Music & Celebrity Portraits by NYC Music Photographer Todd Owyoung https://ishootshows.com/category/portraits/ Concert photography and music photography by pro music photographer Todd Owyoung Wed, 30 Aug 2023 20:16:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 2313035 40 Women Defining Music Photography Today https://ishootshows.com/40-women-defining-music-photography/ https://ishootshows.com/40-women-defining-music-photography/#comments Wed, 12 Feb 2020 05:00:00 +0000 https://ishootshows.com/?p=17544 Last year, one of the articles I was most passionate about on publishing was titled, “Women in Music Photography You Should Know.” It was a feature of many of my favorite photographers in the music industry, many of whom I consider personal friends of mine. While I reached out to a handful of inspiring photographers, the list and the shoutouts they gave only scratched the surface of the talent that so many women are bringing to the photo game. Even […]

The post 40 Women Defining Music Photography Today appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]>
Christina Aguilera. Photo by Katia Temkin — All Rights Reserved.

Last year, one of the articles I was most passionate about on publishing was titled, “Women in Music Photography You Should Know.” It was a feature of many of my favorite photographers in the music industry, many of whom I consider personal friends of mine. While I reached out to a handful of inspiring photographers, the list and the shoutouts they gave only scratched the surface of the talent that so many women are bringing to the photo game.

Even as I worked on that article, I knew that this was a topic that I was going to revisit, and I'm excited to feature even more of my favorite music photographers working today. These women are producing some of the most exciting work in concert photography, artist portraits, tour photography and more. Here are 40 women defining music photography today.

Once again, I asked each photographer profiled here (highlighted in yellow) to give a shout out to some of their favorite women in music photography. I'm so excited to bring you this feature — I know that I've so thoroughly enjoyed going through this list and enjoying photography that has left me stunned and impressed.

Beth Saravo

Beth Saravo was an award-winning photographer who was mentioned in several shout outs from the first edition, and with good reason. She's carved out a distinctive style that transcends the common music photographer, blending bold portraits, intimate candids and the lifestyle of live music, on stage and off. Her work encompasses a love of human interaction combined with an appreciation for “moments.”

Saravo's clients range from UMG, Live Nation and Revolt TV to Redbull, Golf Wang and Dickies. Known as her online persona Baeth, she specializes in live music and lifestyle photography; working deeply within the hip-hop festival circuit. She has a love for the high energy and fandom re-emerging through new age artists and divides her time with intention encouraging other women and emerging creatives to keep learning and pushing for their highest goals.

I love the freshness that Beth seems to capture so effortlessly. From lushly atmospheric live shots to raw backstage candids and more, her work shows an incredible range that defies the the limits of your typical concert photographer.

From the esteem and respect she commands from her peers, it's clear that Saravo is inspiring a whole generation of women in the pit. It's really exciting to see photographers like Beth enjoy such well deserved praise and success.

Beth's Shouts Out

Lexis Rother @ro.lexx

“She has such a thoughtful element to her images; not a single image looks like a ‘snap' but a well made photograph. We have never met, but I have been looking up to her & her images for over a year now (after I learned the backsplash image in the 3 story Nike store at The Grove was hers). Her work and moves within the industry feel very calculated and are hella inspiring.”

Lauren Dunn  @laurenelizadunn

“I have never met a more confident woman in my life. She is SO good at what she does both in and outside of photography, and follows exactly what she wants to do in the style she wants to do it. She will not settle for mediocre and I applaud this.”

Nicolita Bradley @okaynicolita

“Nicolita is so far from your average shooter. She understand the nuances of business, and is a sponge when it comes to learning from everyone around her. Her work is wildly clean; it's the type where you can recognize it because of her colors and editing style.”

Ashley Osborn @ashleyosborn

“Ashley uses her platform for the betterment of the community. She is constantly reaching out, ready to teach/help new/struggling creatives. Ashley’s honesty about mental health within the industry is very needed and I am so happy to call her a friend.” 

Phoebe Fox @shotbyphox

“She is a Bad. Ass. She is one of my favorite photographers – point blank. I’ve never seen someone pump out more content than her – and its CONSTANT. This is me fan girling – let her work speak for itself.” 

Miranda McDonald

Miranda McDonald is a photographer based in Los Angeles. She cut her teeth as a nightclub photographer and worked her way through the EDM scene before breaking into the pop world. From Holy Ship to Coachella and leading photo teams for major festivals, Miranda’s credits include everything from print features in Esquire to billboards in Hollywood. 

In addition to shooting on the festival teams for Goldenvoice and others, her clients include breakout stars like Julia Michaels and Bea Miller to Shawn Mendes and Nick Jonas. 

What I love about Miranda's work is the freshness of it and the ability to weave seamlessly between live music, backstage candids and studio portraiture with a singular vitality and cohesiveness throughout.

What's more, you can see a level of trust and comfort with her subjects that immediately make Miranda's work stand out. Her work with Julia Michaels in particular gives you a feeling of complete trust and intimacy. Miranda's work puts you in these places few people get to see, and looking at her work is like this peek into this beautiful, secret world. And as a tour photographer, that's exactly what you're hired to record, these moments that the fans would otherwise never see, and what makes Miranda's work so, so good.

Miranda's Shouts Out

Lucy Foster @lucyfosterphoto 

“I love how you feel like you're standing in the room when you look at Lucy's photos. She has a way of truly capturing emotions, not only with sharp close up shots but with epic wide shots too. Plus her colors and tones are absolutely stunning!! Really excited to watch her growth over the next few years.”


Gina Joy @ginajoyphoto 

Gina's concert photos are so clean, always the best moments. I've had the pleasure of shooting along side of her many times and she is not afraid to get down and dirty to get the shot – very admirable work ethic. I love her shots from the crowd's POV, they make me want to stop everything I am doing and go to a show. 


Ashley Osborn @ashleyosborn 

“I looked up to Ashley and her work for YEARS before we met, then one day we got to shoot on a festival team together and it was instant friendship. She's such a kind person, an amazing friend and SO supportive. On top of that, she has an incredible eye for moments, can make anyone feel comfortable around her and is just a badass female really making an imprint in this crazy industry.”

Pooneh Ghana @poonehghana 

“All of Pooneh's work is so raw and captures the pure essence of who she's photographing. There's something about how her subjects look into her camera that makes me feel like I know them. Not to mention she's such a sweetheart and you can feel her creativity flowing out of her just from chatting with her.”

Katia Temkin @katiatemkin

“Katia is an absolute legend. She's the type of artist where you know its her work the second you see it, such a vibe. Majorly look up to her in the sense of being so skilled creating all types of content, for massive pop stars. You can tell she is a hustler and is down to put in the work always.”

Wrenne Evans

Wrenne Evans is a photographer based out of Nashville, TN. After college Evans moved to NYC to work with famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, eventually leaving to focus on touring. She's worked with bands like BULLY and Mumford and Sons, and has worked extensively with Maggie Rogers, including documenting the star's 2019 world tour.

Her clients include Island/Universal Records, Founders Entertainment, Capitol Records, Infinity Cat Recordings and License Lab. Evans's images have appeared in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NME, Esquire, DIY Mag, Noisey, BILLBOARD Magazine, Myspace, Flavorwire, IMPOSE, Clash Music and Nashville Scene. 

I first met Wrenne when she was photo director for the Red Bull Music Festival in NYC. Immediately on meeting Wrenne, her warmth and genuineness shine through, and I love that you can see this in her photography. It's abundantly clear that she has a closeness with so many of her subjects that is wholly earned, as she's able to capture uniquely intimate moments in her work. When I look at Wrenne's images, it's as if I'm looking at a family photo album in the pure, unguarded moments she captures with her subjects.

Wrenne's Shouts Out

Natalie Somekh @natsomphoto

“Nat is something special. Not only has she worked at venues and cut her teeth in live music photography, she tour manages while doing so. Bands need to be hiring her to focus on photography because she's just too good and sees souls. Her travel photos are also insanely beautiful.”


Olivia Bee @oliviabee

“I think she is one of my favorite photographers alive. She creates stories for a lot of her personal work and the emotion behind her work is so tangible. I think a lot of my female photog community looks up to her. She goes into spaces as a documentarian and photographs them like Vermeer paintings.”

Yana Yatsuk @yanayatsuk

“I love her portraits so much. Her black and white work is pretty iconic. She focuses on these insane details of her subjects that are almost visceral. She recently shot a Rolling Stone cover which is really big for alot of us ladies because that tends to be a male dominated space at the magazine. She is a big inspiration for me.”

Nicolita Bradley

With just over two years photographing music, Nicolita Bradley a presence and body of work that's impressive for any music photographer. Based in Seattle, Washington, Nicolita has stacked up an impressive resume, with publications and clients including Rolling Loud, Interscope Records, Atlantic Records and Amazon. Her work has been featured on Billboard, Spotify, Harpers Bazaar, and PAPER Magazine among others.

