crazybobbles

There’s no rules in taking photographs, anything captured can be classed as a photograph and all the techniques you read about are merely guidelines / recommendations and aren’t definitive ways of taking amazing photos (well people do love breaking the rules). I try to use a few of the classics when shooting band photos, the main one being the rules of third and not using flash at gigs to capture the stage lights and effects. You still need some guidelines when shooting in the end.

After taking photos of Okkervil River, I’ve added a new rule to my list. Always position yourself to the left. Now why would you have an advantage when taking photos from the left? Is there a blaring good reason why? Can anyone think why without reading my explanation? It’s actually pretty obvious when you think about it and only a factor I’ve become aware of.

Anyway, from the Okkervil River gig, I’ve only noticed something blaringly obvious, the guitars. A typical guitar will be held so you’re holding the fret board with your LEFT hand. When you’re playing the guitar, you’re going to be a few degrees rotated clockwise (fretboard sticking out so you know what you’re playing or something) which means the west coast photographers will capture the back of the fret board most of the time, or more importantly, get the fretboard blocking the way. Now centre is actually fine for taking photos too, however, as well as throwing in the fret board frenzy to obstruct your view, we have to consider that damn mic and stand! Centre becomes a warzone between you and the micstand in order to shoot photos of the artist’s face. The mic can literally hide the entire face if you’re unfortunate to have bands who like to plaster their face close to the mic. Only when you throw in some perspectice are you then able to capture their face without the mic (or the shadow of the bad boy). Now most of these points are focused on singers on the centre stage who play a right handed guitar, if you’re keen on shooting another band member who lacks those impediments than you’re free to shoot them anywhere you feel is best (granted there’s a chance they lack charisma and you’ll get boring shots). Things vary so take them into account, some artists might even rotate anticlockwise when they perform.

So yeah, lesson of the day, shoot on the left for most gigs.