The poster for the next concert is needed straight away, while the evening is still being talked about. But the photos arrive a week later, and half of them are dark silhouettes or faces drowned in a red LED. The photographer spent the whole evening in one spot by the stage: the drummer is nowhere to be seen, and the packed room — the thing that sells the next concert — is missing from the set.
I shoot the whole concert: the stage, close-ups of every musician, the crowd and the portraits backstage. In stage light I work without flash, and where the light runs out, with flash on a slow shutter so the atmosphere of the club stays in the frame. Where I stand and which songs I work from the front are agreed in advance with the venue and the artist.
I have been shooting for 15 years, more than 3,000 shoots: arenas and rock clubs, a symphony orchestra and jazz, hip-hop nights. Below is what ends up in the set and what the organiser gets.
In an arena the point is to show the scale: thousands of people, the lights, the screens, the whole stage. That frame tells at once that the event is big, and it works in a press release and in next year’s announcement.
I shoot from several levels — the stands, the floor and the front of the stage — so the series has both wide shots and live details.
Stage lighting changes every second: backlight, haze, coloured beams. I catch the moments when the light shapes the artist instead of blowing them out, and when there isn’t enough light I add flash (more on that below).
Sometimes the best shot is a silhouette in a spotlight: it conveys the mood of the night better than a portrait in even light.
In a dark club, at a party or a hip-hop show there is often too little stage light, and coloured LEDs turn faces red or blue. That is where I use flash: it freezes the movement, brings back natural skin tones and picks out the details — the crowd’s hands, expressions, drops of sweat.
I blend the flash with the stage light on a slower shutter speed so the club’s atmosphere isn’t lost. Whether and when flash is allowed I agree in advance with the artist and the venue — some concerts don’t allow it.
A face, a gesture, the emotion at the peak of a song — the shots an artist later puts on posters and social media. They take the right spot and a feel for the moment before it happens.
I get the setlist in advance and agree which songs to shoot from the front of the stage and when to move into the crowd.
A full house, raised hands, light above the heads — this sells the next concert better than any text. The organiser needs these shots as much as portraits of the artists.
I photograph the audience from the stage and from inside the crowd to show both the scale and the real emotion.
Hands on the fretboard, keys, drumsticks in motion — details give the series rhythm, and bands need them for promotion.
Every musician gets their own shots, not just the frontman.
Rock is loud, fast and always moving: the guitarist steps to the edge of the stage, the singer jumps, the drummer hides behind the cymbals. It helps to listen to a couple of the band’s songs beforehand, to know where the solo or the chorus comes and be in the right spot.
I shoot the band as a whole and every musician, including the drummer who is barely visible from the floor. At bigger shows photographers are often allowed at the stage only for the first three songs, so I plan the shoot around that rule.
An orchestral concert has its own rules: silence, a formal hall, light designed for the audience’s eyes. I agree on shooting positions and on the moments when I can work with the venue in advance.
I photograph the conductor, the soloists and the ensemble without the photographer being noticed by the audience or the musicians — whether it is a chamber hall or a big stage.
In a small club the stage is two steps from the tables and the light is soft and warm. Here the photographer has to be almost invisible: no fuss, no flash, no unnecessary moving around.
In return, these nights give the most personal shots — musicians looking at each other, a packed little room, the atmosphere people come to the club for.
If agreed in advance, you can get a first selection quickly, for the post-concert announcement. The full edited set comes later, in formats for social media, press and print.
I shoot banners, partner logos and stage branding so they are legible in the frame. The price depends on the length, the venue and stage access, so I quote for each concert.
Before and after the show there are a few minutes when the artists, the organisers and the crew get together. A group portrait backstage is a simple shot that everyone involved is happy to post afterwards.
If needed, we set aside time for it in the schedule in advance, so the artists are not distracted before going on stage.
Send me the date, the venue, the genre and what you need from the shoot. I will send terms and examples of work for your format.
Speakers, audience, networking, partners and workshops. What to discuss with your photographer before the event — with an example from GAIA 2026.
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A photographer you can recommend without risking your reputation or making work for yourself: you pass on the contact, I take it from there, and the venue gets photos for its own marketing.
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