I had been thinking for some time about creating a format on my website that would genuinely provide value to you as readers. After giving it careful thought, I decided to launch a professional journal called Road Report: a space where I can share, with transparency and detail, my day-to-day work across different photography assignments, from planning through to the final outcome.
In this first installment, I want to inaugurate the section by telling — as I will in almost every post — the before and after of a specific experience. In this case, my process photographing Nathy Peluso: the preparation beforehand, the context of the assignment, and my impressions once the work was completed.
Before continuing, I’d like to remind you that although I’m sharing some of the photographs I took of Nathy Peluso in this post, you can see a much broader selection on my Instagram profile. You can access it directly from here.
MY JOURNEY AS A MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER
Over these ten years dedicated to music photography, I’ve worked with hundreds of bands and artists, mainly within the rock and heavy metal scene. That has undoubtedly been the territory where I’ve developed most of my experience: high-intensity concerts, complex lighting setups, and a very specific kind of energy that demands quick reflexes and a strong visual narrative.
Photographing Nathy Peluso meant, in that sense, stepping outside my usual working environment. However, it wasn’t an improvised decision. For the past couple of years, I had been considering broadening my horizons and exploring other musical genres, with the aim of avoiding pigeonholing my work within a single scene and enriching my visual language through new aesthetic and stage codes.
BEFORE PHOTOGRAPHING NATHY PELUSO: PREPARATION AND CONTEXT
The hours leading up to a session or concert always make a difference, but in this case the preparation had a special component. It wasn’t just about covering another live show; it was about confronting a different artistic register from the one I’m used to, with a highly defined stage and aesthetic proposal.
In the days beforehand, I dedicated time to research: analyzing visual references, studying the usual stage design, and understanding the artist’s body language and performative approach. On a technical level, I reviewed my gear, lenses, and camera settings with the intention of anticipating possible lighting changes, movement dynamics, and key moments in the show.
Beyond the technical aspect, there was also mental preparation. Facing a different context means stepping away from the inertia built over years in rock and metal, and that requires flexibility, attentiveness, and the ability to adapt in real time. It is precisely in those moments before the show that the work truly begins.
REFLECTIONS DURING THE NATHY PELUSO CONCERT
The concert took place at the Movistar Arena, a venue where I had previously worked photographing other bands and artists. However, the feeling that night was different: I approached the coverage as if it were my very first concert as a music photographer. There were nerves, anticipation, and that familiar tension that appears when you know you are facing a challenge outside your usual dynamic.
My call time was 8:40 p.m. to collect the photopass and access the venue alongside Live Nation’s head of press, who would escort us to the pit. As is my habit, I arrived about twenty minutes early. I prefer to be the one waiting for the organization, not the other way around; in this type of coverage, punctuality is a matter of professionalism.
Around 8:20 p.m., I checked in at the designated meeting point, adjusted my harness, and prepared my cameras so everything would be ready before access. Live Nation’s press representative came to collect the group of accredited photographers — I wasn’t the only one assigned to cover Nathy Peluso — and after passing through security at the Movistar Arena, we descended the internal staircases, an area restricted to the public. From there, we went directly to the floor and finally to the key location of the night: the pit.
The challenge of photographing any artist or band at the Movistar Arena usually follows the same dynamic: access to the pit and maximum optimization of the available time. In the minutes before the concert begins, I position myself in the center of the pit and analyze the operational space: I assess the position of the other photographers, identify security staff transit zones, and define my movements to avoid interfering with anyone’s work.
Next, I turn my attention to the stage to calculate real distances, estimate focal lengths, and anticipate possible compositions. It’s a quick but strategic exercise: planning wide shots, medium frames, and close-ups before the show starts makes all the difference when everything unfolds at high speed.
A key aspect of this type of coverage is the time limitation: we are only allowed to photograph during the first three songs, regardless of their length. That constraint completely shapes the planning and forces you to work with precision, strong stage awareness, and rapid reaction from the very first second.
AFTER THE SHOW: EDITING AND PUBLISHING AT RECORD SPEED
Once the third song ends and we leave the pit, the work has only just begun. In this type of coverage, immediacy is essential. The difference between publishing that same night or the next day can determine the reach and relevance of the content.
As soon as I leave the Movistar Arena, I quickly review the material to ensure that the key images are technically solid: focus, exposure, and sharpness. It’s not a final selection, but it is an initial mental filter to identify the photographs with the greatest potential.
Upon arriving at the studio — or even from the venue itself if time is tight — I download the files and begin the workflow: rigorous selection, adjustments to color, contrast, and white balance, correction of minor imperfections, and export in the appropriate formats for each platform. Concert editing requires discernment: it’s not about overprocessing, but about respecting the lighting atmosphere of the show while enhancing the strength of the moment.
In the case of Nathy Peluso, the stage dynamism and interpretative intensity required an edit that maintained that energy without losing naturalness. The ultimate goal is always the same: that whoever sees the image feels, even for a brief moment, as if they were there.
CONCLUSION: STEPPING OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE TO KEEP GROWING
Photographing Nathy Peluso at the Movistar Arena was not just another assignment, but a confirmation that professional growth requires embracing new contexts and visual languages. Stepping outside my usual territory — rock and heavy metal — forced me to adapt, refine my stage reading, and reconsider certain automatisms developed over the years.
That is precisely where growth lies: in accepting the challenge, executing it with rigor, and then analyzing the outcome to continue refining one’s own visual criteria.
