Let's Take it to the Stage

Every time I photograph a live performance I describe the end result as a perfect disaster.  The lights are never where you want them to be, they're never bright enough or too bright, and ya wanna tell the live performer, "Hey, that was really cool, can you do it again?" 

...And after many years I've learned to look past all of those once terrible circumstances and instead embrace them!  Which is hilarious by contrast, because when I sit back and think about the topic, the majority of my style has been evolved from breaking rules / making errors and turning them into a formula.

My buddy Albin once told me, in one of our many lengthy conversations, "You're allowed to break the rules whenever you want, as long as you know 'em."  In which I completely agree with and somewhat feel I always knew, but completely adopted the philosophy / way of life in the end.

But in this shoot I'm about to share with you, I was contracted to stage a solo performance in my studio space for a local musician / songwriter with more of a blues look 'n feel.  So I invited some of the same live performance lighting set ups along with me, which back lit my subject, only leaving me with his body's contours well lit. Sometimes I would lean my lens into the flare of the back lights, while framing up my client to get that messy, careless live performance perfect disaster look...And, by doing so, it really took the shoot to the stage.

"I feel that bringing real time elements into the studio is a must for correctly conveying an authentic vibe.  We all know when something looks and feels forced.  And we all hate that look.  ...I take note of that and do my best to completely avoid that outcome.

Extra Notation:  I over exposed (for intended clipping.  A stylistic decision on my behalf) and shot with just two rear back lights for one half of our session.  And then, for the sake of identification, I moved in with a front main light and fill card for the second half of the session.  The variety between artist "integrity" portraits (with more artistic looking photos which evoke thought and mixed emotions) and artist "identity" portraits (which provide you with an idea of who they are if ya saw 'em on the street) supplies you with the perfect, fast 'n well rounded press kit in the end. 

But check 'em out.
Let me know what ya think on Facebook and all that jazz.

Thanks!