Jesse DeFlorio

A workshop using one of MODE's live stages. Jesse brings his documentary, black and white, backstage-driven approach to a small group, walking participants through how he reads a room, anticipates moments, and finds the in-between shots that most photographers miss. Participants shoot alongside Jesse in real time with real artists.

A conversation with photographers who've built careers behind the barricade, covering the ins and outs of shooting live music: gaining access and building trust with artists and labels, working the three-song no-flash pit, and turning that work into a sustainable career.

Any music photographer can talk about shooting the show, Jesse talks about everything else: the relationships, the trust, the hustle, and being there for the moments that weren't commissioned. Drawing on years photographing Olivia Rodrigo, Imagine Dragons, Bruce Springsteen, Kelsea Ballerini, Halsey, and dozens more, Jesse unpacks the philosophy behind a career built on friendship over formality, showing up, and what it actually means to keep getting called back year after year.