On-Stage

The agenda of on-stage portraiture (or music photography) is to visually encapsulate a second in time that can characterize the energy, atmosphere and events of a single situation. Creating an unforgettable image in the field depends on the photographers understanding of whom they are shooting, what equipment they are using, a clear vision of their surroundings and the stereotypical (but factual) outlook of being in the right position at the right time. Portraiture in live music may appear as undemanding as closing the shutter in the right direction, but it is a branch of portraiture that relies just as heavily on the photographer as it does on the unpredictable temperament of the decisive moment (which continues to bloom originality). Whether that unique quality is determined by the music genre, the artist, their attire, the lighting conditions, the location, the weather or even the sweat running down the musician’s brow, that successful outcome balances delicately on the consideration of any obstruction and the individuals instinctive reaction to the unparalleled thrill of uncertainty that electrifies the profession.