SOMETHING THAT PUTS A PIT IN MY STOMACH

Here’s My Hot-Take

Ah…. concert photography. It holds a special place in the hearts of so many photographers yet crushes the hearts of so many more.

You may be thinking to yourself, “Cole, why would you say that? That makes no sense!” Well, the fact of the matter is that it’s true. Concert photography is one of those genres that gets adrenaline pumping through your veins, but the heartbreak sets in when you realize the supply and demand ratio. 

So many people want to shoot their favorite shows, which is exactly why the money has been sucked out of the genre as a whole. Unfortunately there’s not much left. After about three years of shooting concerts specifically, the most I’ve ever seen someone make from a show is $250.

What’s The Up Side?

If I stopped there this post would be severely depressing, but luckily there is a bright side to all of this. The bright side is the fact that concert photography leaves you with an important skill. The ability to capture a split second moment. Over the few short years of shooting shows for fun, I’ve found that my ability to predict moments got significantly stronger.

The ability to predict moments, otherwise known as an ability to capture the “decisive moment”, is a skill that is applicable to ALL genres of photo and video. It’s practically a super power.

At this point you’re probably wondering if shooting a concert is worth it. My answer to you is YES. Train your eye and go have fun on that beautiful playground. You never know. It may just get you hired one day.