What I love about Nicolita's work is the cohesive and raw feeling of her work. Whether it's a small club or a massive festival, Nicolita's images put you there, showcasing the fleeting expressions and intimate moments that are gone so quickly in a performance, yet feel so iconic as a still image.

What's more, Nicolita has been fantastic about sharing the techniques she uses, such as in creating GIFs from a sequence of still images, which is such a great asset to the music photography community.

Nicolita's Shouts Out

Beth Saravo @baeth

“I absolutely adore Beth. The portrait work she creates with artists is really intimate. She knows how to disarm a person and bring out their natural personality with ease. Working alongside her is a joy, her energy is contagious! She's a constant source of inspiration and a powerhouse behind the scenes fighting for women in the industry.”

Muriel Margaret @murielmargaret

“I've never met Muriel, but I can tell she has this vivacious energy to her. It's tangible through her work which I think is really special. Her mixed media work with artists is my favorite. It does more than tell the story, it takes you along for the ride.”


Miranda McDonald @mirandamcdonald

“Miranda's work consistently leaves me in awe. It doesn't matter who is in frame, she manages to captures everybody uniquely. She approaches each artist differently while still maintaining her personal style. Her work with Bea Miller and Shawn Mendes is some of my favorite. I find myself looking back through her work often.”

Maggie London @maggielndnphoto

“Maggie is one of those people that has it. There's no definitive way for me to describe what she creates. She's always at a show and kills it every single time. I'm always motivated to try new angles and shoot more often when I see her work.”

Michelle Grace Hunder

Michelle Hunder is a music photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. Beginning her career in professional photography in 2011 Michelle has risen to the top of Australia's music and artistic scene to become one of the country's premier music photographers. Most recently, Michelle has just been named the National Live Music Photographer of the year at the 2019 NLMA’s in Australia, a most fitting way to end a year of touring the world as official tour photographer for rapidly rising music super star, Ruel. 

Michelle's credits include two separate portrait series in the National Sound and Film Archive of Australia. In addition, Michelle is the brainchild behind the 2015 photographic book “RISE,” a detailed, photographic portrait series within the world of Australian hip-hop, and the co-director of the critically-acclaimed feature documentary, and portrait series, “Her Sound, Her Story.”

I love that Michelle's work feels equally at ease in the studio, in the photo pit and on stage. I personally feel that music photographers show a strength in either portraiture or events, but very seldom both — Michelle seems to excel at the two worlds with equal and rare skill.

What's more, I love the support for the music photography community that Michelle shows, both for her own scene in Australia and indeed worldwide across social media.

Michelle's Shouts Out

Mackenzie Sweetnam @mackeniesweetnam

“I absolutely love the way Mackenzie photographs gigs, her photos always blow me away with their intensity and colour. She’s an absolute superstar and I cant wait to see what she does in coming years. Her photos of Post Malone on the last tour were some of my favourites and she took some killer shots of U2 which were really amazing too. Definitely one to watch!”

Jess Gleeson @jessgleeson

“So proud of Jess making the huge leap into full time freelancing last year, and she’s absolutely killing it!! Jess is one of those people that everyone loves to be around, as well as being a kick ass photographer. Ive loved to see how well she's done over the last few years, most notably her work on the Niall Horan tour and the bunch of festivals that she is on the team for. Ive also loved seeing more of Jess’s portrait work with artists and bands, she’s really working hard and has earned all her success!”

Paigge Warton – @paigge 

“Only just became familiar with Paigge’s work recently after she shot a Ruel show that I was shooting on tour and I really loved her work. She's super talented at both portraits and live work, and I've loved seeing her unique perspective on the stuff she shoots. She did some killer backstage portraits of Matty from 1975 that were just incredible, and I love her film work as well. She’s awesome, I am a big fan!”

Nicole Mago

Nicole Mago is a Brooklyn-based portrait and music documentary photographer. Working freelance since 2015, Nicole specializes in tour photography and creates much of her work on the road, working with artists across multiple genres. Selected clients include The Midnight, SHAED, verite, Ron Pope, and others. While not tour, Mago will often work with these same artists creating portraits, promotional work and album artwork, which is a testament to the relationships she forges with her clients.

Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Alternative Press and Kerrang! Magazine among others. Her selected client list includes Burberry, Live Nation, Verizon FiOS, Atlantic Records, Bloodshot Records, Brooklyn Basement Records and Photo Finish Records.

I love Nicole's work for the cohesive mood she creates in her images. There's a haunting, cinematic quality to many of the images she creates on the road, effortlessly blending rich black and white photography with accents of color across her documentary, portrait and live work. Nicole's environmental portraits on the road are images that I particularly love — they feel like film stills of quiet, perfect lighting.

Nicole's Shouts Out

Jennifer McCord @jrcmccord

“Jennifer’s work is natural, yet cinematic. It feels honest, the moments feel very real. She sees beauty in the unusual moments.”

Ebru Yildiz @ebruyildiz

“Ebru’s work feels raw and timeless. She’s always finding & creating the most unique light, making it easy to immediately recognize a photo of hers when I spot one out in the world.”

Amanda Fotes @amandafotes

“Amanda makes punk rock look the way punk rock feels – loud, punchy, gritty.”

To The Front @tothefrontDIY
Erica Lauren @byericalauren
Courtney Coles @kernieflakes

“To The Front is a traveling pop-up art show that was created by Erica Lauren (@byericalauren) and Courtney Coles (@kernieflakes), designed to support women and non-binary artists/photographers within the music industry. The list of talent involved in this goes on and on!”

Catherine Powell

For 26-year-old Catherine Powell, music and photography have always been a package deal. Originally planting her feet in the alternative rock world, Catherine has branched out into every genre of music, shooting everyone from Taylor Swift to Drake; from Elton John to Metallica. Catherine also made the venture into celebrity portraiture at age 17 when she co-founded NKD Mag with Ariella Mastroianni. After Ariella left the company in 2013, Catherine continued to grow the brand into one of the largest digital publications around – toting an impressive global audience of over 90 million unique readers. She functioned as the magazine’s editor-in-chief and designer until October 2019, when she closed to publication after 100 monthly issues.

She has toured with notable acts across all genres such as MAX, flor, MKTO and more. In a true career turning point, Catherine began working with Kacey Musgraves in 2018 as she was gearing up to release her now-Grammy winning album, Golden Hour, and travels with her globally. She currently tours with multiple Grammy winning artists such as Dan + Shay, Maren Morris and Miranda Lambert. She has been published in Rolling Stone, Billboard, People and more.

I love Catherine's work for the sheer inventiveness she brings to her photography. She seems equally at ease sliding between massive arena shows and the grit of NYC icons like Irving Plaza and Gramercy Theater, while bringing her signature look backstage, on stage and everywhere in between. Her work with Kacey Musgraves in particular showcases the depth and power of photography one can create when you have total trust from your subject, a feeling that is stunningly clear from the intimate images she creates on tour.

Catherine's Shouts Out

Cynthia Parkhurst @cynthiaparkhurst

“Cyn spent the last year on tour with the Jonas Brothers and continues to craft their digital presence. She's fully mastered how to capture engaging content in the fleeting digital age.”


Paige Sara @paigesaraphoto

“This girl can seamlessly go from huge arenas to clubs and it's so cool to watch. I love all her work with Winnetka Bowling League, and her Greta Van Fleet shots are going to be considered iconic one day.”

Anna Lee @annaleemedia

“I know her work best from Walk The Moon and X Ambassadors. She captures both those acts so differently, but you can still immediately tell it's an Anna photo.”

Miranda McDonald @mirandamcdonald

“Currently out capturing all of Julia Michaels' milestone moments, Miranda is a great example of the magic that can be made when a photographer and artist create such a strong bond.”

Jennifer McCord

Jennifer McCord is a touring music and portrait photographer based in London, UK. Her work is deeply rooted in exploring and portraying emotivity as well as the intimacy of artists she works with.

McCord's list of selected clients include Universal Music, SONY, Entertainment One, Rock Sound, COMPLEX, Polydor, Sub Pop, Skull Candy and TOMS Shoes. In addition, she's worked on the official photo teams for Reading & Leeds Festival, All Points East Festival, Download Festival, Isle Of Wight Festival and others. Jennifer has worked extensively with Ellie Goulding as well as Architects, Half Moon Run, Westlife, Enter Shikari, Fall Out Boy, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, and more.

I recently had the pleasure of finally meeting up with Jennifer in NYC and it was amazing to talk to about music photography. The conversation reinforced that despite so many people having different paths to music photography, there are more shared experiences and bonds than not.

I love the dramatic plays of light and shadow that feature in so much of McCord's portrait work, as well as the connections you feel with her subjects. There's a deep, meditative quality to so many of Jennifer's portraits for me that transcend the conventions of photographing celebrity. I feel the mark of a striking image is always one that makes you want to look more, and her work has this hypnotic effect in abundance.

