THE PRO MATT HIGGS
CAMERA: NIKON D780
Matt has never strayed far from music or photography. He started his career in music PR, but soon moved onto Practical Photography magazine and its sister title Digital Photo. All the while he was pursuing his passion for gig photography, and following a brief stint in content marketing, he finally embarked on a career as a freelance pro. He’s toured with rock royalty, worked as an official photographer for Download Festival, and served on sets as a camera operator.
THE APPRENTICE CHARLES PALMER
CAMERA: NIKON Z 6
Charles is a UX designer for The Open University. His interest in photography dates back to his childhood, when he was gifted a Kodak Instamatic. He bought his first SLR at college, but it wasn’t until the past few years that he decided to start taking his hobby more seriously. He’s stayed within the Nikon ecosystem since buying a D50, and was an early mirrorless adopter, picking up the Z 6 at launch. He’s had lots of experience shooting his local music scene, and is looking for some pro tips so that he can step up to larger venues and gigs.
CAMERA Nikon Z 6
LENS 70-200 f/2.8
EXPOSURE 1/250 sec, f/3.2, ISO400
The Todd in the Hole Festival hosts dozens of T artists across multiple stages for an annual three-day music extravaganza in Stevenage, UK (www.toddinthehole.co.uk). Its intimate atmosphere combined with impressive production values made it the perfect place for professional gig photographer and videographer Matt Higgs to take Charles for a live-music boot camp.
“I think you’re going to have to improvise a rain cover,” said Matt as he handed Charles a press pass and they stepped from under the entrance
