I consider myself very lucky to be in this business. You get to meet different people everyday from every walk of life, who are looking for you to help them with a photo or video that conveys their message effectively. When someone asks what my favorite type of work is, I would have to say that shooting musicians during a performance - rates right up there near the top of the list!
I love to work discreetly in the room while they work the audience. Stealth is good thing here. You get the real deal, no pretense, no posing for the shots - especially good for the camera shy, and yes just like anybody else, being on stage does not mean your NOT camera shy.
I might get real close later in the performance with a shot focal length lens wide open for a nice bokeh effect, but by then they are fairly comfortable with the audience, and I can work close without making them feel like I'm crowing their space. For the last 7 years, I've shot at Typhoon - a L.A. jazz venue where I had the opportunity to make images of legends and newcomers alike. I rotate the images regularly - you can see them in our gallery.