Her live work captures the big, crescendo moments of a show while feeling uniquely intimate, as if her subjects are living just for her lens. In rare form, Jennifer captures penetrating portraits and the visceral energy of live music with equal perfection.

Jennifer's Shouts Out

Sarah Louise Bennett @slb_photo

“Sarah's one of the most talented people I know and is consistently producing amazing work. Her photos are colourful, vibrant and I can always tell immediately when an image is hers.”

Nicole Mago @nicolemago

“Nicole takes some of my favourite photos, there's always a quiet energy to them that draws you in, regardless of whether it's on or off stage. Her work with SHAED in Asia especially is just a dream.”

Corinne Cumming @capturedbycorinne

“Corinne's drag work is outstanding and she's the go to for London queens. Lately she's been producing these incredible large group portraits for various communities and they're just gorgeous.”

Maggie London

Maggie Friedman is based in NYC and is a regular photographer for Interscope Records as well as other labels. She travels regularly for festivals and has shot on the official Bonnaroo photo team for two years as well as working Lollapalooza for Ladygunn among others. Her featured publications include Rock Sound, as their main US contributor, and Rolling Stone.

I love the style that Maggie brings to her work — from the toning and color work to the sense of space she creates in her compositions, her images feel uniquely hers. In a hyper competitive field like music photography where standing out is a massive challenge, Maggie seems to create signature images with ease.

What's more, Maggie seems to excel at always bringing home “the shot,” capturing those moments that live music photographers live to make — those moments where the lighting, the emotion and the moment align in perfect harmony.

Maggie's Shout Outs

Emma Delevante @emmadelevante

“Emma creates a story with every image. Her photos have a timeless feel, I especially love her country work, especially of John Prine. I won’t be shocked if her work ends up in museums. It’s so genuine. Emma is a gem.”

Ruby Boland @rubyboland

“I’ve never seen work more vibrant in my life!! I feel like I’m looking through the most amazing kaleidoscope when I see her work. She takes clean and great images, and her editing makes them one of a kind. No one does color like Ruby.” 

Cynthia Parkhurst @cynthiaparkhurst

“Cynthia is the absolutely killer content creator for the Jonas Brothers. She does all their visuals and in my opinion was a huge part of the success of their comeback, along with running her own company! She’s the definition of a boss and I really look up to her. Seeing her work is always a highlight for me.” 

Corinne Cumming @capturedbycorinne

“Corinne shoots a majority of Rock Sound’s covers now in her own studio. She’s toured with the likes of As It Is and Enter Shikari, and her drag work is some of my most favorite. She’s one of the most passionate and kind people I’ve ever met and always gives so much love out to others as well. Such a talent.”

Skyler Barberio @skylerbarberio

“Skyler is constantly impressing me with her creativity and ability to think outside the box. She’s printed photos on maps, lyric sheets and more. Truly always pushing the envelope and she’s so young which is even cooler. 

Katia Temkin

Katie Temkin is a photographer and motion graphics artist who splits her time between NYC and LA. Originally from South Texas, Temkin attended NYU for photography and learned motion graphics on the side during her studies. This combination of skills made Katia a rare talent with a jaw-dropping client list to match, creating everything from lyric videos thumb-stopping social media content to tour posters and promotional portraits.

Some of Katia's favorite clients include Jonas Brothers, Normani, Christina Aguilera, Kiana Lede, Hailee Steinfeld and Zara Larsson. In addition, she worked on campaigns and projects for brands like iHeartRadio, Virgin, Sony, Columbia Records, Republic Records, Netflix, Virgin EMI records and more.

I absolutely love Katia's work because of the seemingly endless creativity she brings to her work — from concept to design to photography and animation, every facet of her work is stamped with a style that's so completely her own. Any one of her individual talents as a concert/event photographer, portrait photographer and animator would be enough to make her stand out, but the fact that Katia combines these as a content creator is just jaw-dropping. Every frame Katia shoots seems to come from a parallel universe that's brighter, more glamorous and frankly just more fun than the one we inhabit. When you see her work, it's immediately understood why Katia is so in demand with the biggest names in music and beyond.

Katia's Shout Outs

Alexandra Gavillet @alexandragavillet

“I admire Ali in so many ways. I don’t even know where to begin. We both graduated from NYU & watching her work ethic & success over the years is so inspirational & empowering. Ali has an incredible gift to capture raw & genuine emotions. I like to describe being around Ali as being around a ray on sunshine. Her happiness and confidence are so contagious and it is very much reflected in her photographs. She’s my idol.” 

Miranda McDonald @mirandamcdonald

“I’m obsessed with Miranda. Her photographs are so clean and beautiful. She captures the most perfect details and moments.” 

Cina Nguyen @ilikeyourface 

“HER COLORS. Her portfolio is a dream. I’m in awe with every post. It doesn’t matter what the venue or light looks like, she makes everything look so incredibly surreal & dreamy.” 

Ashley Osborn @ashleyosborn

“A true legend in capturing raw emotion – it is so inspiring.” 

Elizabeth Miranda @elizabethamiranda 

“A film and color genius. A nostalgia queen.”

Pooneh Ghana

Pooneh Ghana is a photographer and director based in LA specializing in live music, music portraits and tour photography. As photographer Victoria Sanders said of Pooneh: “Your favorite bands love her.” Which is no exaggeration. 

Pooneh has worked closely with a pantheon of indie rock bands, including Cage the Elephant, Portugal. The Man, Jeff the Brotherhood, Foals and Jagwar Ma, among others. Her extensive client roster is peppered with iconic brands, from Red Bull, Vans, Fender, Jack Daniels, C3 Presents and Festival Republic to standards like NME, Rolling Stone, VICE and Billboard Magazine.

In an age of glossy, cookie-cutter music photography of arena bands photographed for three songs before getting the boot, one look at Pooneh's work tells you she lives in a wholly different world. And this is a world where she's royalty.

I love Pooneh's photography because her work combines the surgical precision of nailing the shot in her concert photography with the kind of raw grit and authenticity in her portraits and tour work that you simply cannot imitate or fake. Her images have this earned intimacy with her subjects and capture real moments in ways that elude so many music photographers. Pooneh is the real deal.

Pooneh's Shout Outs

Sarah Eisman sarahashleyeiseman.com

“Not only are Sarah’s photos mind-bogglingly stunning, but I love the stories she attaches to each photo she shares and reading her perspective of the world around her. She’s a true story teller and is able to capture whatever emotion she’s feeling through her photos so well. You can tell she’s really passionate about her art and also enjoys playing around with different film cameras, trippy photo effects, and just having fun with whatever medium she decides to play on that day. It’s always rad seeing what she creates in the music world with her shooting style.”

Jackie Lee Young @jackieleeyoung

“Jackie is a dear friend of mine and it’s a true joy watching how she constantly reinvents herself as a photographer and videographer in the music world (but also in fashion, food, travel, she does it all so well). Her work ethic and ability to see things in a completely different way has been so inspiring to witness. She can make something as mundane as a brick wall look like art. I love her!”

CJ Harvey

“CJ’s just a badass!! Photographer, tour manager, graphic designer, and a true music lover, as you can tell when you look at her photos. She’s a road dog and is able to throw herself in any situation and really capture what it’s like to be in that moment with an artist on tour, or at a festival or wherever. She shoots a lot on film as well and her photos are all beautiful!”

Caveats

A few caveats are in order. This is by no means a comprehensive list. The people in this list skew heavily toward photographers I know personally or who are friends of friends. I know a lot of music photographers, but I don't know everyone. That is abundantly clear even as I compiled this list of shout outs, and one of the reasons I hope that others will also discover some great talents we have here in the music photography community.

Some shout outs were added so I realize the number of photographers in this article has changed and isn't accurate reflected in the URL or title.

End Notes

Between the photographers I've profiled and the photographers they've shouted out, I hope that we can take a moment to celebrate the amazing work that women are doing in music photography as the truly define this genre. This isn't a competition or a popularity contest — if anything, I hope that we can all view this list as just a very small slice of a huge community of music photographers that exists worldwide.

Please give these photographers a follow and some love on social, and I hope you've found a new music photographer.

The post 40 Women Defining Music Photography Today appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]> https://ishootshows.com/40-women-defining-music-photography/feed/ 1 17544 Women in Music Photography You Should Know https://ishootshows.com/women-music-photography-you-should-know/ https://ishootshows.com/women-music-photography-you-should-know/#comments Wed, 24 Apr 2019 14:15:42 +0000 https://ishootshows.com/?p=17077 A feature of some of the incredibly talented women in music photography who inspire me, as well as their own favorites.

The post Women in Music Photography You Should Know appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]>
The Struts. Photo by Anna Lee, all rights reserved.
The Struts. Photo by Anna Lee, all rights reserved.

