s time to upgrade your gear, you’ll know. “So what camera did you shoot that image with?” Who friggin’ cares? Is it a great image? That’s what matters. Like Jarvis says “the best camera is the one you have with you.”

3) DO be inspired but know when inspiration turns into envy. As a creative, this is always a struggle. Once I start hearing that mosquito of self-doubt buzzing around my head after seeing an image I wish I took of an experience I wish I had, I turn off my phone and chuck it across the room real quick.

What’s the No.1 Tip you wished you had known when starting out as a music photographer?

What was the coolest story you experienced as a music photographer? 

Richard Marx at Blue Note Hawaii. The final date of his 2018 tour coincidentally fell on my mom’s birthday at the one venue I shoot most at in Waikiki. Marx is my mom’s favorite artist of all time and because I was shooting the show anyway, the venue was awesome enough to reserve a nice table for my folks. The whole thing was a huge surprise and the look on my mom’s face was priceless.

Why are you a music photographer?

Music has always been the driving force behind my creativity. There hasn’t been a single work of art, design or photograph I’ve created that wasn’t fueled by a soundtrack. Music performed before a live audience has an energy all its own and I feel alive when that surge engulfs me. My goal has always been to bottle that feeling in a single image and share it with those who couldn’t be there.

What is your biggest dream?

An obituary that is worthy of being laminated and hung on a strangers fridge as an example of a life well-lived.

Follow Raul

Website: http://awakenthemosh.net/

Listen to our interview on being a concert photographer in Hawai

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What’s your name?

Christie Goodwin

Where are you based?

London

What’s your favorite camera for concert photography?

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

What’s your our favorite lens for concert photography?

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM

What’s your number 1 record of all time?

Guns n Roses’ version of Knocking On Heavens Door

If you could have dinner with one person from music history, alive or dead, who would it be?

See, I’d rather do a party and I would have Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Linda Perry, Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and Jimi Hendrix attending. I would have a couple of guitars laying around. We’d create, we’d sing, we’d dance and I’d hang on their lips listening to their stories. Of course I’d bring my camera and capture the whole damn thing. It would be a party to blow your mind. An exodus of creativity.

What band is still on your bucket list to take photos of?

The one that got away so to speak, is Tina Turner. I would have loved to have captured that ball of fire in her hey-days. Alas, I never got my shot at her. I did get to shoot Ms. Adrienne Warren who had the daunting task to step in Tina’s shoes in The Tina Turner Musical and who impeccably portrays her from her youth to her comeback. Ms. Warren is an extraordinary artist/performer and she definitely is a ball of fire so I guess that’s as close as I will get to ticking off Tina from my bucket list.

What’s your top 3 “Don’ts” of music photography?

1. Microphones, DON’T shoot faces obscured by microphones. No artist likes pictures of him/herself where his/her microphone has all the focus. Would you?

2. DON’T cut off parts of the guitar/bass/instrument. When framing make sure you include the neck and the body of the instrument. The instrument is an integral part of the artist. They love their instrument and want it to shine just as much as they do. It’s like taking a picture of your dog and leaving it’s head out of the frame.

3. DON’T shoot on high speed, that’s just a lazy way of filming in stills. Think about why you are there, what is your goal of being in the pit? Your agency/magazine/website wants to show viewers/audience usually with just one image what it was like that evening/that show/that performance. That is your goal. Pick and choose your shots. Put in the effort to tell the story in one frame (of course you will shoot more). Walk into that pit with a goal, to capture that performance in one frame and make that frame count.

What’s the No.1 Tip you wished you had known when starting out as a music photographer?

What was the coolest story you experienced as a music photographer? 

Seeing a picture I took on an Air Asia a320 airplane. In 2014 Air Asia announced a sponsorship with Taylor Swift to support her Red tour in Asia. At least the tour name matched AirAsia’s primary colour! AirAsia painted up their A320s into a special scheme with Taylor Swift in large titles on the fuselage and one of my concert pictures on the body of the plane.

Why are you a music photographer?

I consider myself a photographer whose clients are mainly in the music industry. Whether it’s music, people or nature, anything worth capturing and I’m there.

What is your biggest dream?

