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Photos: John Mayer, Battle Studies Tour

Todd — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:45:59 +0000

For John Mayer’s Battle Studies Tour 2010, the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 proved to be the perfect lens on the Nikon D3.

Photographer’s Notes:

With John Mayer set back roughly two meters from the edge of the 5-foot high stage, I found that the Nikon D3 and 70-200mm f/2.8 were the perfect lens for this concert.

Light levels were generally quite good, with plenty of light to shoot at ISO 1600 with no real concern about shutter speed. I think it would have been possible to shoot at ISO 800, too, with ease, but the image quality at ISO 1600 is so good on the D3 and D700 that I didn’t worry about it.

John Mayer doesn’t move around too much on stage due to his vocal duties, and even his guitar solos took place mostly at or around the mic. The few times he did move to the front of the stage, there was oddly only atmospheric lighting – no spots or any other appreciable front lighting.

Overall, lots of backlighting and opportunities for flare, but also a nice, leisurely shoot of three songs.

For me, one thing to always consider when photographing John Mayer is his guitar faces. I think he ranks right up there (but probably slightly below) Dave Matthews for the myriad faces he pulls.

The Dillinger Escape Plan: Preview

Todd — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:58:03 +0000

Earlier this week I caught up with The Dillinger Escape Plan, who are touring in support of their studio release, Option Paralysis. My main goal for this shoot? Bring back compelling images of wunderkind drummer Billy Rymer, the newest member of metal’s most brutal live show.

For a band who are absolutely insane to photograph live, this was a bit of a tall order.

However, for all the challenges, I also think that the Dillinger Escape Plan are also hands down one of the best bands for live music photography, and one that should be on every concert photographer’s radar.

Of course, having stage access and a few “tricks” up my sleeve didn’t hurt in making the images I needed to deliver. Needless to say, I had a blast at this concert. View a larger version of this preview.

End Notes:

Big shout out to Billy, Lauren, and Fallon for helping set this up. Stay tuned for the full set of images from Dillinger’s set coming up soon. And of course, Option Paralysis drops on March 23.

Can’t wait for more DEP photos? Check out photos from Dillinger Escape Plan’s 2009 support of Thursday and the portrait session I did with the guys.

Photos: Killswitch Engage

Todd — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:37:20 +0000

Touring with Phil Labonte of All That Remains, Killswitch Engage rocked the Pageant in a spectacle of calculated chaos. With the stage free of monitors, mic stands, and any other distractions, the expansive stage became a playground a little metal mayhem. At any given time, most of the members of the band seemed to be jogging around the stage while at least one was rocking a powerstance in a twisted game of musical metal chairs.

Photographer’s Notes:

With nothing on stage to get in their way, Killswitch Engage basically run around like chickens with their heads cut off. Luckily, there is a system to all this madness, as the band members do make stops at the front of the stage at intervals to rock out. These moments of pause are the best opportunities to catch the guys, so keep your eyes peeled.

Out of all the band members, Adam Dutkiewicz is easily the most fun to photograph since he’s mugging for the crowd the majority of the time. That, and the fact that he’s probably likely to be wearing a cape any given time he’s on stage.

Overall, lighting was spastic, but generally pretty bright, and largely flooding in from the back and sides of the stage. The kind of big, bombastic treatment that looks great from the crowd, but which may give photographers a little headache at times.

Due to the stage setup previously mentioned, this show was made for wide-angle photography. The 14-24mm f/2.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8 dominated this concert.

End Notes:

Great show – plenty of challenge and the time went by in a flash, but also really fun to photograph. Want more Killswitch? You can see the guys from their 2008 tour here:

Photos: Killswitch Engage @ the Pageant

The Devil Wears Prada: Portrait Preview

Todd — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:33:33 +0000

I caught up with the guys of The Devil Wears Prada on Monday for a quick portrait session before their performance with Killswitch Engage and Dark Tranquillity. Here’s a peak at a shot of the band’s frontman Mike Hranica.

