Standing still while the music moves – Shooting musicians with point & shoot film cameras

Understanding point and shoot film photography has and always will be a labour of love. You can watch hundreds of videos on the right settings, the ‘best’ camera, the ‘perfect’ ISO to shoot on etc – all of which are useful no doubt, but ultimately thinking too much can stop you from taking some of the best photos of your life. We have all taken a photo in the dark where we think to ourselves ‘the flash will save this for sure!’ or when you could have sworn you were as still as a tripod yet shockingly the result is so blurred you would think you were shaking the camera violently. Film photography is a lot of things, beautiful, frustrating, exciting and I’d say it is most definitely amusing. Getting a roll back where something you had envisioned in your head has turned out completely wrong is annoying absolutely, but getting a shot you gambled on and it paying off elicits a euphoria in you like no other.

I can say I have felt this wholeheartedly as I have dedicated my 20s to shooting film photography at concerts, festivals and other musical environments where I’m in a sweaty sea of music lovers praying I’m getting the shot I want. Why would I torture myself this way you may ask? Well that is because I wanted to have higher stakes on the photos I take. I definitely fell down the rabbit hole of thinking my equipment was not good enough or I am using the wrong ISO so there is no way I’ll be able to take the photo I want in my day to day life. I think the wonder of information on the internet can also pose as an achilles heel. Concert photography, especially on film, is always going to be a risk. You can hear the sound of photos going down the drain when you realise the flash has illuminated someones head in front of you, or even the sigh of frustration when you pressed shoot not realising the flash wasn’t on and you’ve moved so much the result will look like an abstract painting. Despite being agitating at times, it is not always doom and gloom, the photos I have taken that I like to call successes bring such a feeling of excitement in my chest, I can hear the music from the images.

Most of the photos I have taken of musicians have been shot on my 3 film cameras in order of acquiring them: Pentax Espio 270, Canon Sureshot 130u and Olympus Mju II. Starting with the Pentax, if you have seen this camera, you know it is definitely chunky. It was handed down by my mother to me when I was 15 and I used it as my sole camera all the way to 21. Despite its large body, it took my first concert photos that I still regard as my favourite. I remember the day clearly, I was out with some friends before the joint concert between Action Bronson, Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist in Birmingham, UK and I let time get away, I no longer had time to put my camera back in my car. I only learnt that day after not getting it confiscated that I could actually take a camera into a venue as I always assumed I would not be allowed. Annoyance definitely caught me at times due to lugging around that small brick however the images I got I have to say I am proud of.

I definitely took around 15 pictures as I got a little trigger happy but the shock of having 2 images left from my 36 roll after the venue was soon forgotten when I got the scan files back and had to pat myself on the back. Of course I’m ignoring the out of focus shots and lovely crowns of various concert goers’ heads monopolising my shot, but as I said, it was all worth it. I reignited the feeling of excitement of getting back a roll of film and not knowing what is on it. I take film photos regularly enough now that I know exactly what events are on the roll however, this new venture has enabled me to feel that rush again.

Time goes on and I have grown this collection across the 3 cameras now, still getting 5 bad shots for ever 1 good one. I’m sure there is a way for me to ensure my successes are higher with a little research, but I am truly enjoying unlocking this information by myself through trial and error. I’m now at the half way point of my 20s and I have no intention of stopping this little series I have going on. I hope if anything I have inspired you to take that risk and just press shoot when it feels right even if it turns out wrong. Musicians make you feel colours through rhythm and lyric with excitement running through your veins when you see them, film photography is my way of capturing that the best I can with the phrase ‘high risk, high reward’ echoing as I press ‘click’.

Thank you for getting this far! To see more of my work you can check out my instagram and my website.

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