STACK #186 Apr 2020

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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INTERVIEW

Tim Lambert is a Melbourne-based photographer specialising in the music industry working with STACK favourite artists like Mark Ronson, Gang of Youths, Confidence Man, Parkway Drive, Lizzo, Vampire Weekend and Arctic Monkeys to name but a few. We sat down to ask him a few questions about his process.

What’s in my bag

How did you get started? Kind of accidentally actually, as a music writer I was invited to (American rapper) J.Cole’s concert in Melbourne, the publication’s dedicated photographer pulled out last minute and for some reason I thought it was a good idea to offer to fill in for them. I had very little idea what I was doing, but instantly fell in love with capturing concerts. I went back to local shows and practiced as much as I could to improve and the rest is history! How do you take the perfect gig photo? Perfect? That’s subjective, but there are several things you can do to put yourself in the best position to take the best gig photo you can. Think about the artist you are shooting, what are they like on stage? Do they move around heaps? Or jump into the crowd? Have a wildly expressive face? I have always been less about technical execution and more about capturing a moment that the fans will love and stick with them, it’s the reason I started photographing bands.

What settings do you consider when taking a picture? There are a few important settings to get right. The subject needs to be framed in the picture correctly, so make sure you put yourself in the right position; the subject needs to be exposed correctly through aperture and ISO settings, and lastly, ensure there are no blurry hands or feet in picture by setting the correct shutter speed. Get those things right and you are well on your way. Mirrorless or DSLR? I have always used Mirrorless Sony bodies so am kind of biased. My shoulders and neck thank me after carrying around two cameras at a music festival all day. Any advice for a new music photographer? Sure! When I first started I was very green, but an

Sony A7III – my ride or die body for all photo and video work, don’t know what I would do without it. Sony A7 – this was the first professional camera I purchased and has been with me every concert and photoshoot I have ever been at. It has a broken LCD monitor and scratches all over it but is endlessly reliable and has yet to let me down. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 Lens – the widest lens in my kit, perfect for those big shots from the back of stage or the back of the room. Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Lens – my everyday lens and the one I use the most in the photo pit or studio. Anything else? A Polaroid camera, too many memory cards, cleaning supplies, MacBook Pro, LaCie Rugged Hard Drive and some snacks usually.

incredible music photographer in Brisbane named Matt Walter gave me some advice and it stuck with me so I will pass it on. “Start small, stay humble and build good relationships with people”. For me, it’s easy to let ego get in your way (you’ll see it a lot) but always consider yourself as someone who is there to capture moments between fans and their favourite bands. The show is an intimate night between them and the longer you hold onto that, the better moments you will create for everyone.

You can find Tim on Instagram @timlambert_ or via his website timlambertphoto.com

56 APRIL 2020

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