So, You Want to Get Into Band & Gig Photography?

First things first — it's not all glamorous and it’s definitely not high-paying in most situations. You won’t be photographing Taylor Swift, Metallica, or Coldplay any time soon — if ever.

You need to start small and build your experience, network, and reputation from the ground up.

1. Start with Local Venues

Your local music venues are your best entry point. Look for smaller places that host local or up-and-coming national acts regularly.

  • Visit in person: Speak to the venue manager face-to-face if possible. Ask if you can shoot an upcoming gig for the venue.

  • Offer your services for free: At this stage, you’re building a portfolio, not earning a paycheck. Most small venues won’t have a photography budget anyway.

  • Deliver quickly: After the gig, send over your best photos promptly. Let them use the images for their social media or promotional material.

  • Stay proactive: Ask if they’d prefer you to reach out about specific shows, or if they’d like to contact you when something suitable comes up.

2. Work Directly with Artists

Another option is to reach out to bands who are playing in your area.

  • Stick to smaller, independent acts: Large international bands are usually managed by agencies, and getting access without credentials is nearly impossible.

  • Reach out via social media: Instagram is a great way to contact artists. Politely ask if you can shoot their show in exchange for photos they can use for promo.

  • Understand who you're contacting: Bigger acts may have managers running their accounts, so target independent or local bands who likely manage their own socials.

  • Be timely: Deliver the photos quickly — ideally within 24–48 hours. Artists want fresh content to promote current tours, not shots from two months ago.

3. Contact Local Street Press or Music Media

This is how I got started.

  • Find your local street press or music publication: Reach out and ask if they have any gigs that need coverage. Often this is the smaller/less popular acts as the bigger acts will usually be covered by photographers that have worked with the publication for longer. Offering to photograph as many shows as you can manage can help build both your skills and also confidence in the publication and make it more likely they will allow you to shoot larger gigs.

  • Build your name: Once you’ve been published and developed a bit of a reputation, you'll have more leverage to request photo access directly.

4. Final Tips

  • Many well-known bands won’t allow photographers unless they're shooting for a recognized publication. Please keep this in mind.

  • Be reliable, professional, and easy to work with.

  • Always respect venue and artist rules.

  • You wont always be up the front of the audience in the photo pit. A lot of artists prefer to have photographers up near the sound desk. Keep this in mind when it comes to what gear you might need. I personally always bring a 50mm, 24-70mm and a 70-200mm lens. This usually covers all bases unless you are in a very large arena shooting from the sound desk.

  • Keep improving your craft — live music photography is challenging but rewarding.

Stick with it, stay humble, and remember: every pro once started in the pit of a tiny bar with bad lighting. - Nick.