All the guys were fun to work with, and Mike was especially cool. We were chatting a bit during his solo shots and he mentioned that he’s on Flickr all the time, and actually keeps up with photographers who have shot his band.

Then he surprised me a little by mentioned that I’d shot the #1 most interesting photo his band, according to Flickr. Mike then proceeded to ask if I was going to give them a new #1 live photo.

No pressure, right?

Photographer’s Notes:

The keylight here is a Nikon SB-900 fired through our very own Chinatown Special DIY beauty dish camera left. There’s also a bit of fill from a 45″ umbrella, positioned camera right, and a tiny bit of rim light from behind and the left.

Tech Details:

Nikon D3 + 24-70mm f/2.8

ISO 200

f/9

1/60

End Notes:

Stay tuned for the full set of images from the shoot and the live sets for Killswitch, Prada, and Dark Tranquility. In the meantime, you can check out photos of the last time I photographed The Devil Wears Prada here:

Photos: The Devil Wears Prada @ Pop’s

Photos: Willie Nelson

Todd — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:36:57 +0000

Shooting a legendary musician like Willie Nelson from the photo pit? A pleasure and an honor. For the second time in half a year? That’s just gravy.

I’d photographed Willie Nelson for the first time last October at the 2009 Farm Aid benefit concert, so getting a second chance so soon afterward was a treat, not to mention doing so in a club like the Pageant.

Concert Photographer’s Notes:

When I went to pick up my credentials at this show, I was a little surprised to see that there was no photo pass – just a wristband with “www.willienelson.com” printed on it, and written in Sharpie, “Photo F.O.H.”

I didn’t mind the lack of a proper pass, but the prospect of shooting from the front of house was mildly alarming, even in a club venue like the Pageant. However, any initial fears of photographing from the front of house were soon put to rest when I saw a photo pit between the general admission crowd on the floor and the stage.

Willie Nelson and band were set back a good ways from the edge of the stage, but due to the height of the stage at the Pageant, this was actually a good thing. Any closer and it would have been a more acute shooting angle. As it happened, the increased distance made for a less severe upward angle, resulting in a more flattering vantage point for press.

Here’s a wide-angle shot from the photo pit showing the setup:

Thanks to spotlights positioned in the balcony, I shot happily at ISO 1000, 1/150, and f/2.8 for most of the allotted two songs.

End Notes:

For more photos of Willie Nelson, head over to the images of the American icon performing at the Farm Aid 2009 benefit concert if you haven’t seen them already. In addition to his solo set, you can see images of Willie Nelson performing with Dave Matthews at Farm Aid as well.

Photos: Flogging Molly

Todd — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:27:05 +0000

Concert photography rule #22: Squeezebox players always take editorial priority.

In St. Patrick’s Day come early, Flogging Molly stormed the stage of the Pageant with a fiery performance that had me grinning from ear to ear: these guys are simply a lot of fun to photograph. I’d photographed their show last year, so when I heard that they were making a stop in town, I knew I jumped at the assignment. Of course, Flogging Molly didn’t disappoint, as my enthusiasm in the after-show preview post may have suggested.

Concert Photographer’s Notes:

I’d heard good things about this tour and seen some great images, so the stakes were high for Flogging Molly when I entered the photo pit. Light levels were good – nothing blindly bright, but respectable enough at ISO 2000 and f/2.8 zooms to keep me happy.

In addition, I was pleased to see that there lots of roving spots in the background to pick up the generous amounts of haze the lighting designer was using.

With as many members as they have – seven strong – a group like Flogging Molly are always a challenge for a concert photographer. Of course, speaker wedges and a five-foot stage at the venue didn’t help, either.

There was a gap in between Dave King and banjo/mandalin player Bob Schmidt, that was the best opportunity for wide shots, and I pulled out the 14-24mm f/2.8 for just a few of those snaps. Other than that, the 70-200mm f/2.8 and the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 were great for everything else.

Photos: Frank Turner

Todd — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:58:34 +0000

Mixing punk and folk stylings, former Million Dead frontman Frank Turner delivered a rocker of a set opening for Flogging Molly on their 2010 Spring tour. Playing under dim lighting, Turner’s set had had me feeling like I was having a minor epiphany about primes as I reached for the humble Nikon 50mm f/1.4.

