Live performances: working without a wire

The most challenging thing about photographing live performances is getting a photo that tells story while avoiding the “trappings” of a live event. And those are: crowded backgrounds, microphones, and a jumble of cables and wires.

We can’t always control the light. We can’t ask the performer to “do it again.” But we can spot the moments of truth on a crowded stage.

It doesn’t hurt, of course, that we’re musicians and performers ourselves. So we understand that photographing a live performance is about rising above the stage and cutting to the heart of the moment. It’s about creating a photo that’s as much about the performer as the performance.

Here are some of our favorite live performance portraits.

Lots of performers are dynamic, but no one is dynamic every second. We understand the power of patience. Waiting, watching. Until the moment when a performer really lets go.

This photograph is a small moment captured on a big stage, with a timeless feel. Absolutely candid and live. But it also draws back to the classic Blue Note record jazz album covers of the 1960s. A beautiful through-line of photography… and music.

Some performers are simply kinetic, and as a photographer your goal is to capture a candid moment. But some moments tell a story of the relationships — the playfulness — of bands.

These guys couldn’t be more fun. And their camaraderie is infectious. Who doesn’t want to see these guys at a show? Who doesn’t want to buy them a pitcher of beer?

Live performance is all about giving it everything you’ve got. And in this photo, you can feel the power of the air she’s pushing behind one, soul-crushing note.

This is a live performance portrait you feel in your bones. It doesn’t matter the genre of the music. This is one amazing performer captured in the most fleeting of moments, totally throwing down.