Bold Concert Photographer Criticized for His Disruption, But the Results are Impressive

The argument over whether or not to use a flash when shooting a live concert comes down to two distinct issues, one technical and the other ethical. On the one hand, using a flash in a low light setting gives you a tremendous advantage over your environment for capturing quality shots. On the other, there’s the knowledge that the flash is distracting and annoying, to the performers and audience members alike. As a live music photographer myself, I’m of the opinion that the ethical question is the more important one and that this guys’s doing it all wrong:

To be fair, the band—Sleeper Effect—asked photographer Aelle Lucà to shoot this gig, and Lucà asked them up front if his technique would get in their way. The band gave him free reign to do as he pleased, and that’s exactly what he did. Sleeper Effect and Luca are both very pleased with the results, and scores of photographers came to his defense, pointing to the photographs themselves as proof Lucà is legit.

But at least one person in the audience was annoyed enough to shoot this video and post it on YouTube with the title “How not to be a photographer at a gig.” And it seems that for each person who praises the photographs, there’s another who thinks that shouldn’t matter, and that the band did a disservice to the few fans who showed up by allowing it to happen in the first place. Take a look at some of Lucà’s photos from the gig, linked from his website below, and let us know what you think. Was it worth it?

Aelle Lucà Sleeper Effect

Aelle Lucà Sleeper Effect

Aelle Lucà Sleeper Effect

Like This Article?

Don't Miss The Next One!

Join over 100,000 photographers of all experience levels who receive our free photography tips and articles to stay current: