You’ve shot everything from metal shows to major branding campaigns, what first drew you to pick up a camera?

I first picked up a camera when I was in college. Instagram had been around for a few years by then, and travel photography was huge. You’d see these vivid, almost surreal images of waterfalls and beaches from around the world, and it was inspiring. Around that time, I had just started traveling more on friend trips… Weekend camping trips, resort vacations in the Dominican, etc…and I wanted to make beautiful travel videos like the ones I was seeing.

I bought my first GoPro and took it everywhere. The videos never looked quite as good as the ones I’d see online, but I loved compiling the footage and editing it together for the memories. It wasn’t until much later that I transitioned to taking photos instead. Even as I bought my first mirrorless camera, I only cared about the video specs. Funny enough, now I don’t really enjoy making videos and I’m completely drawn to photography. For the longest time, it was the other way around.

Do you remember your first time photographing a live metal show? What was that experience like?

Vividly! June 18th, 2023. It was actually my first time photographing a concert of any kind and I remember hating it. I left the venue swearing I’d never shoot another show again!

My brother (not by blood), Diego, plays in a California metal band called Lions at the Gate (incredible band, by the way, go check them out!). They were coming to Toronto on the Nita Strauss Summer Storm Tour, and he knew I was into photography, so he offered me a media pass to shoot their set at the Horseshoe Tavern. Up until that point, I’d mostly done product photography and lifestyle photography, so this was a completely new experience for me.

I remember being super frustrated having to fight my way through the crowd to get close enough for a few shots. I’m a tall guy (6’8″) and most people weren’t thrilled to let me squeeze past them just to stand in front and block their view. When I finally got near the front, a lady right in front of me held up a massive iPad and filmed the entire show… directly in front of my lens. I believe at one point she even dragged a chair over and was standing on it in the middle of the venue.

When it came to actually taking the shots, I completely butchered 95% of Lions at the Gate’s set. My settings weren’t dialed in for such a dark, unpredictable environment. Coming from product photography where the subjects don’t move and I control the lighting, I was suddenly dealing with flashing lights, fast motion, head banging, and chaos. Any confidence I had in my skills went right out the window.

By the time Nita Strauss hit the stage, though, I half figured things out and managed to get a few shots I liked. When I got home and imported the photos into Lightroom, the frustration of the night kind of went away though. Suddenly all the B.S. that I had to deal with at the venue was worth the photos I was able to capture.

Since then, I’ve been hooked. Now I just try to stick to venues with proper media pits and stage access… where I can actually move around without having to fight my way through the crowd haha!

Are there particular artists or shows that stand out as career highlights?

Oh man, that’s a tough one. I’ve been so fortunate already to have been able to photograph so many of the bands I grew up listening to. My music taste is so extremely diverse, that I have different artists for different genres that I’d love to photograph. However, if we are talking strictly metal, Lamb of God has always been my favorite metal band. It would 100% be them.

You’ve worked across diverse genres and projects, from stadium shows to global campaigns. Do you take anything from concert photography into those other creative spaces? Is there a difference in mindset when you’re shooting a music video or a brand campaign compared to a live concert?

Absolutely! In concert photography, you often have just 10 minutes (three songs) to get the shots you need. You have to be completely dialed in, both mentally and with your camera settings, or you risk missing the shots. I always tell people that concert photography is the hardest kind of photography because nothing is in your control. Lighting, angles, movements, pyro, lasers, obstacles… Everything is unpredictable. That pressure makes you an all-around stronger photographer. No two concerts are the same. Hell, no two songs are the same. Things are always changing in a concert environment and you constantly have to assess, adapt, and correct on the fly.

In studio or location work, it’s the opposite. I’m in total control. I can pose a model or artist exactly how I want, set up the lighting perfectly, take test shots and adjust as needed. The environment is way more relaxed in many ways. Concerts, on the other hand, are high-stress… and I love that stress. I also love the relaxed studio environment, where I can calculate every shot. They are very different.

