Interview: Steve Gerrard
Steve Gerrard has photographed some of the World’s biggest bands, but he’s also a wedding photographer. He blogs about his work and how he goes about it, which could be a useful read if you’ve been inspired by the Big Picture to become a professional photographer. He’s also involved with Birmingham Live! which attempts to help aspiring music photographers and writers across the region get access to gigs and gives them somewhere to show off their work.
We asked Steve a few questions about how he came to do what he does…
What got you into photography?
I was always the kid on school trips with a little camera and would end up with boxes of 6×4 prints of everything that happened. I’ve still got them now and I think things just progressed very gradually from there. My love of both music and photography meant that photographing bands was a natural development for me, although I never expected it to become a full blown career.
Did you start off photographing music/bands or did that come later?
Once I decided to take this photography thing seriously I initially concentrated almost exclusively on bands and live gigs. Obviously I’d shoot all kinds of personal stuff too but it was the music side which was my primary focus.
The Horrors.
What’s different about photographing music to taking photos of other things?
Shooting bands live really is one of the trickiest things to get right. You have no control over the lighting, no control over where your subjects stand or what they do. On top of that you may have people from the crowd being passed over the barrier behind you or throwing beer at your head! As if that weren’t challenging enough, most of the time you only have 3 songs in which to get a good collection of images. When the band is Opeth that might mean over half an hour but usually 3 songs is around ten minutes or even less.
Are certain types of bands or venues better for photos - or can you get something good from every situation?
Some venues tend to have better lighting than others but generally it’s the bands themselves which make for great images. Bands who play with intensity and emotion are best in my opinion. That’s why I love to shoot hardcore, metal and punk bands. I love all kinds of music but visually those bands tend to lend themselves to the most dynamic images. The Hives (right) were great to shoot too though.
Who’s your favourite artist that you’ve photographed?
Almost impossible to say. It’s an honour to shoot music legends like Slash, Iron Maiden or Iggy Pop but then it’s amazing to photograph artists that I love personally, like Kathleen Edwards or Nine Inch Nails.
Is there anyone you’d love to take photos of?
I’d love to do more portrait sessions with artists I admire. I could write a huge list here but, for example, Perry Farrell, Pearl Jam, Tool and Trent Reznor. My first ever gig was AC/DC when I was 14 and I’ve yet to shoot them so that’s on my wishlist for sure.
Steve’s Top Tips
Don’t just fire away hoping that one in a hundred turns out ok! Wait for the moment, anticipate what might happen and be in the best position to capture it.
Pay attention to the lights at gigs. Strong colour can frame your subject much nicer than a black hole. Wait for good light to fall on your subject’s face and then try to capture a good expression.
Be respectful to other photographers in the pit. Try to keep out of their line of vision when shooting and don’t hog the best position.
Try to get a wide variety of shots. Shoot all band members if you can and get close-up head shots, full length shots, wide shots with multiple band members and vary angles and shooting positions. Don’t ignore the drummer!
Get out there and shoot lots of gigs. Unsigned bands will often put you on their guest list in return for a few images. Then let people see your images and encourage feedback. It’s a great way to learn as well as promoting your work.
