If a photo is worth a thousand words, what about the person who took that photo? In a day and age where, thanks to Instagram, everyone thinks they’re a professional photographer, it’s important to remember the people who actually do this for a living.
People like Kyle Dehn – the self-taught, Arizona native who balances work and his love for live photography shooting for bands like Jimmy Eat World, Real Friends, Knuckle Puck and more.
Today, in a time where all we have are photos to remember some of our favorite shows by (since no one can attend any at the moment), we’d like to take a second and shine a light on the hard working people who took them.
So, to learn a little more about Kyle, be sure to check out our newest installment of our Photographer Spotlight series below. Afterward, make sure to follow Kyle on Instagram here.
Who or what got you into concert photography?
When I was a kid, I always bought disposable cameras. There was just something so cool about photography to me. My dad always had a good SLR and I was fascinated by it. I remember spending so much time scouring through photos and as I started playing drums in bands I gravitated towards photos of shows. I remember bringing a disposable camera to a Fall Out Boy show and I was hooked (even though the images were terrible).
What was the first show you ever shot?
Around the time I was getting comfortable with my camera and taking photos of friends bands at tiny venues, I started interning at an awesome venue in Tucson, Arizona called the Rialto Theatre for graphic design. They had two great people there who would take photos of the shows. As I was around more, I started being able to get passes to shoot some of the shows that I was a fan of. The first real show I ever shot was Norma Jean/MyChildren MyBride in 2008. I started working there and it gave me some opportunities to shoot as the in-house photographer for them. Eventually that grew to more bands, venues, festivals, newspapers, blogs etc. in the area.
What was your first touring experience like and who did you shoot for?
Unfortunately, I don’t really tour with bands. I grew up playing in bands that did small regional tours, but that was playing and not for photography. I have a full-time job, so it really limits my availability to do one-off stuff for travel. Luckily there’s lots of great opportunities where I live to shoot multiple shows a week.
What’s your preferred camera setup?
Currently I shoot two Canon EOS R bodies, mostly Sigma f/1.4 Prime Lenses and a few Canon f/2.8 Zoom Lenses. It’s expensive, but find what’s comfortable to you and in your price range. It’s amazing what you can do with an entry level DSLR and a plastic 50mm f/1.8.
For young photographers who are still learning, what’s your time management like or the schedule you give yourself day-to-day while shooting?
Definitely get to editing as fast as you can. This is easier said than done when you get home at midnight or later. I have a full-time job outside of photos, so I usually can’t edit the next day. It obviously depends on the artist or client you’re working with, but make sure you get them the images when they need them. I try to get through the bulk of my editing the night of the show if possible and then look at it with fresh eyes when I wake up before I send off. If a band wants something super fast or I’m at a festival, I’ll bring my laptop with me and edit between bands so I can get a few off to management.
Lastly, make your shots count. Going through 300 photos is a lot easier than 1000 so pick your spots. Also, backup, backup, backup, BACKUP. There’s nothing worse than losing a hard drive if it’s the only copy you have.
Any other tips for future concert photographers?
Keep your cool. If something doesn’t work out and you get denied a pass or something, don’t let it get you down. Things take time and there’s probably 30 other people who all want the same pass. Make friends with other photographers, people in the industry, others around you as much as you can – just be yourself. Be cool, personable, don’t be needy and definitely don’t overstep your boundaries during a show (don’t get on stage, don’t go over song/time limit, follow any instructions TM/management/band give you). People remember things like that and they’ll think twice about hitting you up again. Lastly, just be grateful for the opportunities you get and don’t complain.
Personally, who are some of your favorite concert photographers?
When I was younger, I would always scour Todd Owyoung, Joey L and Adam Elmakias’ work and online content and learned so much from them. They’re incredible at what they do. A few of my favorites these days are Mitchell Wojcik, Matty Vogel and Lupe Bustos. I love looking at all their work, they’re all extremely diverse and inspire me to keep pushing myself in new directions.
Lastly, who’s your dream artist to shoot?
Top 3 - Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper and Action Bronson. They’re the top of my list that I have yet to cross off. I love shooting big production hip-hop shows. The level of detail and production that goes into some of those shows is mind-boggling and gives the show such incredible energy. Also it gets me out of my element when it’s something different than I usually shoot.
