All Access: Your Backstage Pass to Concert Photography

by Alan Hess

Advice, inspiration, and insight for taking remarkable concert photos Concert photography poses a unique set of challenges to photographers, including night or low-light, inconsistent stage lighting, a moving subject matter, limitations on vantage point, complex exposure situations, and no chance for re-takes. Compounded with those hurdles is a lack of resources on this subject?until now. All Your Backstage Pass to Concert Photography fills this gap and provides you with all the information you need to know, from choosing the right gear and camera settings to negotiating rights to publish or share photos as well as how to best edit your photos in post-production. All Your Backstage Pass to Concert Photography is an ideal resource if you are determined to learn the skills necessary to capture clear, well-composed, and professional-level concert photos.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Born in California in 1952, Hess received his BA at Principia College, a Master's degree in architecture from the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, and is a licensed architect. After working with architects William Coburn, and Callister Payne and Bischoff, Hess started his own firm specializing in residential work and historic preservation. His first book, Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture (Chronicle Books 1985) focused on a neglected and popular Modern form. Following books continued to explore overlooked chapters in twentieth-century architecture and urbanism. He is responsible for qualifying several landmark buildings for the National Register of Historic Places, including the oldest operating McDonald's in Downey, Stuart Company Plant and Office Building and Bullock's Pasadena in Pasadena, and the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Access is an appropriate title as this book offers practical advice for all aspects of Concert photography. There is detailed technical advice on gear, settings in all possible situations, and most importantly advice on conduct in the Photo Pit.
He presents this information in a logical order in layman's terms, yet provides ample technical support information. He provides camera settings for all images supporting his text. My only complaint is that I should have purchased the paperback instead of the Kindle version for a better reproduction of his images.
A Must Have book for potential Concert photographers!

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really informative book, easy to read and understand. I think I actually may have learned a thing or two from it.

[Pat Loughery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent intro to concert shooting. Good stuff on getting a pass, publishing your work.

[Krissy Comer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book with great tips!

I am just learning about this field and this book has really helped encourage me to join it! Great personal examples and from others in the field. Mentions settings to start with which is helpful too!