Hyderabadi concert photographer amazes with his craft
Meet the 28-yr-old Shitabh Pillai who has been capturing concerts with his camera
Hyderabad: A music concert is not just a bunch of musicians belting out songs in front of the audience. Rather, it is a scenario with raging emotions and a series of actions taken by the musicians to trigger a multitude of emotions in the audience. From the lighting to the acoustics to the sequence of tracks, everything plays a part to ensure the audience gets an experience. Capturing these emotions and the moments of intensity is what concert photography is about and according to city-based concert photographer Shitabh Pillai, it is a unique genre of photography.
Flailing locks of hair, people screaming with ecstasy, the performers’ trance-like state and more that make up the elements of a concert is what Shitabh specialises in capturing. “Unlike other forms of photography like wedding shoots or fashion photography, concert photography is very dynamic. You have to be alert every second of the concert as a lot happens in a split second. That is why I do a lot of homework before I head to shoot a concert,” says Shitabh, adding, “I look for moments where there’s a surge of emotion and energy in both the audience and the performer.”
Photos by Shitabh Pillai.
To capture that right, the first thing the BFA Photography graduate does before a concert is researching about the band and their top tracks. “I spend a lot of time watching their videos and their old concerts. It helps me visualise what the concert is going to be like and it also gives me an idea of how the mood would be. I also keep track of their key songs and pay extra attention when the band plays those songs as those would be the audience’s favourites,” he shares.
Additionally, to get the perfect frame, the 28-year-old also spends a good amount of time at the venue hours before the concert. “Hours before the concert, I go to the venue and spend time observing what the scene is like and I also coordinate with the light engineer so that I know where exactly to click from. Based on the size of the venue I also decide on whether I need just one lens or multiple lenses for wider shots and pack my kit accordingly,” Shitabh explains.
In the last four years that he has been capturing concerts with his camera, Shitabh also observed a growth in the live music scene in the city which in turn, enabled his growth as well. “During my amateur phase, photographers were not treated well at concerts. Over the years, with the increase in dedicated concert venues, music events became normalised and the perception towards concert photography also changed,” he concludes.
To get the perfect frame, Shitabh Pillai spends a good amount of time at the venue hours before the concert.
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