Capture great action shots

Gary Wolstenholme specialises in photographing live music events. He's represented by Redferns Music Image Library who sell his pictures to publications nationally and around the world. Based in Sheffield, you will often find him in his natural habitat at the front of concerts large and small, as well as at a variety of music festivals across the UK and abroad.

Visit Gary's website for more details.

Here's his tip:

"More than anything, experience, timing and sometimes a little research will  let you capture great action shots. For example, I know a few performers who like to jump at certain points in their set. They will do pretty much the same thing every time, so if you've heard a band you may be shooting can be quite lively, have a quick shuffle through the myriad of camera-phone videos on youtube to see if the performer repeats their behavior. However there will always be some artists who are almost completely unpredictable. Les Savy Fav are one such band. I've shot them three times so far, and each has been a challenge. The first time Tim Harrington got his hair cut on stage before leaping into the crowd, the last time he was cycling around the festival site on a BMX. 

Paul Smith from Maxïmo Park is well known for his energetic stage presence. A little research before shooting them helped me to be in the right place at the right time."