Houston-based photographer Greg Noire has captured some of the most memorable names in music. From Kanye West, Drake, and Childish Gambino, to Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, DJ Khalded, and more, he’s been there to capture the raw emotion and talent at concerts and music festivals throughout the years.
We recently chatted with Noire about his start in the industry, and how his work — in both photography and podcasting — has developed over the years.
Q: How did your career in photography start? Can you walk us through your beginning projects, what caused that “spark,” and how did you come to do the live music and portrait work you’re doing now?
A: My interest in photography sparked while I was a junior in college. I started working in the photo department at a Sam’s Club, which is store owned by Walmart and is one of those bulk-purchase establishments, similar to Costco. Famous for the free samples. Everyday, clients would come in to have their film rolls developed and I was always blown away by the images they would bring in. The images were so inspiring that I decided to purchase my first camera, which was a point-and-shoot Fuji Finepix F70.
I started shooting everything I came across and eventually landed a job with the University Press, which led to my first DSLR (Nikon D5000). Since I finally had a device with a bit of power, my little brother, who was a producer and member of a group known as The Niceguys, invited me to photograph their biggest show at the time. The guys were opening up for The Clipse, so it was pretty important to have someone there to document the evening. After their set, I completely fell in love with live music. The images I captured that night were the best I had gotten in my life at the time. I remember the anticipation I had trying to rush back to my dorm room to dump and edit the images I captured. While editing the images that night, I had a “come-to-Jesus” moment. I knew that this was the path I needed to take with photography, so began taking steps to ensure a career in live music.
Q: One of the most common questions we get from our readers is: what gear do you use? So, I’d love to get an idea from you of your go-to gear. What’s your tried-and-true set of equipment that you bring on every shoot? What’s the one piece of gear every live concert photographer should have?
A: My go-to gear set is my trusty rusty Canon 5D Mark III paired with a Canon 24-70 2.8 II and a Canon 70-200 2.8 IS II. Back in my novice days, I used to shoot exclusively with prime lenses, but I learned the hard way that it’s not really the best play in a live music setting.
Q: Where do you look for inspiration? Who are some other photographers you look to?
A: I tend to view portraits from classic fashion photographers, such as Gilles Bensimon. I have his “No Particular Order” book and it serves as constant inspiration. I know it sounds strange for a music photographer, but I try and treat the stage as a studio and the set as a shoot between the performer and myself. For me, it’s not about capturing scale as much as it is about capturing the emotion of the subject, as one tends to do with a portrait session. I try and copy that form of thinking to shooting concerts and festivals because it works best with my style of photography. I also love film noir and try and emulate that style into shots as much as possible. As far as music photographers go, my favorites are Charles Reagan, Cambria Harkey, Roger Ho, Julian Bajsel, and Maclay Heriot — absolute modern legends and it’s an honor to have worked with them as much as I have.
Q: What is the biggest mistake people make when shooting live music photos? And portraits? What’s something you wish you knew when you got started that would have changed your work style?
A: While shooting a set, I think one of the biggest mistakes some make is shooting with their flashes attached. This is This is a major faux pas, in my opinion. Most venues and musicians don’t even allow it because it is such a huge distraction for the performer as well as the concert-goer. It also serves as a major annoyance for other photographers, as it can obstruct the view of others. I remember shooting a show in New Orleans and a photographer was filming for an artist while I was taking photos. Weird thing about this was that this guy still had his flash attached… while filming. Odd. So I very gently and respectfully tapped him on the shoulder and asked if he would mind removing his flash from the hot shoe. He turned around, sized me up and screamed “I’M SHOOTING FOR DIDDY!” I then decided maybe it was best for me to just move to the other side of the pit.
Moral of the story: Don’t be that guy.
Q: Tell us about your most memorable shoot or concert you shot. What made it stand out among others?
A: This answer changes everyday, but I think at the moment, shooting Kendrick Lamar’s set at Coachella as an in-house photographer was one of the coolest things I’ve done in my entire life, easily. The performer, the stage, performance, the city, the crowd, the everything. Like, how was I there? How did my bucket list items end up collaborating and meshing like this? Kendrick’s DAMN. has just come out and this was his first time performing a good amount of the songs on the album. It was also the first time he displayed his tour setup and visuals, which I was completely in love with. It still blows my mind that I was able to get anything good because I was being such a fanboy in the photo pit.
Q: We’d love to hear about how you got your start with “The Greg Noire Show.” How did you come up with the idea and what has been the most surprising thing about producing your podcast?
A: I’m a major fan of podcasts. I’m subbed to at least 60 different shows that include topics like gaming, politics, movies, and correct grammar usage. I remember searching for podcasts about photography and feeling like they were too focused on the technical aspect, which wasn’t that interesting to me. I wanted to hear something that had to do with the art and the love for the craft—something that was more geared towards storytelling and topical subjectivity, and not talk about shutter speeds and aperture. Since I couldn’t find what I wanted in a photography podcast, I decided to just make one. I felt like I had so many unique and entertaining stories to tell about my life as a music photographer, as well as an interesting take and perspective on how these stories could be discussed, so, what the hell—why not?
Q: Can you tell us about the gear you use for the show? What mics, stands, mixers, and software do you use to produce?
A: My podcast is recorded at Barron Studios in Houston, TX. The equipment used are SM7 mics, Beyerdynamic 770 headphones, and X-Air mixer and software.
Q: What advice do you have for an inspiring or beginner photographer or podcaster looking to make his/her debut into the world of content?
A: For beginner photographers and podcasters alike: it’s okay to suck for a while. We all start from the bottom, just make sure you’re not there for long. Know your style and know your voice. Recognize that you’re the only one who can do you and let that light the fire that inspires you to create something amazing.
