The Darkroom

My creative process starts with the photo shoot itself. My game plan before a shoot is to have a plan of what I want to accomplish, as well as a due date of when I should be done and can send the final product to the client. At a venue, I start by observing the layout of the venue itself and the stage, and where I could stand to get good shots of the band. Once the performance begins, I find myself constantly scanning the stage and the crowd, looking for moments that feel significant.

I find that great shots lie in framing. With so much happening at once, it’s tempting to just shoot everything, but I realized the power of focus, choosing what to include and, more importantly, what to leave out. Cropping out distractions and narrowing in on moments such as a singer interacting with the crowd or a guitarist performing a solo are elements that can make up a great photo. One of the hardest parts of shooting at a concert is the lighting. Concerts are notorious for tricky lighting; stage lights, smoke, and strobe effects can affect how the camera captures something. I had to think on my feet, almost constantly adjusting my camera settings.

The editing process is where everything comes together. Sorting through hundreds of photos to find the ones that stood out to me. From there, edits like adjusting the contrast, enhancing certain colors, or cropping to focus on details helped amplify the feeling I wanted each photo to convey. Effectively photographing at concerts is still a challenge for me, and trying to capture something meaningful in all of that can be difficult. Every project is a learning experience. There’s always room to adjust, refine, and push things further. The end result comes from those little decisions along the way, and while it’s not always perfect, it’s a reflection of the work put into it.