It's an exciting time to be a music photographer. The digital age has not only made opportunities for more musicians to be heard, it's created avenues for more photographers' work to be seen. On both sides of the spectrum, the people who started making beats in their bedrooms, or who snuck point-and-shoot cameras in to concerts, can more ably turn their hobbies into careers.
No matter the genre, communities on Flickr, Facebook, photo blogs, and photo forums are thriving with photography amateurs, professionals, and connoisseurs, who share a passion for imaging. Each genre carries its own influence and influencers, and often, music photography is forgotten amongst fashion, editorial, and advertising. People tend to overlook the genre, without realizing the skill and talent it takes to do it right. Music photography involves no set-up, and capturing someone moving, especially in scenarios where light may be scarce, can be extremely difficult.
For our purposes, music photography encompasses any image documenting a musician during a live performance. That being said, many of these photographers expertly capture portraits offstage, and a select few have been hired to tour with big names like Justin Bieber, Mos Def, and Kanye West. Some have gotten big book deals and solo exhibitions to specifically showcase their music photographs, while others have amassed eager followings online. All of them exhibit success in different ways, yet they are all excellent at sharing the live experience and making viewers feel like they were there. From the photo pit to the Internet, here are The 50 Greatest Music Photographers Right Now.
Written by @cpasori.
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