But to answer your question more directly: Yes, concert photography sharpens every skill you need for other directions of photography. It forces you to know your gear, react fast, anticipate action, and make quick decisions. Those skills translate 1000% to all other creative work.

How would you describe your visual style, and how has it evolved over time?

I think it depends on a few factors. One thing I’ve noticed is that many photographers struggle with editing in color. It’s actually the hardest part of photo editing. Because of that, a lot of photographers default to black and white.

I usually edit my concert photos in black and white, not because I can’t handle color, but because I feel black and white is timeless and truly immortalizes the artists. Color grading is often trend-driven, and what looks amazing today might feel dated in ten years. I want my photos to last, long after the band stops existing. Black and white, for me, captures the soul of the artist rather than the trends of the time.

That said, I do break that rule when it makes sense. A band like Hanabie, for example, is all about bright, bubbly pinks and purples. Black and white just wouldn’t represent them well. In those cases, I try to match the band’s aesthetic in my editing, rather than sticking to my own preference.

I also try to compose almost all of my shots like portraits. Wide shots are rare. I like to get as intimate as possible, capturing details you might not notice from the crowd. Because of this approach, I often break traditional photography rules. I might crop a guitar neck or cut off a limb in my shot. But if I capture pure emotion on a musician’s face, that’s far more important to me than perfectly framing their tuning pegs. Other photographers will poke at me for it sometimes, but the publications or musicians never seem to mind haha!
In contrast, my studio and location work tends to be much more trend-driven, bold, and colourful. If I’m hired to shoot an album cover or to produce lifestyle images for a brand, the goal is imagery that feels relevant, today. That gives me the freedom to be more adventurous with colour grading.

As for the evolution of my work, I don’t think about it too consciously. I’m constantly shooting and trying to improve. I’m my own harshest critic and I’m rarely satisfied with my work… but I see that as both a frustration and a good thing. It keeps pushing me to get better at my art and try new things.

What does your post-production process look like and how do you keep your edits consistent while still experimenting creatively?

After a show, I usually rush home and upload all the photos from that night. I won’t edit every single one right away, but I’ll pick 3–5 of my favourites and start editing immediately… mainly because I’m excited. I’m a harsh critic of my own work, so I’m very fast at culling, discarding and selecting the “keepers,” which naturally streamlines the process. I’ve never quite understood how other photographers can sit on unedited photos for weeks or months. I guess I just need to edit while the excitement from the night is still fresh. For concerts, the publications I submit to usually get all the edited photos within 24-48 hours. This approach applies to all my work, honestly. I edit while my excitement for a project is at its peak.

I also don’t really look back at previous edits to maintain any sort of “consistency,” and I think that’s crucial for my growth. People always tell me that my work is consistent looking, but I don’t intentionally match my work. I just edit to what I feel looks good for that image. Every shoot is a chance to learn and evolve, so trying to be consistent with work I’ve already done feels limiting. It’s kind of like being a mountain climber. Once you conquer a mountain, do you keep climbing the same one over and over, or do you move on to an even bigger challenge? It might sound a bit pretentious, but I don’t care about yesterday’s work. I’m generally not happy with it and I’m more interested in seeing how I can fix the flaws in my next project.

Do you have a favorite photo you’ve taken? One that really means something to you or captures a moment you’ll never forget?

So many of my photos hold a sacred place in my heart. I often don’t share the reasons why, because they’re personal and wouldn’t matter to anyone else but me. Some of the images hanging on my walls aren’t technically perfect, and they’re definitely not my “best” work, but they’re there because of what they represent to me.

For example, if you had told me 3 years ago that I’d have a 24×36” print of Snoop Dogg hanging in my house today, I would have laughed. But every time I walk past it, I’m reminded of that night… the first time I photographed an artist in a stadium. So it’s not really about the artist in the photograph at that point. It’s more about what the photo represents.

