Aspiring photographer Ethan Hart achieved his dream when he was picked by music photography legend Dave ‘Hogie’ Hogan as the winner of our BST Hyde Park competition. The 19 year-old, from south-west London was one of over 70 hopefuls who responded to our call-out to spend the closing weekend of the festival shadowing Dave in the pit and backstage areas and photographing the likes of James Bay, Lana del Rey and Bruce Springsteen using the latest Nikon Z8 camera and lenses, courtesy of Nikon.
Ethan hart poses with Dave ‘Hogie’ Hogan outside the entrance to BST Hyde Park, in front of posters shot by Hogie at previous festivals. (Hogie had twisted his ankle the week before.)
‘I chose Ethan because I liked his portfolio, I could see he had a talent,’ explained Hogie, who has been a music photographer for over 40 years and was recently awarded the Legend of Photography award at the inaugural So.Co Music Photographer of the Year awards.
Ethan Hart with the Nikon Z8 in from of the main Oak stage.
Ethan met up with Hogie and AP Editor Nigel Atherton at Hyde Park Corner at noon on a rainy Saturday and was escorted to the media desk to collect the wristbands and passes that would gain them entry to the media tent and, crucially, the photographers’ pit.
Just days before, Ethan had taken delivery of the brand new Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera, along with a 24-70mm f4 and 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses (over £7500 worth of kit overall) and had been given a one-to-one orientation over zoom with one of the Nikon School team to make sure he knew how to get the best out of it.
Kezia Gill at BST Hyde Park
After Hogie had set everyone up in the media tent and given Ethan a run through of the day it was time to don a waterproof poncho and head off to photograph the first of the day’s acts, Britney Spencer, from the pit in front of the stage. It was Ethan’s first opportunity to try out his skills with the new camera, and Hogie was on hand to tell him the best places to stand and share a few tips on getting the best shots.
The Chicks at BST Hyde Park by Ethan Hart
The rule with live music photography, usually, is that you can shoot the first three songs, with no flash. After that the photographers have to leave the pit, and either shoot from the crowd or return to the media tent to download and edit their images and, in Hogie’s case, get them wired to his agency, Shutterstock. Ethan was able to go through his images while Hogie offered constructive feedback.
Brittney Spencer at BST Hyde Park by Ethan Hart
In addition to the kit Ethan was given on loan by Nikon, Hogie also gave him the opportunity to shoot with his £15,000 NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S lens, which allowed Ethan to get head and shoulder close ups of the performers and really came into its own when Bruce Springsteen came on and the photographers had to shoot from further back.
James Bay at BST Hyde Park by Ethan Hart.
The next day Ethan returned to BST – without the rain this time – to shoot another roster of live acts culminating in a performance by Sunday’s headliner, Lana del Rey.
‘Joining Dave Hogan and his team at BST Hyde Park was an invaluable experience,’ enthused Ethan afterwards. ‘They were the most wonderful mentors. There was never a moment where I was left in the dark, it was an incredibly supportive environment. Dave is also one of the loveliest people I will ever have the pleasure of meeting, his kindness and generosity is an absolute joy to be around. The stuff I learned from him, and the way he coached me through the multiple concerts for both days was absolutely amazing.’
Abigail Morris, lead singer of The Last Dinner Party, at BST Hyde Park. Photo by Ethan Hart
Ethan is still buzzing from the sensory experience of the weekend. ‘Standing in the pit in front of the main Oak stage with the noise of the crowd behind me was the most surreal adventure,’ he recalls. ‘The noise of the crowd behind you as you photograph makes you feel like you are on Cloud Nine, there is no other environment quite like it.’
David Le’aupepe, lead singer of Gang of Youths, shot by Ethan Hart at BST Hyde Park
Ethan also enjoyed his opportunity to be among the first to try out the Nikon Z8, and found it a big step up from his own camera, a Canon EOS R. ‘The Z8 is easily the best camera I have ever used. The focusing is unbelievable. I found that no matter what distance I was shooting from it was able to pick up the faces, and that made my job so much easier. The Z 70-200mm f/2.8 lens was amazing too, and the image quality was better than anything I have used before.’
Bruce Springsteen at BST Hyde Park by Ethan Hart
Bruce Springsteen at BST Hyde Park by Ethan Hart
Ethan Hart at BST Hyde Park
Mastering the Moment: Photographing Bruce Springsteen with Nikon Z 8
Further reading:
- Dave Hogan reflects on a lifetime shooting icons of music
- How to photograph events and music – beginners guide
- Eurovision 2023: Behind the scenes with a Eurovision photographer