I want to recognize some women in music photography who are crushing it. Recently, I reached out to a number of women photographers who I admire and respect to not only celebrate them as photographers, but to give their own shout outs to fellow women are at the top of their game in the music photography world.

Everyone on this list is not only producing phenomenal work, but they're also paying their success forward and inspiring a whole new generation to pick up cameras and dive into music photography.

Victoria Sanders

Victoria Sanders is a music photographer based in Chicago. Along with Lesley Keller, Victoria co-founded The Photo Ladies, a collective celebrating women in music photography. The Photo Ladies connects hundreds of female photographers and this group has been a huge force on Instagram in recognizing the legion of women grinding it out in photo pits around the world and making stunning imagery.

I love Victoria's talent for capturing not just the key moments on stage and their energy, but also imbuing a mood that feels all her own through the lighting and tones she captures. Some of her clients include C3 Management, Forbes, NBA, Red Bull, Vic Mensa and the 1975.

Today, Victoria is surrounded by the hundreds of empowered women photographers of The Photo Ladies. She also donates her time and skills to SaveMoneySaveLife, a foundation launched by Vic Mensa in 2018.

Victoria's Shouts Out

Pooneh Ghana @poonehghana

“Pooneh Ghana is an all around babe. Her creative aesthetic, as well as her personal aesthetic are perfectly merged with who she is as a person. From having met her a handful of years ago at Lollapalooza, and running into her in festival photo pits, and working alongside one another for Red Bull Music Festival, I'm always excited to see Pooneh at work, and spend time with her. Plus, your favorite bands love her.”

Lesley Keller @tynie626

“Without Lesley Keller, there'd be no Photo Ladies as we are today. What went from a Facebook message between the two of us, turned into something we never expected – a worldwide network of the most amazingly talented women music photographers. Lesley is one of my best friends, and her love for all things John Mayer and Francis Farewell Starlite make me smile on the regular.”

Erika Reinsel @eureekaz

“Erika Reinsel's photos always give me the more serene feeling, they're like being in a dream – no matter what venue or lighting situation she's in, her photos convey something that I don't see with anyone else's work. Her aquarium photos should be on your walls – you should hit her up for prints. ;)”

Zoe Rain @zoerainphoto

“Zoe Rain is soft spoken, kind, and one of the most genuine people I've ever met. She's known for being Macklemore's photographer, but Zoe has travelled the world, creating some of the most beautiful and important humanitarian photography that you will see. Her ‘Faces of Togo' series (which you can find on her website) is worth spending time with today.”

Katherine Tyler

Katherine Tyler is a tremendously talented photographer I've known for years and count as a friend. As National Photo Director for iHeartMedia, Katherine has led massive photo teams for some of the world's biggest events in live music and hired the best music photographers working today. What everyone should know is that Katherine could easily be doing the job of the photographers she hires, both in the photo pit and in the studio.

I absolutely adore Katherine's aesthetic, execution, and endless creativity in her artist portraits. Often working together with her twin sister Mariel, Katherine has shot a who's who of popular music, including Janet Jackson, Sting, Selena Gomez, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes and more.

Her portraits and live music photography alike possess a signature vibrancy that blends dramatic lighting with an undeniable expression of her subjects' personalities.

Katherine's Shout Outs

Renell Medran @renellaice

Daria Kobayashi Ritch @dritch

Allexandra Gavillet @alexandragavillet

“Some of the female photographers who I admire in the editorial/entertainment world are Renell Medrano, Daria Kobayashi Ritch, and Allexandra Gavillet. Renell and Daria have an artful vintage approach that lends to this beautiful mix of refined rawness. Gavillet’s bold use of color makes for eye catching, genuinely fun images. I love how these women are able to apply their unwavering aesthetics to the stories they are telling.”

Anna Lee @AnnaLeeMedia

Ashley Osborn @AshleyOsborn

Hélène Pambrun @HelenePambrun

Jenn Devereaux @JennDPhotography

“For live work, I gravitate toward photographers who can capture iconic moments that represent the vibe of the artists and the atmosphere of the event overall.  You can tell photographers like Anna Lee and Ashley Osborn love what they do just by the vivacity of their images. Hélène Pambrun has a very organic approach where you feel like she just happens to catch these stunning live moments. Jenn Devereaux’s excellent sense of timing gets her “The Shot” every time.”

Judy Won

Judy Won is an Ohio-based photographer specializing in documentary, lifestyle and music photography. I first met Judy when she was working as a photo editor for iHeartRadio at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.

Since her involvement in her local music scene in 2013 as a teenager, Judy now travels the world as tour photographer for the American rock band Halestorm. As a tour photographer, Judy has traveled to 12 countries and plans to continue documenting her travels. Beyond Halestorm, Judy's clients include iHeartRadio, Kerrang! Magazine, Of Mice & Men, Shinedown and SXSW.

Judy's Shouts Out

Georgia Moloney @moloneygoergia

“I love all of Georgia Moloney's work for a multitude of reasons. She's a multifaceted creative, who not only specialized in photography, but also incorporates amazing graphics into some of her photos. Her sense of tones is beautiful, as her photographs are colorfully bold, but not oversaturated. Her editing style is also genuinely unique as I haven't seen anyone else publish work like hers. I hope I have the pleasure of running into her in Australia one day.”

Kayla Surico @kayla_surico

“Kayla Surico is also another female creative who's a jack of all trades when it comes to producing beautiful content. I've been a fan of her work for years as she has a great eye for composition and colors. Her organic usage of subtle, unnatural tones is one of the reasons I wanted to learn how to branch out my editing skills. I've also had the pleasure of meeting her at SXSW 2018, and can attest to the fact that she's as good of a human being as she is a photographer.”

Jenn Devereaux

Jenn Devereaux is a photographer whose work seems to jump off the screen whenever I see it. She just seems to always capture images that feel iconic — the perfect moment, the perfect lighting, everything just comes together in her concert photography.

I count Jenn as a friend and it's been really amazing to see her career progress over the years. From sneaking in cameras to concerts and festivals over 11 years ago to having her images globally syndicated and shooting a who's who in the music industry over the last decade. She has been published in print and online with outlets such as Billboard Magazine, Rolling Stone, People Magazine, and Marie Claire.

I'm proud to have shared a stage with Jenn when she was invited by Nikon USA to be part of a panel on music photography with Robert M. Knight, Michael Corrado, and myself at the Nikon Theater at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. Recently, Jenn was contracted as the house photographer for the new Fillmore theater in New Orleans.

Jenn's Shouts Out

Katrina Barber @katrina.barber

“Katrina is one of the hardest working females in the music photography industry. She has a keen eye for finding unseen moments and capturing them in such a creative way. Not only does she photograph the most stunning live music images but her band portrait work is incredible as well.”

Erika Goldring @blondeambitiontour

“Erika Goldring- Erika is a consistently amazing photographer who has had photos plastered on Billboards and in magazines. She knows how to frame the picture perfectly so that her images tell a story, as if you were there. Not only is she one of the most talented people I have ever met, she is also a genuinely nice person who gives great advice. I'm proud to call her a friend and colleague.”

Amy Harris @thefirst3songs

“Amy Harris – Amy has traveled the world capturing some of the most stunning images. Open up any magazine and I'm sure you will see one of her photographs. I think what I like most about Amy's style is that her photos are clean, sharp and composed perfectly for editorial purposes. She really has an eye for detail.”

Katherine Tyler and Mariel Tyler @tylerkat | @marielty

“Katherine and Mariel Tyler- The Tyler twins are, by far, my favorite music portrait photographers. The first time I saw their work, I was blown away. You can tell that they make their subjects feel comfortable and at ease with every photo taken. I truly aspire to be as creative and talented as they are.”

Anna Lee

Anna Lee provides a textbook example of just how far an insane work ethic and raw talent will get you. With nearly a decade of experience as a music photographer, Anna began touring in 2013, primarily with pop and rock artists. Tour clients include Walk The Moon, The Struts, MisterWives, Gavin DeGraw, Grouplove, X Ambassadors, and several others. When off the road, Anna works on a variety of LA-based creative projects for artists, labels, publications, and commercial clients. Anna Lee is a music photographer from OKC, now based in LA.

There's a versatility and freshness in Anna's work that really makes her stand out to me, from her versatile portrait styles to an impeccable ability to nail that rock-star moment in the live show.

Anna's Shout Outs

Jen Rosenstein @jenrosenstein

“Jen originally came to my attention because of her respectable list of legendary rock clients. Her range spans from timeless and classic studio portraits to intimate documentary content that captures artists in their most unguarded and natural state. You can feel that her subjects are her friends.”

