Concerts are full of energy — not just from the musician or band, but also from the audience. Capturing that energy in photos is a great way to promote your band through Facebook or MySpace, and is also a great way to attract new fans. While I primarily specialize in concert photography, I'm also available for promotional photo shoots, CD cover photo shoots, and special events such as CD release shows.
First, a little history for you. I started getting into concert photography back in 2004, when some college friends (the bassist was one of my roommates) asked me to take photos at one of their upcoming shows. Those first shots were taken with my Olympus D-490Z, a camera that had 2.1 megapixels and used SmartMedia cards (which are hard to find these days). After a year, I upgraded to a 7.1-megapixel Canon Powershot SD500 ($500 at the time) because Digital SLRs were still very expensive, and most of the cheaper DSLRs only had 6-megapixels. Then in November 2007, I finally had enough money saved for a Nikon D80, which is the camera that I currently use.
Most of the bands I photograph are local or independent artists (translation: a lot of people have never heard of them), but I have also been fortunate to work with some mainstream Christian musicians, like Matthew West, Bethany Dillon, Shane and Shane, and Starfield. I would LOVE to shoot some photos for national bands or singers, but there are quite a few hoops to jump through for those. :)
A (partial) "wish list" of musicians that I'd love to photograph: Brandi Carlile, Colbie Caillat, Miranda Lambert, Katie Armiger, Matt Nathanson, The Fray, John Mayer, Guster, Anberlin, Marc Broussard, Lady Antebellum, Coldplay, Leslie Roy, Switchfoot, and there are many others. (So, if you happen to have connections with any of these arists, send me an e-mail!)
If you're interested in having me photograph an upcoming concert of yours, or if you'd like to set up a promotional/CD photo shoot, visit the Contact page to send me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you and working with you!
— Jeff Hackbarth