My love for concert photography is rooted in my love for documenting. I have always documented life. For as long as I can remember, I have kept journals and took photographs. There is a strong desire to preserve moments in time for others (and myself) to enjoy later. Music is a very important part of my life and has been since I was young. So, as I started to develop my photography skills in college, it felt only natural that I would photograph live music.

There is something very exciting about photographing a show. Stage lighting can be a challenge. Capturing a moving subject in a low light environment can be difficult. In addition, timing is everything for the making of a perfect photo! For me, it’s approximately 15 minutes of my day when I am truly focused on JUST the task in front of me and not a million other things bouncing around in my head. In this way, photographing shows is relaxing yet energizing at the same time.

I began officially photographing concerts in 2008. My 11 years experience has taken me to some incredible shows for some amazing publications. I have met so many photographers and musicians who have helped me become the person I am today. There have been those who have coached me and supported me in my creative endeavors. Therefore, I have always tried to pay that forward in helping those who are just starting out in the concert photography world.

Over the years, I have worked with NPR Music, The Vinyl District, Brightest Young Things, On Tap Magazine, DC Music Review, and Parklife DC. In addition to photographing shows in D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia, I have been able to photograph several festivals such as Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo, SXSW, and Austin City Limits. After I reached my 10 year mark of photographing shows, I decided to take all my experience and channel it into creating a music blog. At the time, I had been photographing with Brandon, and he encouraged me to get things started. We grew quickly with our team of committed contributors and it has given me an opportunity to see a different side of photographing live music – editing, managing, and networking.

I am often asked, what’s your favorite band? I have so many. Too many. However, you can enjoy a collection of some of my favorite photos from bands I photographed over the years.

You can see Shantel’s contributions to These Subtle Sounds, here! Shantel was also featured on a podcast by All Access Pass which can be heard here!