meandthestereo

Sometimes ten minutes is all you get to make your mark.  That is usually the case for Concert Photographer Amy Willard.  When shooting a band at a concert, she usually gets to shoot for the first three songs.  Fortunately, she thrives on this.  She believes “there is nothing more thrilling or rewarding than capturing the true essence of a performer in under 9.7 minutes.”

She answered some questions for me and explained how she got her start, and elaborated on this philosophy.

On your site you say that you have been into photography for a long time. Was it someone that helped you get into it or did you start on your own?

I remember my mom always making sure I had a disposable camera for school trips, so I think that really got me into taking photos.  Then my older brothers had taken photography courses when they were in high school and college.  My oldest brother was the one who actually gave me his old SLR for when I took my one and only photo class in high school.  He taught me the mechanics of the camera and said “go shoot” and everything just kind of blossomed from there.

How did you get into doing photography professionally (in that you now get to sell your pictures to magazines like Alternative Press)? Were you already doing rock photography at the time?

Things just kind of developed over time.  I started out taking pictures for fun.  They were usually architectural since that’s where my focus was at that time– I ended up going to college for architecture.  I also started getting into music as high school went on and finally when I got to college I could start going to concerts.  It was a few years ago that I was talking to my oldest brother and he was like “you should try bringing your professional camera to shows and see what happens.”  So I called venues before shows to check their camera policy, and I ended up shooting a Matt Wertz show at a small venue.  I showed my pictures to my brother and he was impressed and he told me that I should try getting photo passes from bands for other shows.   I was either ignored or rejected by most bands simply because I didn’t have a real portfolio to show them.

So in looking online at other photographer’s shots, and being completely envious, I came across some All American Rejects photos from a concert I went to.  The image had the photographer’s name, Stacey McCarthy, and I just had to look up her work.  I found her on MySpace and sent her a message telling her how amazing I thought her photos were and asked her how she got into shows.  At the time, she was shooting for an online publication, MishMashMagazine, but she was considering starting her own site, TheMusicSceneZine.com.  I offered to contribute for her and she told me how to arrange photo passes for shows.  Soon enough, I was getting approved and I just kinda dived into the world of concert photography.  About two years ago, Stacey suggested I start my own site, so I developed BarricadeBuzz.com and things have just developed from there.  I started getting my friends to write articles, and a few photographers from around the world to contribute; it’s been great.  Now I get to shoot the bands I love, interview them, and really get to know the personalities in my frames.

About a year ago I contacted Alternative Press to see if they were looking for another contributing photographer.  It wasn’t until months later that I was asked to submit samples of my work.  Once I did that, I was added to their mailing list and asked to shoot the AP tour in April.  I ended up shooting for their Warped Tour and Blink 182 features, and will be covering the AP Fall Ball tour when it comes to DC in a few weeks.

What equipment did you start out doing rock photography on? What equipment do you use now?

I started out with a Nikon D70, because that’s what I happened to have.  I worked an entire summer and saved up to purchase a Tamron f/2.8 lens.  You really need a fast lens when shooting in low light situations.  About six months ago, I was able to upgrade to the Nikon D90.  It was a big improvement.  The sensor is far superior to that of the D70.  I still have the same lens, but I also now have a f/1.4 50mm Nikkor as a reserve, and I’m looking into more wide angle lenses.

When taking a picture at a show, what do you think is the most important thing you think needs to be communicated through your photographs?

The most important thing is capturing the soul of the performer.  You always want to get “that moment.”  The one that really says “this is him,” or “that’s totally her.”  Musicians have a lot of emotion, and spirit, and when you’re at a live show, you get the opportunity to experience that.  As a concert photographer, I always want to make sure to capture that in still frame.

Whose work in rock photography do you look up to? Whose work inspired you the most?

Stacey [McCarthy] has clearly had a huge impact on me.  She had faith in me, and I wouldn’t have the wonderful opportunities I have today if she hadn’t responded to my MySpace message.

I’ve always been one to walk her own path, so I’m not sure if there is someone in particular that I look up to.  I certainly admire the work of many concert photographers, especially those I have had the pleasure of sharing a photo pit with.  I have also joined many Flickr.com groups related to concert photographers, so I have had the chance to correspond with many photographers and see a lot of their shots.  I am, however, always impressed by the work of Todd Owyoung.  Gage Young is also another name.  He’s younger than I am, but you’ll find his work throughout Alternative Press; he has a lot of talent.

As a fan of music and a photographer, do you ever feel like you have to separate your fan side from your photojournalist side?

You definitely have to separate yourself, well at least for the first 3 songs of every show– that’s when you get to shoot.  You always have to remember, those first 3 songs, or about 10 minutes, in a photo pit is your time to work.  You are there to do a job.  You are not there for front row access.  You can’t be in a photo pit singing and dancing as a spectator.  You’ll end up blocking another photographer or annoying security.  You get in, take your shots, and get out.  Once I’m done, I put my camera in my bag and join the crowd as a fan to enjoy the music.

Your bio states that you are studying architecture, and you have some beautiful architecture shots on your site. How do you approach taking photos of architecture as opposed to taking pictures at a rock show?

Well, thank you.  Architecture is usually easier to shoot, because it doesn’t move, haha. You have the ability to sit and think, and examine the subject at hand.  It’s almost the complete opposite at a rock show– you’re thrown into an unknown situation and you have to think in the moment.  In both styles I aim to produce dynamic images.  With buildings, it may be turning the camera to give lines an extreme angle.  In concert photography, I may crouch lower in a pit, to give a dramatic angle looking up at a performer.

What are your top 5 (or 4 or 6 or whatever) favorite musical artists at the moment?

It’s always tough to choose, I mean, I love so many different bands.  Some of my favorites though are Motion City Soundtrack, The Daylights, The Fray, Nirvana and The Get Up Kids.

Is there a certain band or musician or singer/songwriter that you feel is underrated or ignored that you would like to give a shout out to now?

Well I always have to give a shout out to my boys in Vanilla Sky.  They’re a pop/punk band from Italy that I shot when I was in Rome.

I just recently photographed the band Fun.  and I have to say that they have to be one of the best live shows I’ve seen in a long time.  Everyone should seem them live. Their debut album, Aim and Ignite, doesn’t even do them justice.

To see and hear more from Ms. Willard, make sure you check out her personal site, Barricade Buzz! Also, check her out on Myspace!