Creating and running an artist retreat in the South of France, in La Provence preferably.

Follow Christie

Website: https://www.christiegoodwin.com

Listen to our interview about working with Taylor Swift, Katy Perry adn Ed Sheeran

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What’s your name?

Michelle Grace Hunder

Where are you based?

Melbourne, Australia

What’s your favorite camera for concert photography?

I’m a new adopter of mirrorless in the last few months, so its the Nikon Z6 for me. I’ve only included photos I’ve taken since using this camera as my top 5, and Ive been touring with an artist called Ruel a lot of this year. I’m loving it!

What’s your our favorite lens for concert photography?

Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 is pretty versatile

What’s your number 1 record of all time?

Probably All Eyez on Me by Tupac

If you could have dinner with one person from music history, alive or dead, who would it be?

Tupac

What band is still on your bucket list to take photos of?

Not a band, but would love to shoot Beyonce

What’s your top 3 “Don’ts” of music photography?

1. Don’t be an asshole.
2. Don’t post unflattering angles and phots of musicians.
3. Don’t take what you do for granted, its an utter privilege to be a music photographer

What’s the No.1 Tip you wished you had known when starting out as a music photographer?

What was the coolest story you experienced as a music photographer? 

I was side stage shooting for Lauryn Hill recently, and her stage manager put her headphones on me for a few minutes. It was a direct feed to Lauryns, vocals, isolated. It was absolute heaven on earth.

Why are you a music photographer?

I love capturing the essence and energy of music, documenting a moment in time that will never be again.

What is your biggest dream?

To be respected world wide for my work

Follow Michelle

Website: https://www.michellegracehunder.com

Listen to our interview about being a Hip Hop photographer in Australia

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What’s your name?

Jenn Devereaux 

Where are you based?

Hattiesburg, MS // New Orleans, LA

What’s your favorite camera for concert photography?

I love my Nikon D810 but I also use my D700 just as much. Even though it’s an older model, there is something about the colors on the D700 that just pop.

What’s your our favorite lens for concert photography?

Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR ii

What’s your number 1 record of all time?

Eight Arms to Hold You by Veruca Salt

If you could have dinner with one person from music history, alive or dead, who would it be? Why?

I would love to have dinner with Shirley Manson of Garbage. I personally feel that she is one of the most influential people in rock music. I love reading interviews with her because she is such an empowering woman and intellectual with great commentary on current events.

What band is still on your bucket list to take photos of?

My Chemical Romance

What’s your top 3 “Don’ts” of music photography?

What’s the No.1 Tip you wished you had known when starting out as a music photographer?

What was the coolest story you experienced as a music photographer? 

The absolute coolest thing that has ever happened to me as a music photographer was being asked to speak on a panel about music photography for Nikon in Las Vegas. I will forever be grateful for that experience.

Why are you a music photographer?

I am a music photographer because I love music so much that I wanted to be able to capture my love for it in some form. I was never really good at any musical instruments but I always had a knack for photography from a young age with film cameras. I didn’t think about combining my two passions until I started reading music magazines like Rolling Stone, Spin and Alternative Press in high school.

What is your biggest dream?

My biggest dream is to be a  photographer for iHeartRadio Festival, The Grammys, Billboard Music Awards, MTV Music Awards, etc.

Follow Jenn

Website: www.JennDPhotography.com

Listen to our interview about balancing music photography with wedding photography here:

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What’s your name?

Steve Brazill, but I go by Razz on the radio. 

Where are you based?

Southern California, US

What’s your favorite camera for concert photography?

Of the cameras I own, the Canon 5D mark IV, but I would love to own a Canon 1Dx mark II.

What’s your our favorite lens for concert photography?

If I could use only one lens it would probably be the Canon 16-35 mark III, but the Canon 24-70 mark II is very close.

What’s your number 1 record of all time?

I have typed and then deleted this answer 5 times…. this is tough…. any Led Zeppelin, or maybe AC/DC Back in Black, or Rage Against the Machine, Blink-182, Journey…. I almost forgot Green Day’s Bullet in a Bible… the list goes on. There are so many great records out there, but if I had to pick one I would say Led Zeppelin II.

