CASE STUDY Nick Lewis
Nick Lewis is living proof that it is possible to break into rock photography while still holding down a 9 to 5 job. He's been shooting concerts since 2003 while also working as an IT contractor In Slough. Who says this business isn't glamorous?
"I started photographing concerts for the Filmmagic agency who have since become part of Getty Images. I hadn't shot any concerts and got my first commission based on some shots of Paula Radcliffe.
"My first ever gig was at Shepherds Bush Empire to shoot The Mavericks. Since then I have photographed many bands across a fairly broad range of genres.
"I am a Nikon man and have a fairly simple kit list. I use Sigma lenses, as I like their build and quality. I mainly use my 70-200mm and 24-70mm when shooting a gig. I will even use two bodies on occasion as this saves so much time in the pit.
"Time is always limited to the first three songs and the pits can be jam-packed. You are under a fair amount of pressure to get as many decent shots as possible. I always aim for at least one or two ‘portfolio' shots at every gig I cover. Generally speaking I can often come away with 100 or so images that I then whittle down to about 20 at the most.
"Light can be a fickle affair at times, I have covered some events where it has been non-existent and flash is often prohibited! So it's a case of cranking up the ISO in order to get anything usable. I prefer shooting JPEG, as it's a quicker file format to work with especially when transmitting my files via FTP at the end of the night to my agency."
