The task of taking photos of bands or artists while performing is undeniably fun and full of thrills of its own. However, like any field, there are still challenges constantly present in concert photography. One of these is the the so-called “three-song rule.”

Have you ever looked at photos from a large-scale concert or festival and was just mesmerized at how cool or awesome your favorite artists looked in each image? Does looking at them transport you back to the show or make you wish you went? Either way, would you believe that some, if not, many, of these were taken during only the first three songs of an artist’s set?

Some of you might have heard of it. Some of you are left baffled when you hear about it from concert photographers. So, today, Billboard Philippines will break down what exactly the three-song rule is, its supposed origins, who it applies to, and what are the variations (yes, variations) of it.

What exactly is the three-song rule?

The three-song rule is a staple guideline consistently implemented across a variety of music-related events, especially for concert photographers. In its most basic form, the three-song rule means that concert photographers are only allowed to take photos of artists during their respective sets’ first three songs, usually in the photo pit in front of the stage. For those only watching a show, three songs seems like a long time. But for many concert photographers, it can be nerve-wracking and a challenge that either limits them or helps them yield some of the most interesting and creative photos.

Why is it implemented?

The three-song rule supposedly originated from shows in New York featuring bands in the 1980s, according to Paul Natkin, a veteran music photographer widely considered to be greatest one from Chicago. Back then, photographers only had film cameras, and with the limited lighting and limited number of shots they had per film roll, they started using flashes to increase their chances of getting the shot.

However, this inevitably affected certain artists negatively such as with Bruce Springsteen getting a headache due to the amount of flashes going off during his sets. It was then decided that some sort of action had to be taken to remedy this. Eventually, it was decided that photographers should only be allowed to shoot for a set’s first 15 minutes, or the first three songs, as a song’s average length — at least, back then — was around five minutes.

Since then, the three-song rule has been implemented across more and more shows. Over the years, the three-song rule and the reasons why it continues to be enforced and followed have grown. These include so that photographers don’t completely hog the photo pit or distract the audience members or even the artists. Sometimes, it can be so that the event’s and the artists’ official photographers can have free roam of the area all to themselves throughout the majority of a set. Another common reason is so that certain artists still look fresh and not haggard when the photos become published.

Who does the rule apply to?

While the three-song rule mainly applies to concert photographers, it can also apply to other personnel who are also granted usage of the photo pit during this short timeframe.

Alongside the photographers, this can also apply to other people who are documenting the event one way or another. This includes videographers, social media personnel, or even music journalists writing about the event who are also allowed to get up close to the stage in some cases. It is the reason why the photo pit is also sometimes referred to as the “media pit” since its use is not limited to photographers alone for some events.

In some cases, these people are even required to sign a contract so as to make sure that they actually abide by the three-song rule or any of its variations.

In some rare cases, per the request of an artist or their team, it even applies to the official photographers of an event.

What are the variations of the rule?

As discussed earlier, in general, three-song rule happens during the first three songs of the set, with access allowed in the photo pit in front of the stage. However, there have been variations of it over the years.

The three-song rule is often augmented or changed by or depending on the organizers or, sometimes, even per the request of the artists themselves. A common variation is some allow the first three songs but you have to do it from the back of the venue, usually in front or beside of the sound booth, which would require the photographer to have the most optimal lenses to use depending on the situation. In the Philippines, this is most common in arena shows such as in the SM Mall of Asia Arena or the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

A more hectic and nerve-wracking variation of the rule is the timeframe being limited to two songs or, in some of the most dreadful cases, one song. This inevitably increases the challenge for concert photographers, forcing them to get creative and move and do their work at faster paces.

There are also cases wherein if there are multiple acts in one concert, concerts photographers are allowed to take photos for the first two to three songs per artist. An example of this was AOMG’s Follow The Movement Tour in Manila last January 2023, wherein a total of six artists had solo sets and a collaboration stage at the end.

In some cases, artists or event organizers do not allow the three-song rule at all, with only the event’s or the artist’s official photographer being allowed to photograph them. This results in them having exclusive visual documentation of the event, which leads to media publications having to personally request photos from them to use in articles or on social media.

While others welcome the three-song rule, there are those who welcome it but with a few restrictions or instructions. An example of this was with some artists from Fuji Rock Festival 2022 wherein some artists specifically requested no very low angle shots, while some only allowed the photos to be published if all of them showcased the entire band.

If one is lucky, some events don’t have the three-song rule at all and just let the concert photographers basically have free roam. However, in some cases, such as with Wanderland, there are still restrictions like not having access to the photo pit at all unless the photographer is part of the events’ official team.

Of course, for many concert photographers, the most ideal setup that still commonly happens, believe it or not, is the artists and the show organizers allowing everyone free roam of the photo pit or, sometimes, even the entire venue.

Over the years, many concert photographers have questioned the implementation of the three-song rule as, undeniably, it can be limiting when it comes to angles, compositions, and opportunities to get the most ideal and iconic shots of artists and the event overall. However, whether the rule would eventually be completely abolished for whatever reason (which is highly unlikely) or continue to be implemented with all its variations, the rule still has aspects that benefit not only the artist onstage but also the numerous photographers trying their best to nail the shot.

All in all, as every shot counts, the three-song rule can ultimately serve to greatly sharpen a concert photographer’s reflexes, senses, and speed, also undeniably becoming a way for them to creatively challenge themselves and ultimately improve in their craft.