ZZ Top

Canon 5D mk II / EF 70-200mm F/2.8L IS USM | 1/250 - f/4.0 - iso 800

Three men, all sporting beards: ZZ Top performing at the Bospop Festival in Weert, the Netherlands. The two guitarists, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill (who died in 2021), have the longest beards, while the drummer certainly lives up to his name: Frank Beard (who died in 2026).

Since you can't hear what happened at a concert from a photograph, concert photography is all about the image itself. Your position relative to the performers is crucial, particularly when it comes to the background. You don't want to end up with the boring side sections of the stage in your shot. It's all about finding the light to create an atmospheric photograph. And if you can time it so that the two musicians are standing together, that's a bit of luck, too. So, when the two members of ZZ Top stepped forward and stood perfectly in the spotlights, that was the moment to press the shutter.

Once again, being lucky plays a part. You don't always have much choice about where you get to stand as a photographer. Sometimes you're not even allowed in front of the stage and have to take your pictures from the back of the venue. That's far from ideal. Sometimes you simply have to make the best of what you've got. In this case, however, there was plenty of room in front of the stage.

Would you like to learn more about concert photography? Take a look at article about photographing at concerts, packed with tips on how to take great photographs at concerts yourself.