You’re asking a working professional to mentor you (a complete stranger) for free with nothing to benefit them. It’s not gatekeeping. You can ask questions but not getting a reply or a reply you like isn’t them being rude or secretive. It’s more an issue of you not fully understanding how this industry works. In a world where everyone has an incredible camera in their pocket at all times, my profession as a photographer feels more precious than ever, and I’m only ever really thinking about how I can be improving and growing my own career.
Someone mentioned trying to find a professional photographer to mentor you, and this is really the only good option if you’re serious about the craft. You’ll learn a lot about concert photography in particular, and will also be benefitting the person teaching you. You might even get paid.
If you do end up becoming a professional, you’ll look back at this post and see what we mean.
It’s crazy what you can get using just a plain stool