Music Photography

I have always had a strong interest in photography. Since studying at A-level I have worked as a professional studio photographer and have also been commissioned to photograph bands both live and for promotional shoots.

For Christmas, i was given a Nikon D3000 DSLR - a high end digital single lens reflex camera. I used the camera to take promotional shots of the band 'Zap Zap Zap' and also a number of live shots. When taking promotional shots I had to make sure the shutter speed and aperture were set correctly to ensure the shots were not blurred. The camera can be adjusted to shutter priority or to aperture priority to make life easier for the photographer. These modes allow for the photographer to adjust the shutter speed and the camera picks the aperture setting, or vice versa, making the process of taking photos a lot quicker.
When taking photos in a live setting I had to use the camera in a manual setting, adjusting both the aperture and shutter speed myself. Gigs are difficult places to take photos as lighting is low which requires a small aperture setting (a larger hole in the lense for more light to be let through). However, onstage action is very quick so a fast shutter speed is needed. A fast shutter speed and low aperture setting are very conflicting so a lot of test shots need to be taken in order to get the settings right. Please see pictures I have taken of the band above. I have also included an image of the model of camera I use. I edit the photographs in iphoto, adjusting the levels of colours as required. iphoto also allows for the addition of effects such as black and white and reducing the hue to change the appearance of photos.