A piece that is purely my opinion, and thrown together in a short amount of time. Take from it what you will.
Is concert photography becoming a lost art? I find myself pondering that question every time a myriad of pictures appears from any live show I’ve attended (or any other show, for that matter). It’s relatively easy to find pictures from almost any event or show now, posted online for the entire world to see. The quality ranges from absolutely awful to professional.
‘Professional’ photography seems to have different defining characteristics now than it did before the rise of and the popularity of digital cameras. Sure, digital cameras have made taking pictures simple. Compared to film, you can store a ridiculous amount of photos on a simple memory card. So why not take a thousand pictures, hoping for a handful of truly excellent ones? If you don’t get any fantastic pictures, not to worry, any number of photo-editing programs can come to the rescue. With the advances in technology in recent years, anyone can become a ‘professional’ photographer.
On one hand, there’s nothing wrong with this. I’ve seen some great photos, and some really creative ideas emerge using available technologies. Things that would have been very difficult, or impossible, to do using film. In terms of photography for the sake of capturing a moment in time, digital cameras and phone cameras have made it ridiculously simple for the average person. Cell phone cameras have made leaps and bounds in the last few years, although personally I’d rather use an actual camera to capture whatever I’m trying to capture. Even professional level photography equipment is readily available, and although somewhat expensive, still affordable if one prioritizes correctly. Some photo editing software is relatively easy to use, and simple photo editing is built into cameras and standard computer photo programs. Perhaps this is starting to paint a picture of why the true art of concert photography is on it’s last legs...
Photography in general can still be considered an art form, but I do not consider it nearly as much of an art form as before cameras went digital. Anyone who has actually used a film camera knows that unless you wanted to spend a lot of money developing a lot of pictures, or spend a lot of time changing film rolls that you could easily ruin by simply opening the camera, you had to spend a little bit more time considering the shot you wanted to take. Personally, I’m a lot more proud of most of the photos I’ve taken using a film camera than I am of the vast majority of photos I’ve taken using digital cameras. It’s not as exciting to instantly have the photos available. Something has been lost in no longer having to wait to get film developed and finally seeing the results. Developing one’s own film, and watching an image slowly come to life, instead of merely clicking a button, had something inherently rewarding about it. Sure, it was easy to screw up, and you might not always get the results you wanted, but that was part of it. Film just seems to have a more organic appeal, although this is quickly being lost in a society that doesn’t value things that don’t come instantly.
Will we really get those truly iconic concert photos anymore? Those live photos of bands like Led Zeppelin and The Who? It’s still possible to find great concert photography. While still possible, it seems that it’s lost the edge that it once had. It’s easy to make a photo polished after the fact. It’s easy to digitally adjust any number of factors that couldn’t be so easily adjusted before. It’s relatively easy for anyone to become a great photographer. That in itself seems sad. On one hand, it’s fantastic for the average person. On the other hand, it signals the end of an art form in which not everyone had the skills readily available at their fingertips to create something great.
Personally, I’ve generally quit attempting to take live concert photos. If my camera makes an appearance, it’s to capture moments with friends, or perhaps to get a picture with a band member. Granted, I do not have professional photography equipment, nor do I have the photo editing skills to make it appear that I do. When I take pictures, it’s for my own reasons. Not for the disillusionment that I can become a professional photographer, or that any photos I take are of a ‘professional’ quality.
With that being said, I’m still struggling to understand the ban that has been placed on photography at some venues, or for certain shows. (Unless of course, you have a photography pass and a professional quality camera). What’s the point in placing a ban on point and shoot cameras? I’ve run into it countless times upon attempting to bring my point-and-shoot into shows, and have often rudely been told that photography is not allowed. Even though it mentions nothing about on the ticket itself, or any publicity put out before the show. Why ban a point-and-shoot camera when every idiot out there is snapping (often horrible) pictures with their cell phone? Just a thought...
