Good on-stage photography...well worth getting it right

I've learned over the years that if anything is worth doing, it's worth doing well. And getting good pictures of your band is no exception.

Good quality photographs of on-stage action are not easy to come by, and getting them requires a little more than a few willing snap-happy followers with access to a mobile phone with a built in camera. Not only does taking effective photos under stage lighting conditions demand a little more than a basic digital camera, it takes a lot of technical photographic skill and a really good appreciation of what makes a striking image. It's all about having the equipment and the knowledge to 'grab the moment', almost always under very difficult conditions.

Stage lighting can often look pretty cool and dramatic when you're sitting 'out front' and watching the band go through their routine. The colour changes, strobes, fades, pulses and the movement of the band members - it adds to the atmosphere. But it can be a real nightmare for the photographer. Things are changing all the time, and although everything looks great for the punters, the technological restrictions of cameras and lenses don't see things the same way. The perfect shots come and go in a flash - and the flash is the one piece of kit that you can hardly ever use; unless of course you want the shot to look like it's been taken by one of your mates on a boys' night out down the pub.

If you want to get some good pics of your best gigs, take a bit of advice... Pay for a professional. It's well worth it in the end.