We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ross Mickel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ross below.

Ross, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I came into photography entirely by accident. In early 2016, the band Lettuce reached out to the radio station where I DJ to inquire about coverage for a local concert. I took the bait, and was granted a photo pass…knowing nearly nothing about DSLR cameras. I had no idea how to use the manual settings, and I was clueless as to what I was in for in terms of photographing concerts: I was blissfully ignorant to the challenges coming my way taking photos in low light. I had no idea that I had inadvertently chosen to teach myself photography by diving headlong into an environment that guaranteed incredibly difficult circumstances, with absolutely no opportunity for ‘do-overs’. To make matters even more challenging, I was doing so without proper lenses with which to do the job. This would unknowingly be the source of months upon months of frustration, doubt in my ability to master the art of concert photography.

Blissfully unaware of the challenges coming my way, I read a few blog posts, watched ‘No Cameras Allowed’, and deemed myself ‘ready’. I walked into the photo pit at one Burlington’s most well known venues, Higher Ground. Heart racing, and palms sweating, I clicked away. It’s safe to say that almost none of the photos from the night are suitable for public viewing today, but I had discovered something I really enjoyed, and which allowed me to be around even more music than ever before. The next few months were incredibly difficult. Beginning the journey of becoming a concert photographer without a true understanding of what I was doing meant that I was destined to forget almost everything I had done the previous outing. I am incredibly grateful to a handful of supportive bands and publicity agencies who continued to grant me access and let me find my way.

Slowly but surely the knowledge I was gaining started to stick, and I started coming home with a few photos every night that I felt proud of. I began to enjoy the hunt for ‘The Shot’, rather than dread that I’d miss it. I accepted that in the environment I’d chosen to learn, I would ‘fail’ infinitely more than I would succeed, but the challenge of capturing unique and inspiring moments of musicians performing each and every night keeps me coming back. Every time I came home with a few photos I was proud of, I was driven to go back out and hunt for more.

Seven years later, I hardly think I know everything, and I’m always learning, and pushing myself to get better, and become more diverse. But the goal is always the same: Getting ‘The Shot’

Now, you asked if I would change anything. Yes and no. I would have loved to have been more prepared for the foray into photography. But, as I said, it was completely unexpected, so there’s really no way I could’ve been ‘ready’. That being said, learning it from scratch, while often frustrating, has given me a great deal of appreciation for the journey, and a pretty special feeling of accomplishment for the growth I think I’ve made between those first few shows and today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As I mentioned before, I found my way into photography in general, and concert photography specifically completely by accident. I accepted an opportunity to cover the band Lettuce in January of 2016, and learned almost everything I know about photography completely on the fly. Gaining an understanding of the craft is simultaneously one of the most frustrating and rewarding things I’ve done over the last decade.

I am almost exclusively a concert photographer. I find myself most ‘at home’ in the concert environment, surrounded by fans and musicians in the constant communication of song. Every time I strap on my camera for a show, I want to capture musicians in the most exciting, interesting and memorable ways possible. The challenge of surrendering all control of the situation, and trying to be patient about capturing the right moments is something I truly enjoy.

Every photographer approaches capturing a concert differently. Personally, I enter into every show with two things in mind: I want to transport the viewer into the photo. I want them to feel the energy of a photo, whether that’s from the expression of a musician, or the vibrant colors of the stage lighting. And for the musician, I want to capture them in the most rock star way possible.

I’ve been told I have a signature style that I think has been forged over the last seven years with those two goals in mind. While that isn’t a goal of mine, it is an honor to know that others can tell a ‘Bootleggers Beware Photography’ photo apart from the crowd. At the same time, I am also pushing myself to expand my abilities, to see rooms differently, and capture even more unique photos as I progress. Having subconsciously established a style of my own, this next level of growth is almost more challenging than the initial learning curve, in that I find I’ve had to try to unlearn the things that have become habit in order to add more variation to my skill set.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of this photography journey I’m on is having found another channel to communicate my love for music, and to over time, be able to provide some joy and entertainment to other music fans the world over, by vicariously taking them along with me to a show.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Oddly enough (or perhaps not), I found the pandemic to be a period of significant growth in all of my social media channels. Especially in the beginning of widespread lockdowns, I discovered that people all over the world, especially music lovers, were searching for welcoming and friendly online communities to share songs, albums, photos, and articles and to discuss them openly, myself being no different.

I realized I had a unique opportunity, as both a radio host and a photographer, to share a wide range of content, and foster a community that satisfied those needs. So I set about finding ways to engage in a variety of Facebook groups, participating in conversation in any way I could, to get the Bootleggers Beware name out there. I knew that if I could encourage an open, safe ‘music space’ I could fill a void for myself, and for folks like me, who were searching for their concert fix. Slowly but surely my audience, predominately on Facebook, grew, almost five times over in the last three years.

My advice for those looking to start building a social media presence? First and foremost: Be patient. Social media promotion is a long game, especially if you’re a smaller name, aspiring artist or creator. Make sure you have a plan: Define your brand. Know what your content schedule is going to look like and make sure it’s sustainable and something you can be consistent with. Consistency is key. I’ve learned that it’s just as, if not more important to create conversation as it is to share your art. Growth may come from where you least expect it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bootleggersbeware.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.bootlegger/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bootleggers.Beware
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_bootlegger

Image Credits
Personal photo: Luke Awtry Photography