My Journey into Music Photography

How I Got Started Behind the Camera

In the words of Nietzsche, “Without music, life would be a mistake”, and I couldn’t agree more. My love for music has been with me since I was a 3-year-old toddler. I remember humming badly the words “il telefono no, il telefono no, na na na” of the Italian song Fotoromanza by Gianna Nannini so much that my dad bought me the LP, yay for the 80s!

Since then, I’ve always been drawn to live music and the powerful emotions musicians pour into their performances.

Where It All Began

One night, at a small gig in London, I thought to myself: I want to live these moments again and again. I want to feel what these artists are feeling. That’s when photography started to feel like the perfect way to capture and relive those emotions.

The Camera That Started It All

I received my first semi professional camera, a Nikon D3100 with the standard 18-55mm kit lens, as a gift from my best mate Leo in 2011 (thanks again, Leo!). I started learning the basics in auto mode, practicing on my two greyhounds, before finally taking the camera to my first live gig, the band The Last Cry at the Underworld in Camden Town.

A few shots of my greyhounds, Witney, 2012-2013.

My First Live Gig Experience

Shooting that gig was a wild experience. The flash kept firing even though it wasn’t allowed, and I felt overwhelmed by the camera’s automatic settings telling me what to do. I somehow managed to block the flash from popping out by listening to someone’s quick advice (while in the middle of a pretty packed gig). That night, I realised that auto mode wasn’t for me, and I needed to learn manual settings if I wanted to take control of my photography.

The Last Cry-The Underworld, Camden

The Pause, Then the Restart

Between 2012 and early 2015, life got complicated, and I only picked up my camera occasionally. Some might say I wasted those years, but for me, I just wasn’t ready yet. By 2016, things settled down, and I dove back into photography with a new focus. I followed advice from online experts like Jared Polin (FroKnowsPhoto) and then bought a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens to improve my gear.

In 2016 I started practicing again, bought a new lens, and took my camera to Japan. I was finally seeing progress, and for the first time, I felt proud of what I was creating.

Shooting in Low Light: Lessons Learned from Live Music Photography

My trip to Japan at the end of 2016 was a real turning point; I was proud of the photos I took there, and that gave me the confidence to take music photography more seriously in 2017. That’s when I realised photography, especially live music photography, wasn’t just a hobby, it was something that truly made me feel alive and special. From that moment, I started shooting many of my friends’ gigs (Colors, picture below, the Gig Connection gang, Hidè Takemoto and Hibiki Ichikawa, Esprit D’Air) and local bands (like Tokyo Taboo and Your Mum), before moving on to new gear (Nikon D750 and a series of lenses), bigger names and contributing to various online music outlets, and to photography as a full time job (2024).

Kenji san, Colors

Shooting live music in low light is challenging and unpredictable, but it taught me invaluable skills that formed the backbone of my photography today. If you’re new to photography, I highly recommend giving live music photography a try—it’s a fantastic way to learn about lighting, timing, and capturing those goosebump moments. I’ll share more tips on how to get started in future posts.

What’s Next?

I’m excited to continue exploring and growing as a photographer. The beauty of this job is that you never stop learning and you never stop experiencing! Stay tuned for upcoming projects, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and practical tips that can help you on your own photography journey.

If you want to follow along, see my latest creative portraits, or get in touch, feel free to check out my Instagram or About page.

A Final Note

This post is in loving memory of my dear friend Kenji, the voice of Colors. Though he is no longer here, the echoes of his music and the moments we shared still live on in my heart, and in every photo I take. He was the biggest supporter of my work and I will always be ever so grateful.