All about the Bass
Jul, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at a pub called "The Lady Luck" in Canterbury, UK, which frequently hosts live bands. It's tiny - capacity can't be more than 100 - but it is one of the most active live venues in CanterburyTime
This was in the evening. The band, Bristol-based punk/grunge band Milk Teeth, had just finished sound-checking and the bassist just left her bass lying on the floorLighting
This was a mix of ambient light and wirelessly triggered speedlights that I set up to light the band. For this gig I had actually set up 4 Nikon speedlights - two at the front and two at the back. However, in this image only the bass head was lit by speedlight - the rest was ambient lightEquipment
Nikon D610, Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 lens at 80mm f3.5, 4 Nikon speedlights (mix of SB26/SB28 set at low power, most likely)Inspiration
When I shoot gigs, I always try to take a few shots of the surroundings just to set the mood for the live shots with the band. Normally, bands prop up their instruments neatly on stands, but perhaps in keeping with the punk ethos of Milk Teeth, the bassist just left her bass guitar lying randomly on the floor amongst the loose wires. I could see the potential of this image and decided the best angle was low down with a shallow depth of field.Editing
The colour image was turned into a sepia-tinged black and white primarily because the red ambient light which lit most of the frame clashed with the white light from the speedlight which lit the headstock of the bass. I particularly like this brown/sepia tinge which warms the imageIn my camera bag
When I shoot gigs: two Nikon cameras (D750 and D7000) with two lenses (usually 17-35mm f2.8 and 80-200mm f2.8); 4 Nikon speedlights (mostly SB80s now); Rosco speedlight gels in case I need to modify the light; an Opteka MCH-25 multicamera-carrying vest (a cheaper version of the Cotton Carrier camera vest) which allows me to carry/shoot with two camerasFeedback
Arrive at the venue early so that you can survey the ambient lighting conditions and then set up your speedlights, if required. Additional advantages are that there are usually fewer people milling around at that time to get in your way, and shooting during soundcheck is also a good opportunity to get relaxed spontaneous shots of the band (or their instruments)
