Nergel (of Behemoth)
Taken 4.23.2012
Hawthorne Theater (Portland, OR)
Dec, 2013Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the Hawthorne Theater in Portland, OR. It was during the headlining band, Behemoth, on the 2012 Decibel Magazine Tour.Time
As this was an indoor event time of day isn't particularly relevant.Lighting
The Hawthorne is a small concert venue and has "modernized" with LED lighting, something I honestly find horrible to try and shoot. The band however brought their own lighting rig with them and while they were also using LED's, it was an outstanding setup.Equipment
For any and all concert shoots I have been using a Sony NEX-5 and typically I employ an E 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS E-mount Zoom Lens for shooting. As this was a concert setting no tripods or flash was allowed.Inspiration
I've found while shooting live events that there is often little time to really come up with any inspiration. Sometimes a band might have an interesting stage setup for touring but quite often it's much more trying to get the best photos possible given the circumstances in any given club. A small venue for example might find bad lighting and difficult crowds to work within although the advantage is that you're never pressed for time. Larger venues with a photo pit are fantastic but on the negative side you're limited to three songs meaning that quite often you're not really thinking as much as you are just trying to take as many photos as possible.Editing
I rarely use any post-processing. Occasionally Lightroom might be used to bring up the light if they are too dark.In my camera bag
The NEX-5 of course is one of the first things. Typically I take two different lenses along; an 18-55mm and 55-210mm (both Sony.) I have a few lens caps just in case one of them is dropped in the crowd, an additional battery, two micro-fiber cloths for cleaning, a 32 gig card as well as extras just in case (2 16's and an 8.)Feedback
I've found that concert photography can be extremely difficult or very easy but there are many factors. One of the most important things is to have a photo pass and these aren't always easy to come by especially if you're living in a larger city. It's best to try and get involved with the PR department as far as live events. Make sure you have appropriate contact information as well just in case upon arrival you find that you're not on the list for some reason and need to reach out to someone to correct the issue. Everything else is really based on the club, its size, and the type of crowd you're dealing with.