Katia Temkin @katiatemkin

“Katia was one of the first content creators I saw make the crossover between animation and still music photos. I observed her work popping up everywhere for so many major artists. Her vision and creativity for these pieces blow me away! As an added layer, her photos have a theme of vibrant editing that is unique to her. I’m always excited to see new content from Katia!”

Ebru Yildiz

Ebru is a music photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from Turkey, Ebru has dug into the NYC music scene with a tenacious vision. In 2016, she self-published her first book, “We’ve Come So Far: The Last Days of Death by Audio.” This book features over 200 black and white photographers documenting the last days of the iconic Brooklyn music venue and features interviews with Oliver Ackermann, Matt Conboy, Edan Wilber and other staff and residents.

Ebru’s clients include a who’s who of the music and entertainment industry, including the New York Times, Interview Magazine, Fader, VICE, New York Magazine, Q Magazine and Rolling Stone. I love the evocative nature of Ebru’s images, full of lush atmosphere and analog rawness.

Ebru's Shout Outs

Jessica Lehrman @jessierocks

“Jessica is one of my biggest inspirations both as a photographer and as a person. Her interests lie in so many different subcultures and Hip Hop is just one of them. I just love that regardless of her subject matter all her work weaves in and out of each other so seamlessly. Her portraits remind me of her documentary work, and her documentary work feels like her portraits. They are always intimate, a super special, fleeting moment frozen in time. Whenever I look at her photos, it always feels like I am looking at a super important moment in time and just feel lucky to see it through her eyes.”

Samantha Marble @marblesgram

“Sam has a super unique way of using the flash with her concert photography work.. The way she treats color combined with the way she uses her flash, I can always point out a Samantha Marble photo, her work always stands out. And I think that kind of unique voice is important to have in an oversaturated industry.

I also absolutely love that the metal scene is her preferred area to work in. If you think the music industry is dominated by male photographers, you can only imagine how it is within in the niche of the metal scene.”

Aylin Gungor @aylindutronc

“Aylin is based in Turkey. She is the creative director behind the Turkey's longest standing Music, Art and Culture magazine Bant Mag. I find her photography work super interesting. She works almost exclusively with film and shoots a lot of musician portraits who are touring Istanbul from different countries and also local acts as well.

She has two other big bodies of work. One of them is called This Magical Depression and the other one is Valuable Loneliness. The reason I bring these two projects up is because they are both documentary style photographs with a quirky edge. They are from an outsider's perspective, interesting, humorous and thought provoking. I think she approaches her musician portraits the same way. Most of the time they don't feel posed, even if they are, they are not usually what you expect, and I find there is always an edge to them.”

Maria Jose Govea

Portfolio: thesupermaniak.com

Instagram: @thesupermaniak

Maria Jose Govea is for me, one of those rare double-threat music photographers. I always feel like music photographers fall into one of two categories: either excelling at live music or portraits, but rarely being equally exceptional at both. For me, Maria hits that balance and brings a freshness to both sides of music photography with ease.

Born and raised in Venezuela, Maria Jose Govea moved to Toronto to study film and DJ drum and bass. DJing turned to documenting the EDM scene in her adopted city, and Maria moved from behind the decks to shooting parties, concerts and doing portraits of DJs and musicians in Toronto. This led Maria to eventually touring with artists like Arcade Fire, Skrillex, A-Trak, Diplo, Bomba Estéreo and more. In addition, Maria has had a long term collaboration with Red Bull, photographing their culture and music projects. More recently, she's relocated to LA and has worked with Apple on their campaign #ShotOniPhone. Her editorial clients include Billboard, W Mag, Paper Mag, Dazed and the LA Times.”

Maria's Shout Outs

Beth Saravo @Baeth

“This woman is a young photographer who’s out there shooting a lot of music stuff and the energy in her work is just right. She’s great at capturing performances but she can also take incredible portraits, and early in her career she’s already developing a signature style that makes her stand out from the crowd. Also, you can feel the passion for what she does in her work, and nobody can teach you that!”

Maria Svarbova @Maria.svarbova

“You’ve probably already seen her work but I’m absolutely blown away by Maria’s work. The set design, the use of color, the playfulness, the composition… it all just works in such an impactful way. It’s very inspiring to watch somebody rise to the top and continuously make images that define what’s cool, what’s modern, what’s unique and what’s fresh and new. And Maria’s work is all of that, and more.”

Ashley Osborn

Ashley Osborn is an LA-based photographer who has carved out an impressive career as a music and portrait photographer. I love Ashley Osborne's photography because she has a signature style. From her tour work to her portraits, she brings a brooding, often dark aesthetic that is all her own in the music photography world. Shooting since 2010, Ashley's clients include Jessie J, Avril Lavigne, All Time Low and Bring Me The Horizon. I had the pleasure of shooting alongside Ashley at the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Festival.

Ashley's Shout Outs

Jennifer McCord @jrcmccord

“Jenny’s work embodies everything we as people can’t physically say. She captures the true essence of what someone is feeling. I am in awe when I look at her work.”

Katia Temkin @katiatemkin

“She has such a way of capturing her subjects! Kat’s work is so colorful, fun and edgy at once. She empowers her (mostly) female clientele by making them look like the stars they are!!”

Debi Del Grande @DebiDelGrande

“If there’s a show in Los Angeles, you better believe Debi is there capturing it all in it’s GLORY. She’s the heart of the scene here in LA, her work is so fun and she’s always got a smile on her face!”

Coen Rees

Coen Rees is an African French-born Londoner currently living in NYC.  There's a timelessness to Coen's photography that I love — images that speak to the music of today, but as if we're looking back at them from the future. I feel this raw power in Coen's high contrast images, so many of which have a uniquely graphic quality where these moments feel both intimate and also larger than life. Some of Coen's clients include Paste Magazine, Afropunk, Live Nation, Dr. Martens and Amnesty International.

Coen's Shout Outs:

Jessica Lehrman @JessieRocks

“When I moved to NYC in 2013, it was to get back into music photography after over a decade away. I Googled “music photographers in NYC” to get a sense of who the current crop of music photographers were. To be honest, I was pretty underwhelmed. And then I came across Jessica’s site.There was a rawness and an honesty about her work that grabbed my attention. A lot of her work at the time was black and white, and it had a reportage-type feel to it that I’ve always loved in photography. It’s been amazing to watch her grow as an artist, and she remains one of my favourite photographers to this day.”

Devon Bristol Shaw @DevonBristolShaw

“Devon is a great photographer based in NYC. I’m not entirely sure when, but at some point, she made the decision to only shoot film, and her photography has gotten so much better as a result. Film photography is not cheap, and it really makes you stop and think about the shots you’re taking, as you only have a set amount of frames available. Oh, and she’s also a kick-ass graphic designer.”

Silvia Saponaro @Silvia_Saponaro

“Silvia is NYC-based photographer whose work I greatly admire. In this crowded industry, with so many photographers shooting the same shows, it’s very easy to see different photographers coming up with the same shots, but Silvia’s photographs always have that ‘something extra.' She also shoots film a lot of the time, and goes deep into alternative printing methods, which is something that is very close to my heart.”

Victoria Ford @sneakshotphotography

“Victoria Ford, aka Sneakshot, is a music photographer based in D.C. Not only is she a great photographer, but she also knows a shit ton about ALL kinds of music, which I actually think makes for a better photographer. She’s exhibited her work in a number of shows, and has been profiled by Lomography and The New York Times.”

Maaike Ronhaar: @maaikeronhaar

“Maaike is a Dutch photographer whose work I became aware of via Instagram. There’s both an energy and stillness to her work that I love. She’s toured with a number of bands, and last year, she became the first female music photographer in Europe to become a Sony European Imaging Ambassador.”

Caveats

A few caveats are in order. This is by no means a comprehensive list. The people in this list skew heavily toward photographers I know personally or who are friends of friends. I know a lot of music photographers, but I don't know everyone. This list is also skewed heavily toward photographers in the US and I know there are women music photographers rocking the pit all over the world.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but I hope that you've found a little inspiration in the amazing work that these photographers are making. I plan to follow up with even more photographer profiles and shout outs very soon.

End Notes

Between the photographers I've profiled and the photographers they've shouted out, I hope that we can take a moment to celebrate the amazing work that women are doing in music photography. This isn't a competition or a popularity contest — if anything, I hope that we can all view this list as just a very small slice of a huge community of music photographers that exists worldwide.

Please give these photographers a follow and some love on social, and I hope you've found a new music photographer. I know I've found several.

The post Women in Music Photography You Should Know appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]> https://ishootshows.com/women-music-photography-you-should-know/feed/ 8 17077 Shooting Impressions of the Nikon Z7 https://ishootshows.com/nikon-z7-hands-on-impressions/ https://ishootshows.com/nikon-z7-hands-on-impressions/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2018 16:14:40 +0000 https://ishootshows.com/?p=16875 “First off, you can't ask any questions… Yes or no: Are you available for a meeting on…” It's one of those phone calls you hope — no, DREAM — of getting… A call with just the right air of secrecy and mystique, it makes you pause and say to yourself, “This has to be something exciting.”  I received one of those calls earlier this year, marked a date on my calendar and waited. The meeting came and went. I did […]

The post Shooting Impressions of the Nikon Z7 appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]>
Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 27mm. ISO 640, f/4, 1/160 second.

