Concert Photography

Ever since I saw Joe Sia’s photograph of Jimi Hendrix’s shadow cast against a stack of Marshall amplifiers (at Woolsey Hall in New Haven, CT) I knew that it was possible to capture a mood, a feeling or even an energy in a photograph.

When I’ve been lucky enough to sneak a camera into a show, my shots were usually blurry explorations of color and unrecognizable performers, but the exercise of shooting a live performance was all that mattered to me. Lately, I’ve had the opportunity to gain closer access to some bands—a recording session of the Mitch Marcus Quintet, as well as The Roots—and successfully snuck my camera into a Pearl Jam show.

Through these experiences I’ve come to respect even more the gift of the Joe Sia’s, Jim Marshall’s and Danny Clinch’s of the world. It is a tall order to capture the essence of a band, so my hope is to simply come out of these sessions with one or two shots that capture the mood of the venue, the feeling of a guitar solo or the energy of everyone in the room pumping their fists.