17 Worldwide-Known Stage Photographers of All Time

If you enjoy taking photos during music events, you might need to learn more about the techniques used by stage photographers in your niche. It will allow you to come up with ideas that will help you organize objects in the frame and select the most suitable angles.

To do music festival photography, you need to improve your skills at taking studio photos as well as learn how to capture moving subjects and portraits.

1. Jim Marshall

jim marshall stage photographer

Jim was the most famous photographer in the world. He was born in the U.S. in 1936 and died aged 74.

Jim Marshall captured the phenomena that captivated him the most, such as peace, love, or the most unusual and inspiring examples of human behavior. This is why he started to take photos at Woodstock, one of the largest music festivals at that time.

One of the authors of Rolling Stone magazine commented on this portrait photos of such stars as Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, and Johnny Cash saying that he helped people see who the real rock stars are and what is the meaning of rock photography.

2. Ross Halfin

ross halfin stage photographer

While Ross Halfin was born in Great Britain, he was often compared to Jim Marshall. This well-known rock photographer has been documenting the pivotal moments of the history of rock music in Britain since 1970.

It is mostly thanks to him that we now know how famous punk music performances looked. He captured pics at the concerts of The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, and Soundgarden.

Ross was born in 1957. He graduated from London’s Wimbledon School of Arts, which explains his refined taste when it comes to selecting the most suitable aesthetic for a photo. What makes him stand out among other music photographers is that he has a background in painting. He still enjoys going to concerts and snapping captivating pictures.

3. Danny Clinch

dany clinch stage photographer

Danny Clinch was inspired by the works of Annie Leibovitz and considers her his trusted mentor. She is famous for taking one of the most iconic photos for a legendary cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Annie captured a photo of John Lennon with his wife Yoko Ono.

Danny was born in New Jersey. He quickly discovered that he had a keen interest in photography. He took stunning photos of earl Jam, Björk, Bruce Springsteen, The Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Dylan, and Tupac Shakur.

Danny is known for his unique technique. He knows how to capture photos during a musical event to make it similar to a religious ceremony.

4. Andy Cherniavsky

andy cherniavsky stage photographer

This extremely talented female photographer acquired fame taking photos of Argentinian rock stars. She is believed to be one of the most famous stage photographers in her country.

However, Andy would be hardly satisfied by capturing only music performances and backstage life. She is also known as a well-established fashion photographer with a strong passion for advertising. Thanks to her indisputable talent, she took world-famous photos of Mercedes Sosa, Charly Garcia, and Wham! that were used for covers.

5. Bob Gruen

bob gruen stage photographer

Bob always knew that he would never be content with photographing life seen staged. He found his passion in black and white photos and started to take stunning pictures of rock 'n' roll concerts. In the 1960s, he started to take photos of world-famous stars and bands, including John Lennon, Patti Smith, the Clash, the Sex Pistols, and The Ramones.

As he was born in New York, he made his first career steps there as well. He was lucky to capture the most unique moments in the lives of famous singers and took photos that are extremely important for the history of rock.

6. Rita Carmo

rita carmo stage photographer

Being the most famous music photographer from Portugal, Rita has almost 30 years of experience in the industry. She took plenty of stunning photos capturing the development of pop and fado music in her homeland. Thanks to her talent, music events in Portugal acquired worldwide fame.

At the beginning of 1990s, she studied fashion and took photos for a weekly magazine called Blitz. It allowed her to discover the wonderful world of music. These days, she keeps taking mesmerizing photos at various music shows.

7. Fernando Aceves

fernando aceves photographer

Fernando is the best stage photographer in Mexico. He has over 30 years of experience and knows how to use his camera for concert photography to capture the most popular concerts in Mexico and abroad.

After years of working together with famous artists and music performers, he released two books on local stars. Throughout his career, he took quite impressive photos of David Bowie, Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel, and Paul McCartney.

8. Marcos Hermes

marcos hermes stage photographer

This Brazilian photographer made himself a name when taking photos during music events in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. With over 3 decades of experience, Marcos Hermes took a lot of well-known photos of local and foreign artists.

His photos were used on the covers of book collections, music albums, and posters. He traveled with Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Ney Matogrosso, and Elza Soares. When working in Brazil, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Beyoncé hired him as their official photographer.

9. Ashley Osborn

Ashley osborn stage photographer

Ashley Osborn is one of the best music photographers who live in Los Angeles. She specializes in documentary, stage, and lifestyle photography.

Being a self-taught professional, she started using her first DSLR camera back in 2010. She has been often working during tours and took photos of such bands as Bring Me the Horizon.

As she loves to have fun, she often captures singers when they behave like kids and just enjoy themselves. Her pictures have a soft and tender feel that is rarely present in the photos taken by other stage photographers. Ashley believes that it’s important to capture emotions.

She took photos for Apple Music, iHeartMedia, Coachella, etc. You might have seen her photos of Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Kesha, and others.