“First off, you can't ask any questions… Yes or no: Are you available for a meeting on…”

It's one of those phone calls you hope — no, DREAM — of getting… A call with just the right air of secrecy and mystique, it makes you pause and say to yourself, “This has to be something exciting.”  I received one of those calls earlier this year, marked a date on my calendar and waited.

The meeting came and went. I did a shoot, and then waited a little more. Now with the official launch of the Z 7 last month and the release of the camera just days away, I can finally reveal this dream project.

I am thrilled and humbled to say that I was one of a small number of photographers who was able to shoot with a pre-production Nikon Z 7 and produce images for the Nikon USA marketing launch campaign for the Z series of full-frame mirrorless cameras.

If you have been paying attention to the introduction of the new Z system, you know that it’s an extremely exciting time to be a Nikon shooter. The idea of a full-frame Nikon mirrorless camera is something that has captured the imagination of Nikon users around the world. The announcement of the Nikon Z 7 and Z6 makes real years of speculation and anticipation.

Here are my thoughts and impressions from my brief time spend shooting with the new full-frame mirrorless Nikon Z system.

 

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 39mm. ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/160 second.

 

The Assignment

I was just inducted as a Nikon Ambassador for Nikon USA in May of this year, 2018. As such, using the Z 7 was the first product launch I’ve been a part of since joining the ambassador program, and this was a true honor.

Over a dozen Nikon Ambassadors and pro photographers from North America were invited to test the Z 7 as part of this project, each with individual assignments. Here was a group of photographers with all kinds of specialties — there were photographers representing wildlife, landscape, travel, sports, fashion and more all included.

My assignment? Portraits. Now, I think of myself as a music photographer — I love photographing anything and everything related to music. Live music performances, backstage candids, and artist portraits. As such, I approached this assignment as a challenge to produce portraits in my style, as if I were creating editorial or promotional portraits of artists.

I work in the country music scene a lot these days, and I have some good friends who are touring musicians based out of Nashville. I called in some favors, booked an amazing studio, and in less than a week from when the prototype camera was put into my hands, I had two days to create some images. The goal was to keep this shoot as tight and lean as possible.

Gear Used:

I was given the following gear:

  • Nikon Z 7
  • Nikon 35mm f/1.8 S
  • Nikon 24-70mm f/4 S

NOTE:

All images created here were produced with a pre-production versions of the Nikon Z 7, 35mm f/1.8 Nikkor Z and 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z lenses, and a pre-production version of Nikon Capture NX-D supporting the Z 7's NEF files. As such, they should not be viewed as representative of the final production models and software.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 31mm. ISO 125, f/4, 1/200 second.

Shooting Portraits with the Nikon Z 7

As I mentioned, I approached this series like I would a commission of singers, artists or musicians — of which most of these models are. Honestly, I can say that I have not been this excited about a camera release since Nikon's first full-frame camera, the Nikon D3.

Shooting portraits with the Z 7 was a joy. From the clarity of the EVF to the responsiveness of the AF system to the unparalleled edge-to-edge sharpness of the new S line lenses… the new Nikon Z system is a game changer for me.

All images in this post were shot over the two-day shoot I did in Nashville over two days in early August for Nikon USA. I shot in natural light and with SB-5000 speedlights using the WR-R10 radio tramsmitter for wireless control.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 63mm. ISO 200, f/4, 1/250 second.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 56mm. ISO 64, f/4, 1/200 second.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 54mm. ISO 400, f/4, 1/160 second.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 55mm. ISO 800, f/4, 1/160 second.

I have included the exposure details for all images. As you will see, I was mostly shooting wide open — almost exclusively. In the instances where I did stop down, I would attribute it to habit, or simply wanting a little more depth of field beyond max aperture. But I should stress just how good both the 35mm and 24-70mm S line lenses are wide open. If I had to do this shoot over again, I'd probably shoot wide open exclusively, knowing just how phenomenally these lenses perform at max aperture.

Body and Design

I used the Z 7 with the new 24-70mm f/4 and 35mm f/1.8 S line Nikkors over two 10-hour days, and working with them was a pure joy.  The body of the Z 7 just feels like you want a Nikon to feel like. There's a density to the compact from that gives you the confidence that this is nothing but a pro camera. For me, it feels like the Z 7 has has the same build quality of a D850, just in a smaller form factor.

It’s hard to express in words, but the balance of this body design just feels right. As someone who absolutely loved the grip size of the Nikon D750, the Z 7 is a beautiful camera to use. For me, the grip hits that magical Goldilocks proportion — not too big, not too small, it’s just right.

Similarly, the body size, to me, feels like it hits this perfect proportion. The Z 7 feels like a tool for professionals, while still keeping the compactness that mirrorless has long promised us.

Ergonomics and Controls

For me, one of the most striking things about the Z 7 is that this feels like a Nikon. This was one of my very first impressions of the camera — that it had the kind of “DNA” of what a Nikon camera feels like, from the grip to the functionality of the button layout, command dials, and so forth.

For me, the mark of a good tool is one that just gets out of the way. It becomes transparent. For me the Z 7 was just that kind of camera.

 

 

The button layout for the camera feels like an evolution of what I’m used to with the D850 and its predecessors. Nearly every button on the camera can be accessed using the right hand, from the command dials to the back-of-the-camera controls. A sweep of the thumb covers AF-ON, still vs movie mode, the AF sub-selector, the rear command dial, and D-pad.

It may sound like a simple thing, but the fact that the camera can be picked up with one hand, turned on, and all controls adjusted with the thumb, index, and middle fingers of the right hand — this is what we know as Nikon ergonomics. Not all cameras are setup like this. It sounds trivial if you are a Nikon shooter, but I mention it's something that easily taken for granted.

One thing to note for me, is that due to the smaller form factor, Nikon users will notice that some dedicated buttons we are used to having on our DSLRs are absent. These include most notably the AF selector (both mode and AF/MF).

However to make up for this, the Z 7 is arguably the most customizable Nikon camera I've ever used, with no less than six different controls can be configured with the Z 7 and S line lenses (5 controls if you are not using an S line lens with the control ring). This gives a huge amount of customization, and ensures that the user can setup the camera controls to best suit his/her needs. For me, this more than makes up for the decision to drop some dedicated buttons found on many Nikon DSLRs.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 44mm. ISO 200, f/4, 1/250 second.

Menu System

The Z 7 has essentially the exact same menu structure as my D850 and D500. If you know how to use your Nikon DSLR, you know exactly how to use and setup this camera. Because of this, I could setup this camera to my preferences and start shooting within minutes. Add in the touch-interface of the back LCD, and I'm able to zip through menu selections if I need to change a setting on the fly.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 41mm. ISO 800, f/4, 1/200 second.

EVF

For me, the EVF of the Nikon Z 7 blew me away. I have never used a camera with an EVF with any depth, and coming from a DSLR, I loved the EVF of the Z 7. It feels massive, responsive, and super sharp.

The Nikon Z 7 features approximately 100% coverage, 0.8x magnification, and a 21mm eyepoint. What this adds up to is as someone who wears glasses is a great shooting experience. The 21mm eyepoint is even better than the 17mm eyepoint of the Nikon D850.

What these numbers mean in real use is that even wearing glasses and not having my eye right up to the viewfinder, I could see the full display of info while shooting and without having to move my eye.

As a user of DSLRs exclusively, I instantly fell in love with the Z 7’s EVF — the real-time, “what you see is what you get” feedback on exposure, and live-view display of the histogram. What’s more, I loved being able to access menu items or playback images without taking my eye from the viewfinder. I didn't feel like the transition from OVF to EVF had much of a learning curve in the least.

Overall, this is a great viewfinder. It's big, it's bright, and it's so good I often forgot it was an EVF instead an OVF.

However, for DSLR uses, there are still benefits of an optical VF. In very low light, for example, an OVF may provide a better experience than an EVF due to the fact that with an OVF, you're not dependent on the sensor and effectively using high ISO to display the image. Nothing specific to the Z 7, just a fact of life with an EVF.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 Nikkor Z. ISO 400, f/2, 1/100 second.

Memory Card — XQD

The Nikon Z 7 features a single XQD slot. I’m a massive fan of XQD cards. I’ve been using them with my D500 and D850 for about half a year (yes, I am late to the party), and they blow away SD and CF as a format by a large margin. I wish I had made the switch from SD immediately when I purchased my two D850.

