When photographing music, Mike Will has one goal: “I want to capture the energy. It could be the energy from the DJ or the crowd. I want to capture those amazing moments of the performance and showcase them to the world.”

Mike isn't a musical person; he doesn't play an instrument, but when he started taking photos, he knew he wanted to be involved in the music industry.

“I saw these other photographers who would tour with DJs and travel the world. It was a dream to be one of those photographers, and I knew that it was something that I could do.”

Now Mike shoots for festivals and DJs, roaming stages worldwide with his Sony Alpha 7 IV and various lenses.

“I shoot with the Alpha 7 IV as sometimes I shoot 2,000 images every hour; I don't need the extra resolution of my Alpha 7R V; in fact, the extra resolution with that many images would slow me down and take up more storage space. The Alpha 7 IV has everything that I need.”

Mike will use three main lenses for a concert: the FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM, FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, and FE 50mm f/1.2 GM lenses.

“The 12-24mm f/2.8 is a must have in my bag. I used to use the FE 12-24mm f/4 G lens and was so happy when Sony released the f/2.8 GM version. It’s so sharp compared to anything else that's on the market. It's just incomparable, it’s that good.”

The super wide-angle lens offers Mike different options when shooting a festival. Onstage, he can capture shots of the DJ, the equipment and crowd all in a single image. In the press pit, he can get shots of the front of a crowd and their energy. Those vast epic shots of the crowd and the stage from the very back are also easily tackled with the 12-24mm. “I see many other photographers shooting with the 12-24mm f/2.8 GM lens. It’s great for live music photography.”

Pairing nicely with the 12-24mm lens is the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II. “With those two zoom lenses, I can cover everything from 12mm to 70mm with a f/2.8 aperture. The 24-70mm is great for photographing the act on stage or picking out people in the crowd. But I also have the FE 50mm f/1.2 GM. The prime G Master lenses are super sharp and have large apertures, which are great for shooting in low light, which I often do. If the stage lighting is awful, I know I can still make the most of the light I have with the 50mm lens.”

One of the key parts of Mike's job is observing and reacting to stage lighting. “You will notice the same sort of light patterns, so I can often tell when a particular light will hit the stage in a certain way.” To ensure he gets the exposure he wants straight out of the camera, Mike has set up the custom dial of his Alpha 7 IV to control the ISO sensitivity. “I will keep my finger on the wheel, and if the light suddenly darkens, I can quickly roll my finger and dramatically change the exposure and see that live. I could be firing a few shots every second with different ISO settings.”

When it comes to focusing, Mike has been amazed at how the technology has changed how he shoots. “The autofocus technology, such as Eye AF, has made things so much easier. I don't have to worry now when shooting as even in low light, I know it will be locked onto the face or eye of the artist.”

When the shot requires a different point of focus, Mike will compose and then take advantage of another more recent technological features. “I often use the Touch Focus on the screen. If I know where a DJ is about to move to in a shot, and the light is strobing, I will tap the location where I know the DJ will be. Or if it’s a shot from behind the DJ looking out onto the crowd where their face isn't visible, I will simply touch onscreen to lock or track focus. Again, it just focuses, and I don't need to worry about it.”

With his Alpha 7 IV and lenses, Mike can concentrate on the composition and capturing the energy of that moment, which he gets to experience just as much as the crowd.