JC Allstars 1
Feb, 2017Views
1140
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Music And Concerts Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in On Stage Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
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Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 30 rank week 2Top 30 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at the first annual "Rally in the Valley" event in Frederick Maryland. The all-day concert is an awareness and fundraising event hosted by Platoon 22, Project 22, and 22 Kill, groups that are committed to combating the roughly 22 veteran suicides that take place each day. The guitarist pictured is part of the JC Allstars, a band formed by veterans. The outdoor stage made for many great shots that day.Time
This was late afternoon on an all-day shoot for the event.Lighting
The lighting was interesting that day as it was dark and stormy through most of the event and that contrasted with the bright lights coming from the stage. Between lighting extremes, fog machines on stage, and (often) pouring rain, there were constant changes to settings for exposure, ISO, and shutter speed.Equipment
This was shot handheld on my Sony a7r2 with the 24-240mm lens and a plastic bag wrapping the rig to protect from the rain.Inspiration
I love using photography to help support and promote the veteran groups I work with. Throughout the entire shoot, I tried to capture the different emotions and atmosphere of the event and both performers and patrons.Editing
With this shot, there was cropping, black and white conversion, and adjustments to contrast, clarity, and exposure; all in Lightroom.In my camera bag
For a shoot like this, I was working heavier than usual. I always have plenty of spare batteries, but for this I also added more memory cards, some rain gear (for me and the rigs), plus my Sony a77 as a backup, a 50mm lens, 50-500mm lens, flash units for both cameras, and a tripod that I never ended up using.Feedback
Fear no weather and just keep shooting. Stage shots, for me at least, either work or they don't. There were plenty of shots that went to the recycle bin because they didn't get the feel I wanted; but the shots that did capture what I wanted were worth it. I've also found in shooting events, what people respond to best are the close-ups instead of the wide angle stuff. Get as close as possible, but I like it best when they have no idea I've taken the shot.