The single card slot is the one thing that critics have mentioned. Here are my thoughts on this: The superior performance and superior robustness of XQD over SD is enough for me not to think twice about this design decision. I’ll take one slot of the best memory format over two slower SD slots any day.

For me, one XQD slot is superior to two SD slots. I want the speed and I want the performance of XQD. If we get two XQD or CFExpress slots in the next generation, even better.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 57mm. ISO 64, f/5, 1/500 second.

And for the record, I love dual slots. I use the dual slots of my D850 for every shoot — XQD as the primary, and SD as the overflow. Not as backup. Same with my D750. This is always how I've shot my DSLRs with dual card slots, all the way back to the Nikon D3 with its dual CF slots.

I've had about two card failures in the last 14 years of shooting with DSLRs. Both of them were with corrupt CF cards. I ran data recovery on the cards and recovered all the files. It's a boring story, I know.

But back to XQD. Shooting with XQD is blazing fast, we all know that. But more than shooting with XQD, the thing I LOVE about them is that they download about twice as fast. When I’m shooting multiple cards and ingesting them on a shoot, this faster download speed means I can get to the edit all that much faster, and I love this.

As it has been announced that CFExpress cards, which also use the same PCI Express architecture and an identical form factor, will be backwards compatible with XQD, I feel quite confident about XQD and the Z 7 as being nicely forward looking.  The Z 7 will be compatible with CFExpress with a firmware update, so Nikon has truly built a camera that is ready for the future.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 Nikkor Z. ISO 500, f/2, 1/160 second.

Battery and Battery Performance

The Z 7 uses a new EN-EL15b battery, but it is compatible with the EN-EL15a batteries that the Nikon D850 and D8500 already use. For me, this is a huge benefit. Not only because this is a proven battery format, but I have about a dozen of these batteries that I already use for my kit. The fact that I can keep a single battery across the Z 7, D850, and D500 is a killer feature.

But battery performance in a mirrorless is always a huge question. I am happy to answer this in detail. I shot over two days for my assignment — two 10 hour days.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 54mm. ISO 320, f/4, 1/320 second.

I went back to the files ingested for both days to review the exact number of frames made.

The first day, I shot 3087 frames using two batteries. In my first subject I shot 1367 frames alone, after which we shot for another couple hours. We swapped batteries sometime in the late afternoon and the first battery still had 2 bars of charge left. I'm not sure if we changed batteries after my second or third subject, but at a minimum, we made 2128 frames on the first battery, and at maximum 2679 frames.

The second day of shooting of the shoot, I shot 1834 frames. I shot the entire day using a single EN-EL15a battery. I grabbed a second battery as I was down to 2 bars in the last 20 minutes of the shoot, just in case. In that last bit of the shoot, we only shot 40 images, and changing out the battery didn't prove necessary.

So conservatively, I shot 2128 on day one and 1834 on day two. For both days of my shoot, I was using the EVF exclusively while shooting, but I did use the rear LCD for image review pretty regularly to show the subjects and crew the look I was getting. This is to say, I was shooting how I normally would — it just happened to be with a mirrorless camera.

  • Day 1 frame count: 2128
  • Day 2 frame count: 1834
  • Average frame count: 1981

Across both days then, I averaged 1981 frames — and this isn't shooting until the battery was 100% flat, but only until it held 1-2 bars of charge. For me, this kind of real-world battery life is more than satisfactory. The fact that the Z 7 takes the ubiquitous EN-El15 battery makes this even better. I have a dozen of these batteries that I already use for my D850 and D500 bodies.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 70mm. ISO 250, f/4, 1/250 second.

Autofocus

Autofocus. This is a massive test of any camera system, and I am happy to say that the AF system of the Z 7 is a beast. Personally, I found it as good as the Nikon D850 in my experience.

First off, experiencing the 90% AF coverage is like having the heavens open up, hearing trumpets blow, and being serenaded by angelic voices. I thought that the D500’s AF coverage was good (and for a DSLR, it is amazing). The Z 7 is better. This is no surprise, as mirrorless has long held an advantage as far as AF coverage.

With the new Nikon Z 7, I found myself actually composing my shots differently with the freedom of basically being able to put an AF point anywhere in the frame and getting snappy, responsive AF performance. If you look at the images in this post, you'd be hard pressed to find one that would cleanly fit into the AF spread of a traditional DSLR. Most of the points of focus are pushed toward the edges of the frame, and this is such a pleasurable thing about the Nikon Z 7.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 Nikkor Z. ISO 400, f/2, 1/60 second.

Focus recompose? It’s a thing of the past. Precise, on-sensor AF performance? Delivered. As someone coming from the world of DSLRs, the AF coverage of the Z 7 is a revelation. The Z 7 delivers and it delivers properly.

How is the speed? It's fast. It feels as fast or faster than my D850, which is saying something. There's no stutter, no hesitation — the Z 7 just locks on. The S line lenses that I used focused silently and quickly.

The Z 7 offers a pinpoint AF mode, which offers a very small AF point for super precise AF targeting. This was a MASSIVE feature when shooting portraiture for me, because I could put the AF point right on the eye of my subjects and nail focus. The only caveat is that the pinpoint AF mode uses contrast detection as opposed to the standard phased detection AF used for all other focus modes. In normal lighting, I found no difference between the two, but in low light the CDAF may suffer in speed compared to PDAF.

For me, the kicker was that even CDAF felt as fast as the D850's AF in most conditions.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 Nikkor Z. ISO 200, f/2, 1/250 second.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 38mm. ISO 80, f/4, 1/400 second.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 66mm. ISO 100, f/5, 1/200 second.

Image Quality

The 45.7 megapixel resolution of the Z 7 matches that of the D850. Which is to say, the Z 7 delivers massive resolution and just gorgeous files. The D850 has spoiled me for image quality, and the Z 7 is no different.

While I was using pre-production software, I am extremely excited about the image quality I saw and worked with. The image quality seemed to meet or exceed that which I’m used to with my D850 cameras. I'm going to wait to reserve judgement until my pre-order arrives and we get full release software.

But suffice to say, if you know the image quality of the Nikon D850, the new Nikon Z 7 feels as good or better. Combined with the new S line glass, and I feel like this is a system that is really going to shine and show us the possibilities not possible with a traditional DSLR.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 52mm. ISO 400, f/4, 1/200 second.

New S Line Lenses

For this assignment, I used the new 35mm f/1.8 S and 24-70mm f/4 S lenses. For many of these images, I was shooting wide open the entire time. To put it mildly, I was blown away by the optical performance of the two new Z-mount lenses.

The clarity — here meaning sharpness and contrast — of these lenses at maximum aperture across the entire frame is something that I have not experienced with conventional DSLR lenses.

Even with my focus point pushing toward the edge of the frame, the sharpness I'm seeing with the new lenses is just impressively good. I have never used lenses that have shown this kind of even sharpness and clarity across the full frame at max aperture like the new S line lenses perform on the Z 7.  Let me repeat that sentiment: I have never shot with DSLR lenses that are capable of  what I have seen with the new S line lenses for the Nikon Z mount. We are entering into new territory here.

The MTF charts that have been published for the S line lenses reflect my experiences with the new glass.

To me, the performance of the S line lenses and the new Z mount are something you just have to see to experience. The optical performance of this new Z series is truly its killer app, mark my words.

What's more, the autofocus performance of the New Z Nikkors is something as well. Not just the speed — they focus quickly. But they also focus silently. No whirring or vibrations. Just smooth, fast focus.

Nikon 35mm f/1.8 S line:

This 35mm really impressed me. This is a lens that I could shoot wide open all day — the only reason I saw to stop this lens down was for additional depth of field. Let that sink in. Yes, it's crazy. Yes, that is reason enough to put this new Z series into my bag. These new  S line lenses will have photographers reevaluating their opinion about f/1.8 lenses, mark my words.

 

Nikon 24-70mm f/4 S line:

A 24-70mm is a workhorse of a focal range. My Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E VR is my go-to lens on my D850, and so I felt right at home shooting with the new Nikon 24-70mm f/4S. The compact size feels just right and balanced perfectly with the Nikon Z 7. Like the 35mm S line, I found this midrange zoom exceptionally sharp at max aperture. Again, I was shooting almost exclusively wide open, and only stopped down when using speedlights for additional depth of field. Gone are thoughts of, “Maybe I should stop down to improve the edges…” This lens delivers wide open in a big way.

Nikon Z Series Lens Roadmap

Nikon has released the following roadmap for the Z mount.

The Noct gets a lot of buzz, but for me, I am very excited to see a balance of f/2.8 zooms and fast primes. My bread and butter lenses are the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E VR and 70-200mm f/2.8E VR, with the 14-24mm f/2.8 rounding out the trio of lenses I use day in and day out.

I am thrilled to see that that S line versions of these exact lenses are being developed, not just to have duplicates of these for the Z mount, but because I'm confident that we will see that these new lenses are the best performing versions in this focal range that we have seen.