If you could have dinner with one person from music history, alive or dead, who would it be? Why?

John Lennon – The conversation could go so many ways, politics, music, The Beatles, family…. this would need to be a long dinner.

What band is still on your bucket list to take photos of?

Aerosmith

What’s your top 3 “Don’ts” of music photography?

1. Don’t hold your camera over your head in the front of the pit, move behind everyone first, or better yet to the sides. Then take a shot and stop. Everyone has done it, but don’t affect other photographer’s shots, or the audience’s enjoyment of the show. The best option is don’t do it at all.

2. Do not post obviously unflattering images of the artist, ever. If you are shooting an artist you don’t respect enough to care about their feelings then go shoot some other show. Of course what is “flattering” may be tough to judge with some artists. There are guitarists that love crazy “guitar face” images of themselves, but there are others that are self-conscious about something… their weight, their height, something. Some singers walk around overweight with no shirt on, knowing they will be in a photo, but others may not think about the difference between the audience watching a moment unfold in real-time vs that moment or pose frozen in time. So yeah, you may honestly think it’s a great shot, but take a moment to think about the artist’s style, public image, and persona, and decide if the “great” shot is respectful of that artist. You won’t always be right, but at least try.

3. Be a good human. That covers so many things. Don’t be rude to other photographers in the pit, they have as much right to be there as you do (even if you think their gear is less than what you think it should be. They got approval from someone above your pay grade). Respect the security staff, their job can be way harder, and arguably more important than what we do. Respect the audience, and the artist they paid to see. In other words, don’t be a dick.

What’s the No.1 Tip you wished you had known when starting out as a music photographer?

I have said this so many times, I’ve even written blog posts about it, and it is still the number one tip…. ignore the noise. No one is looking at your images zoomed to 100% in Lightroom. Most of the time you are exporting low res images for social media. Most of that noise is tossed away with the other pixels when you go from 5000px to 2000px, and a little noise reduction goes a long way to solve what is there. Stop turning everyone into plastic looking people. A friend of mine, Rick Sammon, told me a story of his dad commenting on noise once. It was something to the effect of “If a picture is so boring that you notice the noise, it’s a boring picture”. In other words, if people notice the noise in your image then there is most likely something else wrong with it. Go look at some of the most iconic photographs of all time, like Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston, or almost any iconic music image from the 60’s or 70’s. Those photos are full of noise and no one cares. Raise the ISO as much as needed to get the shutter speed you need to properly capture the subject you are shooting. My rule is simple, a sharp noisy shot is always preferable to a clean blurry one.

What was the coolest story you experienced as a music photographer? 

I showed up with a Canon 7D and a 70-200 to photograph Van Halen at an arena only to find out after getting there that it was a soundboard shoot. A photographer I’d never met, his name is Paul Hebert, lent me his 1.4 teleconverter, and that plus the 1.6 crop of the 7D made it so I could get usable shots. We have been friends ever since.

Why are you a music photographer?

I believe that we remember the most important moments of our lives by the song that was playing or the music that was popular, at the time. I grew up seeing images from the legends in music photography – images of Queen, Led Zep, The Who, KISS, Bowie, Woodstock, the original Cal Jam etc. That music and those amazing images shaped my love of music and contributed to my career. Having been in radio my entire adult life, once I got into photography merging these two worlds was a logical step.

What is your biggest dream?

My dreams have already come true. I have an amazing wife and son, I have been privileged to be on the radio for almost 40 years, I’ve got my podcast, I get to be at concerts often – either as an emcee or a photographer, and I get to meet amazing people through my job(s). It’s a pretty good life. That said, I would love to do more voice-overs and on-camera work – if anyone has a movie they want me to be in.

Follow Steve

Portfolio: stevebrazill.com

Behind the Shot Podcast: behindtheshot.tv

twitter.stevebrazill.com (@SteveBrazill)

facebook.stevebrazill.com (@Steve Brazill Photography)

instagram.stevebrazill.com (@SteveBrazill)

96.7 KCAL Rocks!:

kcalfm.com/author/stevebrazill

Listen to our interview about Music Contracts and Photo Pit Etiquette here:

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