“Photographers ruining shows”

I’m going to write about a topic that I have been mulling over for a while now and has recently come to a peak. Within the last couple years, I have noticed I’ve occasionally started seeing things on social media where people have complained about photographers at shows for various reasons. I’ve read things like photographers being in the way and their flashes being distracting. Nothing directed towards me; mainly screenshots shared by others. It always gets me thinking when I read these things, wondering if anything I do disturbs anyone.

And, yes, I do use my flash in dark venues. If I don’t, I’m probably getting images that look like this:

I don’t have the kind of gear that can handle the minimal lighting in the venues I tend to go to. Sometimes I get lucky if someone is standing under a light, but that pretty much excludes drummers, and I like to photograph drummers, too. I get so happy when there’s good lighting, or better yet, an early show outdoors!

Anyways, just recently, I saw another photographer share some thoughts about live music photography getting out of hand and expressing a couple ways photographers might ruin shows. I think those thoughts were either coming from feedback they may have heard, or it might be their opinions on the growing number of photographers in the music scene, I don’t know.

It made me start thinking about this issue again, and honestly, it makes me feel discouraged. I decided to express myself via a story on IG, basically saying I feel like focusing my passions elsewhere due to the amount of whining about photographers at shows. And then I got a response that didn’t make me feel any better.

I am not familiar with the person who messaged me, but they (kindly) said the following about flashes at shows, coming from a perspective as a person who goes in the pit:

“Really frustrating…legitimately dangerous…seriously disorienting…can make you lose balance/fall…really annoying.“

Wow. And they stated they weren’t speaking just for themselves, but others, who express they “enjoyed the show, but the camera flash was obnoxious“.

While I am not going to dismiss their feelings and opinions…how different are we, really?

Moshing, hardcore dancing, stagediving, crowd killing…those are ALL dangerous to yourself and everyone in and out of the pit. But that’s what we all sign up for when we go to those kinds of shows, don’t we? I would still be in the pit, too, if I wasn’t old and already dealing with aches and pains, and this is why I try stay out of harm’s way. But I do love the pit. It’s a part of whole experience, which is why I sometimes photograph what goes on there.

Being in the pit, or being a casualty of the pit, can be all of those things you claim a camera flash is, if not more. But you won’t catch me complaining. So can we not coexist? Does that make photographers unfair? Can we just write this off as “elements of an extreme music show in a dark venue” without feeling experiences were ruined?

Being aware of this issue also has had me wondering what the musicians think of flashes. The majority seem to love the pictures, but I am an overthinker and will continue to be concerned.

I’ve had a few really awesome people reach out to me; a musician, a couple friends who do go in the pit, and an amazing photographer. All have inspired me to keep doing what I’m doing; what I love doing. I appreciate you all for that, for real.

At this moment, I am going to chill and ruminate over everything. I’m not feeling motivation or passion at the moment. I’ve taken a break before; maybe I need another. Maybe I will look into getting a flash diffuser. Maybe I’ll stop taking pictures of the pit, although there will be others who will still do it. I don’t know.

I still have my photoshoots I can focus on, as well as many other things I enjoy doing with my free time.