Is there anything missing? For me, the prime selection looks great. I'd love to see a 105 or 135mm f/1.8 prime, simply because I love this focal length for portraiture. Beyond that, I'd love a compact f/2.8 rectilinear fisheye for the Z mount down the line. We'll have to see what 2021 holds for the Z mount, but overall, it's pretty exciting to see that Nikon is putting out the S line lenses that I personally use for my professional work.

Who Should Buy The Z 7?

So, who is the Z 7 intended for? In my opinion, the Z 7 is for anyone who will benefit for what it offers them. It's that simple. It's a tool, and being a photographer is very often about choosing the right tool for the job.

A 50mm f/1.4 and a 24-70mm f/2.8 both cover the 50mm focal length in very different ways and bring very different strengths to the table. This is exactly how I view the mirrorless Z 7 and a DSLR like the D850.

Look at your current kit. What are the holes? Do you need more robust video performance? Do you need silent shooting? Do you need to shoot wide open and have edge to edge sharpness? Do you need 90% AF coverage? Do you need a “baby D850” that is smaller, lighter, and won't give you the dreaded “camera claw” after shooting for a 10-hour day?

The list goes on and on, but you get the idea. The Z 7 and Z 6 are other tools. They are exceptional tools, but they are just tools. Pick the right tool for the job. Which leads us into how I'm going to use this camera.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z at 32mm. ISO 64, f/4, 1/200 second.

How's it fit in my bag?

No hesitation, I have my pre-order in for the Z 7 and I am adding this camera, the 24-70mm f/4 S, 35mm f/1.8 S and 50mm f/1.8 S to my bag. How is it going to fit into my camera kit?

First off, as a tour photographer, I'm often shooting backstage candids. These are moments that not only happen in low light, but moments that where I want to be as unobtrusive as possible. Here, the discreet size, fast lenses, and the completely silent shutter of the Nikon Z 7 is going to let me disappear.

When photographing live music, I'm often using 3-4 lenses across three DSLR bodies. I use multiple bodies because the less I'm changing lenses, the more prepared I am to capture what comes in front of my lens. When using 2-4 camera bodies, the weight adds up, and quickly. The small form factor and light weight of the Z 7 would be a nice way to lighten my load and keep me more nimble. When shooting long events like a music festival where I may be shooting for 10 hours straight, any weight savings I can get, I will take.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 24-70 f/4 Nikkor Z at 60mm. ISO 100, f/4, 1/400 second.

In addition, I know that the 90% AF coverage is going to open up a lot of creative possibilities. Going back to the Nikon D850 after the Z 7, I missed the fast and fluid way I could compose and put my focus point nearly anywhere in the frame the way I could with the Nikon Z 7. I know that when I want maximum freedom to work quickly, the benefits of the Z 7 are really going to shine.

The new S line lens series. I cannot stress enough how impressed I was with the lenses I used. The 35mm and 24-70mm S line lenses I used offered superlative image quality. Sharpness, contrast, AF performance and more — these lenses offered it and more. Again, to me, the new lenses here are the killer app of Nikon's mirrorless system. Being able to shoot wide open and get the edge to edge sharpness that I witnessed is just something you have to see for yourself. It's a paradigm shift.

Nikkor lenses have a reputation for phenomenal performance. This is just a fact. But I have no hesitation (and neither do Nikon's engineers) when I say that the Z mount and these S line lenses are the future.

The new Z 7 is basically a mirrorless D850. I know I can shoot both side by side and get the same amazing image quality, even using the same lenses I use every day with my F mount Nikkors, and get identical image quality. For me, it's the best of both worlds. The new Z 7 a no-brainer to me. It's in the bag.

Nikon Z 7 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 Nikkor Z. ISO 250, f/2, 1/200 second.

Closing Thoughts

If I sound excited, it's because I am. Genuinely. The Z 7 has me more excited about its potential than just about any camera in recent memory — and this includes the D850, so that is saying something.

The excitement I feel with this product launch parallels when the Nikon D3 was announced. Nikon was not the first to the full-frame market, but when the Nikon D3 was came out, it was the best full-frame camera on the market, hands down. For me, the Z 7 represents just that same kind of feeling.

Big thank you to the whole team at Nikon USA for inviting me to participate on the launch campaign. It is truly an honor to be included in the small number of photographers who shot with the pre-production cameras and lenses for the Z series. I personally feel like the introduction of the Nikon Z series is something truly special — I can't wait to start shooting the Z 7 and these new S line lenses.

I'm putting my money where my mouth is: I've pre-ordered the Z 7 and all three new S line lenses.

The post Shooting Impressions of the Nikon Z7 appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]> https://ishootshows.com/nikon-z7-hands-on-impressions/feed/ 17 16875 Nikon Ambassador Panel on the New Nikon Z Mirrorless System https://ishootshows.com/nikon-ambassador-panel-on-the-new-nikon-z-mirrorless-system/ https://ishootshows.com/nikon-ambassador-panel-on-the-new-nikon-z-mirrorless-system/#respond Sat, 25 Aug 2018 02:04:51 +0000 https://ishootshows.com/?p=16903 This week has been crazy exciting for me. I was extremely privileged to be one of a small group of photographers who was able to use the new Nikon Z7 full-frame mirrorless camera on assignment. Today, I filmed a livestream panel discussion with B&H Photo Video, where I joined fellow Nikon Ambassadors Charmi Pena and Andrew Hancock in talking about our experiences with the new Z system.  You can watch the hour-long segment here, where we share our impressions and […]

The post Nikon Ambassador Panel on the New Nikon Z Mirrorless System appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]>

This week has been crazy exciting for me. I was extremely privileged to be one of a small group of photographers who was able to use the new Nikon Z7 full-frame mirrorless camera on assignment. Today, I filmed a livestream panel discussion with B&H Photo Video, where I joined fellow Nikon Ambassadors Charmi Pena and Andrew Hancock in talking about our experiences with the new Z system. 

You can watch the hour-long segment here, where we share our impressions and do a Q&A about the new system.

In this piece, I talk about shooting portraits with the Nikon Z7, touching on everything from battery life to the optical performance of the S line lenses. If you are considering buying the Z7 or Z6, I sincerely hope that this video makes you as excited as I am about this new system.

The post Nikon Ambassador Panel on the New Nikon Z Mirrorless System appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]> https://ishootshows.com/nikon-ambassador-panel-on-the-new-nikon-z-mirrorless-system/feed/ 0 16903 2018 Nikon Speedlights Campaign https://ishootshows.com/nikon-speedlights-campaign-todd-owyoung/ https://ishootshows.com/nikon-speedlights-campaign-todd-owyoung/#respond Sun, 18 Feb 2018 20:27:22 +0000 https://ishootshows.com/?p=16787 It's always hard to keep a secret — especially when those secrets are really exciting photography projects. As we all know, sometimes it can be hard to keep a secret. For photographers, if we're lucky, those secrets are campaigns that we have had the privilege  of working on, but which haven't quite been released by the client. It's really exciting to share that Nikon USA has unveiled a new microsite for their Speedlights. The site includes a video that features me using […]

The post 2018 Nikon Speedlights Campaign appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]>

It's always hard to keep a secret — especially when those secrets are really exciting photography projects.

As we all know, sometimes it can be hard to keep a secret. For photographers, if we're lucky, those secrets are campaigns that we have had the privilege  of working on, but which haven't quite been released by the client.

It's really exciting to share that Nikon USA has unveiled a new microsite for their Speedlights. The site includes a video that features me using Nikon Speedlights, as well as sample images from the shoot and lighting diagrams showing how we made the images. The site also includes new photography by the likes of Joe McNally, Dave Black, and Dave Tejada — guys who I've looked up to in the photography world and who are known for their use of lighting and off-camera flash — which makes this project even more special to be a part of.

You can see the video at the top of the page:

In addition, the photos are used for a brand new brochure for Nikon Speedlights. It was really a thrill to get a stack of these from Nikon and see the images printed on thick, glossy paper.

The brochure includes lighting diagrams for many of the setups we shot, which really simply break down the lighting setups.

Early on when I was shooting music, I can recall doing so many quick shoots with bands and artists backstage before a show. Often, I'd just have a few minutes with the talent, so having everything setup and working flawless was really essential, and using Nikon Speedlights was a huge part of being able to quickly setup lighting and make adjustments on the fly.

Big thank you to the Nikon USA team in Melville, NY for trusting me to be part of this campaign, and shout out to director Roy Dahl and his team for making me look good in front of the camera.

Check out the new Speedlights video and download the brochure for details on the lighting setups above on NikonUSA.com.

The post 2018 Nikon Speedlights Campaign appeared first on ishootshows.com.

]]> https://ishootshows.com/nikon-speedlights-campaign-todd-owyoung/feed/ 0 16787