So, a lot of my favorite photos aren’t necessarily my most polished work, but they’re the most meaningful to me. Since I’m always criticizing my own work, I tend to think of these photos more as trophies for accomplishments rather than as art. Sometimes I feel like one of those people who buys a band tee for the aesthetic, and everyone’s like, “I bet you can’t name five songs!” haha. I’ll have a portrait of an artist hanging on my wall and realize I can’t even name five of their songs. But then I remind myself that I’m a photographer… not (always) a fan.

How did you become involved with the Professional Photographers of America and the Canadian Association for Photographic Art, and what have those memberships meant for your career?

The PPA is an incredible association, and I can’t recommend it enough. I first learned about them after attending WPPI in Las Vegas, which is a conference and tradeshow for photographers focused on wedding photography and portraiture. PPA offers a really in-depth training program, and at the end, you can take an online exam to become a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP). I wouldn’t call myself the most technical photographer, and this course has really pushed my boundaries and helped me grow in areas I hadn’t explored before.

Between the PPA and the Canadian equivalent, CAPA, these memberships give me a professional push in my photography and keep me connected to the wider photography community.

You’ve worked in some wild environments from metal shows to massive festivals and desert shoots. Do you have any crazy or unforgettable stories from your career that stand out?

Every shoot gives me a new story, but there are a few that I’ll never forget. Out of professionalism, I won’t name anyone, but I’ve worked with some super terrible clients, models, and artists.

A story that comes to mind (unrelated to a person or concert, but kind of funny) is when I went out to Nevada. We had four days of shooting planned for a brand. One in old downtown Vegas, another in the Arts District, and a desert shoot.

Before the trip, I had gone down a YouTube rabbit hole and ended up watching a video by this guy named Coyote Peterson. He’s sort of a Steve Irwin type of characterq. His whole thing is getting stung or bitten by the world’s most painful creatures “for science.” In one video, he gets stung by something called a tarantula hawk. It’s essentially a massive wasp with huge wings that hunts, paralyzes, and feeds on tarantulas. He described the sting as one of the most excruciating pains imaginable. Like fire in your veins and paralysis that can last up to 24 hours…just terrible stuff.

I sent the video to the team before the trip, and we all joked about it in our group chat.
Fast-forward to the day of the shoot in the middle of the Nevada desert. I was crouched beside a low bush, framing a shot of the models in the distance. Then, this deep, drone-like buzzing starts up next to me in this bush.

Before I could even process what was happening, this enormous insect bursts out of the bush. It flies right across my face, close enough that I could feel the wind from its wings against my face. And in that split second, I realized that it was a tarantula hawk.
Pure panic. I scrambled to stand up, tripped, and then bolted away as far and as fast as I could.

Luckily, no one got stung, and we later learned they rarely attack humans unless they’re provoked. But still…that drone sound still haunts me

Are there any dream artists, festivals, or locations still on your bucket list?

Growing up listening to mainly pop-punk, it would be amazing to photograph Warped Tour or When We Were Young Fest. Ontario also has a great little festival that started a couple of years ago called All Your Friends Fest at Burl’s Creek. It’s kind of like a mini Warped Tour. They’ve had some great bands out, and I’ve been fortunate enough to shoot the whole festival over the past two years, but I’d really love the opportunity to capture some of the bigger names at Warped or WWWY.

I’d also love to photograph Inkarceration Fest in Ohio. There’s something so….romantically… metal… about shooting your favorite metal bands at an abandoned prison.

Beyond festivals, I’m constantly scouting new locations for editorial and branding campaigns. That way, when a brand or artist comes to me, I have a rolodex in my head of locations I can pitch them on. I try to treat even my smallest shoots like big productions and squeeze as much production value as possible out of every budget. I think a lot of photographers skip the deep location-scouting process, but to me, that’s always the key to a successful shoot. I’ll often reach out to half a dozen venues to see if we can rent or get permission to shoot somewhere unique if it means elevating the production level.