Concert Photographer’s Notes:

I feel like I had a small epiphany, which is one that I have multiple times a year. To get all photo-geeky on you, namely that shooting at 1/100 at f/1.8 and ISO 3200 is probably better than shooting at 1/60 at f/2.8 and ISO 5000. To be more general, that primes can turn light that makes f/2.8 lenses cry into light that looks, for a lack of a better description, pretty decent.

While the Nikon D2x was extraordinarily harsh on the humble 50mm f/1.4, on the Nikon D3, this little piece of glass shines. I love the glowing, feathered quality of image this fast prime captures under stage lighting.

Light levels were low for Frank Turner, but what they lacked in power they made up for in atmospherics. The stage was flooded with a lovely haze that picked up the strong backlighting perfectly. What looked dull to the naked eye turned almost heavenly with the right lens and a tweaked exposure.

One fun aspect of this show was when Frank Turner crowdsourced a harmonica solo, picking a kid from the audience to give a little blues harping a try at the end of the third song. Here’s a snap of the triumphant rock star after his performance:

To this young man’s credit, he held this pose until I put my camera down, happy to oblige the photo op and make the most of his time on stage.

End Notes:

The take away from this gig, aside that Frank Turner puts on a fantastic set? Primes aren’t dead, they’re just sleeping in your camera bag until the light makes big “pro” zooms start to whimper.

Photos: Flogging Molly Preview

Todd — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:16:23 +0000

Fancy-pants Nikon DSLR: $3000. Ultra-wide, fat-bodied zoom lens: $1800. Dave King of Flogging Molly flicking you off at 14mm? Priceless.

As always, Flogging Molly put on a hell of a show tonight. The full set is coming up soon, but this one was too funny not to post immediately. In the meantime, check out photos from the band’s 2009 tour here: Flogging Molly @ the Pageant.

Photos: Zed Zepplin Tribute: Celebration Day

Todd — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:04:12 +0000

Celebration Day, Night Two. After photographing the first night of this Led Zepplin tribute band’s two-gig show, I knew I had to come back for more.

Concert Photographer’s Notes:

This show was just as good as the first. But, however, not quite the same, which kept me on my toes and made shooting all the more fun.

Unlike the first night’s performance, the lighting treatment seemed more atmospheric, with less light from the front and plenty of smoke to pick up the band’s massive backlighting. While it might have made for more difficult shooting in some regards, I welcomed the change as an opportunity to have another take on Celebration Day’s show.

I shot between ISO 1600 and 4000 during this concert, sticking to my trio of f/2.8 zooms. Just like the previous night, the band’s setup farther back from the edge of the stage made the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 a great choice for much of the night’s shooting.

Photos: Story of the Year

Todd — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:24:31 +0000

Ego risers, dominating the monitors, and unbridled intensity; these characteristics are some of the things that fans all over the world have come to expect from post-hardcore rockers Story of the Year. At their album release party for The Constant, the hometown boys delivered in force to a sold-out crowd and under explosive lights.

Music Photographer’s Notes:

Having photographed Story of the Year in 2009, I knew that this was a show not to be missed, and these guys certainly did not disappoint. Since I’d used flash at the last show, I was interested in taking a different approach with this show and set: the novel approach of shooting with just stage lighting.

With a band that moves around as much as Story of the Year, shooting no flash can be a bear of a challenge. They’re a band that is constantly on the move, playing a sort of musical chairs with the parapet of monitors set up at the edge of the stage. At any one time, it seems like there are at least one of the band member on rotation with a foot up on the wedges or ego risers, rocking out full-tilt for their fans.

Due to the setup, which basically barricaded the front of the stage with monitors or risers, the already five-and-a-half foot stage was raised even higher, so these epic stances were not only appreciated, but essential for photography.

Still – in spite of these challenges and also because of them, this was a fantastic show to photograph. Definitely check out Story of the Year if they’re touring near you – your camera won’t be disappointed.