10. Matty Vogel

matty vogel stage photographer

Matty Vogel is a popular photographer based in Los Angeles. He took great photos of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars. Many fans still fondly remember his studio portraits and candid pictures of Jared Leto.

If you take a closer look at this professional portfolio, you will see that it features a variety of photos in different genres. He takes studio photos and spontaneous shots during concerts.

Besides, he is known for his highly professional editorial photos. What makes him one of the best stage and music photographers is that he frequently tours with musicians. He took great pictures of Billie Eilish, Julia Michaels, Shawn Mendes, and others.

11. Todd Owyoung

todd owyoung stage photographer

Todd Owyoung is a stage photographer who lives in New York and uses Nikon cameras. Because of this, he has become an official ambassador of Nikon in the U.S. Todd has been taking photos for over 10 years.

He takes beautiful concert pictures with rich and vibrant colors. When looking at his photos, viewers can fully imagine the atmosphere at the concerts.

If you take a look at this Instagram account, you will find a lot of useful tips on camera settings and equipment. He provides a lot of useful information for concert photographers. Unlike many other band photographers, he has already worked with famous clients, such as FKA Twigs and Aerosmith.

12. Katy-Rose Cummings

katy rose cummings stage photographer

Katy-Rose Cummings is a talented photographer and print designer living in London. She started taking photos of music shows after moving to London. It allowed her to work for 3 years for The Hunna. She went on a world tour with them.

Besides taking beautiful photos, Katy-Rose designs merchandise and creates album covers. You can take a look at the blog on her website. It contains information about her values and life story. Katy-Rose is known for taking photos of Two Door Cinema Club, Circa Waves, Billie Eilish, and others.

13. John Shearer

john shearer stage photographer

John Shearer knows everything about the entertainment and advertising industries. He lives in Nashville and works all across the globe. If you take a look at this portfolio, you will find a variety of photos in different genres there.

He takes beautiful studio photos and behind-the-scenes pictures. Besides, he knows how to capture what’s happening on the stage. John is often invited to take photos at ceremonies, including the GRAMMYs and Academy Awards.

Unlike other music photographers, John is known for taking beautiful spontaneous shots of people talking to each other and enjoying each other’s company. By capturing genuine emotions, John takes one of the best photos in the industry. He worked with such performers as Bob Dylan, Billy Ray Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, and more.

14. Raven B. Varona

raven varona stage photographer

After graduating from NYU, Raven became a popular music photographer. She took famous photos of Beyoncé and Jay-Z when they went on the On the Run II world tour.

An interesting fact is that she had been dreaming about this opportunity for years. She even posted a tweet saying that she wanted to take their couple photo. Her dream came true and Raven firmly established herself as a celebrity photographer.

Raven knows everything about New York, its inhabitants, and its vibrant culture. It makes her stand out in the industry where most famous photographers are male. Raven also took photos of other popular singers, including Jennifer Lopez. In addition, she is famous for her collaboration with world-knows brands, such as Nike.

15. David Uzochukwu

david uzochukwu stage photographer

I was not sure whether I should add David Uzochukwu to this list as this photographer is one of the youngest professionals mentioned in this article. When he was 20, his works were published in Vogue Italia. Since then, he exhibited his photos all across the globe. His interviews were published in many newspapers and magazines. David took photos of such stars as Pharrell Williams, Benjamin Clementine, and others.

At the beginning of his career, he was mostly interested in conceptual photography, but he also liked taking fine art photos. Even now, you can notice the influence of these genres in his works. After discovering the world of music, he started to capture surrealist photos. They have an easy-to-recognize feel.

16. Deneka Peniston

deneka peniston stage photographer

Deneka Peniston doesn’t like bland and unimaginative studio photography, as she prefers taking personal photos instead. What makes her stand out among other music photographers is that she captures genuine emotions and takes stunning portrait photos of famous actors and musicians. Her models look vulnerable and approachable in her pics. Besides, she often focuses on their cultural backgrounds to ensure that her viewers will learn more about them when looking at her photos.

While Deneka often asks musicians to pose, she enjoys taking candid photos as well. She employs traditional studio photography techniques but knows how to make her pictures more unique by creating a captivating atmosphere. For this purpose, she uses light sources and various backdrops. Deneka took photos of such famous musicians as Jason Lindner, Ben Williams, Madison McFerrin, and others.

17. Julian Bajsel

julian dajsel stage photographer

Julian Bajsel is a popular photographer who lives in Houston and enjoys taking photos at music concerts. His works are crisp and clear, with a strong welcoming feel. Julian knows how to shoot in different lighting situations. Take a closer look at his photography portfolio to analyze which angles he prefers. It will allow you to understand how he creates a composition in the frame.

Julian knows how to make music visible. Instead of taking boring studio portraits, he captures candid moments that happen when musician carry their instruments. Julian is particularly proud of his photos of Diplo, Lil Nas X, and Zedd.

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