I’ve worked with clients to rent out bowling alleys, train stations, abandoned warehouses, farms… all for small-budget shoots that sometimes ended up looking like we had a $15K production, rather than just a few hundred bucks. I always try to go above and beyond, and I’m constantly searching for the next great location.

What’s keeping you busy at the moment and how does it fit into where you see your career heading next?

To be honest, I’ve taken a bit of a step back from concerts lately. I used to be out one or two nights a week shooting shows, but after a while, the burnout starts to creep in. These days, I only take on concerts I’m really excited about, which sometimes means having to turn people down.

My heart is in studio and location work. That’s where I feel most creatively fulfilled…working with artists on a more personal level, planning a shoot for weeks or even months, and then watching it all come to life in the studio. There’s something incredibly satisfying about that process. Most people don’t realize the amount of pre-production planning that goes into a photo or video shoot, and every small detail has to be accounted for. I love taking a step back during a studio shoot to take it all in, and then distilling it down to a single photo that gets used for an album cover or a 3 minute music video. It’s like living in a behind-the-scenes world of your favorite movie. I just love the environment, so that’s where my focus is right now.

But, I think I’ll always shoot concerts. It’s in my DNA, and it’s probably what I’m best known for at this point, just because of the sheer volume of work I’ve put out over the last couple of years. But I’ve learned that it’s important to step back every now and then so I can recharge and refocus.

What advice would you give to photographers trying to go from the local pit to international recognition?

Get out and shoot… and keep shooting! Firstly, you can only get better by doing it. I’ve never heard of someone getting worse at something, the more they practiced. Secondly, the concert photography community is amazing. I’ve made a lot of friends, and many of my opportunities and growth have come from other photographers. If you’re out there, and people get to know you and like you, they’ll recommend you to artists. I’ve seen photographers get hired, not necessarily because they were the most talented, but because people enjoyed having them around. Being liked matters, and it will open the door to other opportunities.

Also, another photographer may have a conflicting tour or show, and I’ve often gotten gigs because I was recommended by someone else. So be nice to everyone. We can all help each other out. One of the other main things I’d suggest to photographers is that 99% of people will say no. The number of bands who didn’t respond to my emails or DMs, and the publications I never heard back from has been staggering. It’s probably well over 500 by now. But it only takes one ‘yes’, and that one ‘yes’ can change your life.

For example, when I started shooting concerts, I reached out to about 30 publications. Some were big, but mostly they were small, local ones. I figured I probably wouldn’t hear back from the big ones, but I shot off an email anyway. Not a single small publication responded to me. Yet one big one did… Metal Injection. 29 publications didn’t care enough to reply. Not even a “thanks, but no thanks”. But a week or two later, I had access to essentially any concert I wanted to go to and my work was being published by one of the largest metal publications out there.

This week I heard someone on a photography podcast say, “If you never ask, the answer will always be no” and I think that sums it up perfectly. Keep grinding until that one artist or publication notices you. But above all, make sure you’re having fun in the process. Do it for yourself and not just in hopes that you’ll land a spot in Rolling Stone. That’s why you started in the first place anyways, isn’t it?

I think another important “code” I live by is deciding whether I’m going to be a fan or a photographer. When you’re interacting with artists, you have to choose. Funny enough, I never ask artists if I can take a picture with them, and I rarely talk to them without a specific reason. Artists are constantly asked for autographs and photos, and everyone wants to talk to them and tell them they’re their number one fan.

If I’m invited to take photos, I treat each artist like I would a model in a branding campaign… respectfully and professionally. These artists have limited “safe spaces” to escape the commotion, and if I’m backstage with them, I always respect that and don’t force them into conversations or try to grab a picture with them. I’m not there for that.

I think that’s really important. It helps create a more authentic relationship, and I’ve found that artists trust you more and are excited to work with you on future projects if you’re not acting like a fan.

See more of Steve Taylor’s work:
www.stevetaylorphoto.ca
www.instagram.com/stevetaylorphoto/

Author: Kimberly Baarda (baardafoto)