Eric Church - Live
Feb, 2015Views
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Top Shot Award 22
Contest Finalist in Behind You Photo Contest
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mdendekker
February 26, 2015
Really nice photograph Steve. It almost feels like I am standing myself on stage. Great Job!!!
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was from a pit inside (stage left) the stage on Eric Church's Outsider's Tour at the Pepsi cente in Denver, Colorado in January 2015. This was my 36th Eric Church show in 9 years.Time
Concert time .... evening...Lighting
Concert lighting can be tricky, but earlier in the show, I had seen seen him silhouetted be the follow spot before and prepared to make the shot when he went there again. I was fortunate to be in a pit inside the stage, where I had the band performing all around me, giving me unique angles to shoot from.Equipment
For this shot I used a Sony HXS130 Cybershot (point & shoot). For my pro shoots, I use Nikons (D7000 & D610), but was shooting as a fan at this point of the concert.Inspiration
I am a professional music photographer and regularly shoot major acts coming through the Denver area for a local radio station and music blog (60-70 national acts a year). This evening gave me a unique opportunity in that I had shot my "3 songs no flash" for my media outlet, but had bought a ticket for the show and was allowed to take my point & shoot into the show and shot as any fan might shoot. I have had the opportunity to photograph Eric Church dozens of times, so I was looking for a perspective I had not had before. This viewpoint presented itself.Editing
I tweaked it slightly in Lightroom. Because this was a .jpg and not a RAW image, adjustment was limited, but I did bring out the smart phone LEDs in the audience by increasing highlights a bit and bringing out the shadows.In my camera bag
I typically shoot concerts with a Nikon D7000 & D610 with 28-80mm F2.8D & 70-200mm f2.8G VRII. This image was taken with a Sony Point & Shoot.Feedback
Study the fundamentals of ISO, Aperture & Shutter speed (you have to shoot manual for this kind of stuff). It's especially important in live music photography where light can be low and the musicians can be moving quickly. There are no secrets to this, but you do have to look for a unique perspective. In the case of this shot, I was shooting from a fan area inside the stage as a paid ticket holder with a point & shoot. Capturing a jaw dropping image is as much "seeing" the shot and capturing it. In this case, I had seen Eric Church more than 30 times and knew where he would be and when... and when he went down the catwalk toward the crowd and stepped into the light, I was ready for the shot. It's not easy to get photo credentials without a solid body of work, so if you have an interest in music photography, shoot local bands in small clubs where cameras are welcome and lighting is bad. Practice getting jaw dropping images that are in focus and make the viewer feel something. Get critiques from people other than family and friends, such as industry people or other photographers whose work you like. THEN you will know if your images are really good. I have gotten a lot of no's in my 30 years shooting music. In the last year, however, I shot a CD cover for American Idol contestant Kristy Lee Cook and most recently was hired by Alan Jackson's record label to shoot stills for a possible DVD release. If you have a passion for it, keep after it. You never know how far it will go.
