Rolling out the Big Guns

Barry Kerch of Shinedown. Tamron 150-500mm 3.5. lens. Shot at 500mm.

I absolutely love photographing concerts, and geez, it’s probably been going on 15 years now. I am so very fortunate to work for an online publication in an area where great concerts are held year round. But the big deal, the big kahuna, comes in August in Bethlehem, PA, MUSIKFEST. Musikfest is a 10 day music festival, the largest in the United States offering free concerts what seems like round the clock for ten days. Not to mention other entertainment and great food. Attendance is well over a million people, folks travel from Europe and at least 39 states to join the Fest. Each night, the main stage offers a headline act, presenting an array of musical genres. Some concerts are shot from the pit, for other shows the photographers gather around the sound board some 120 feet set back from the stage.

My 70-200mm 2.8 lens has no problem capturing the action shooting from the soundboard. When I load the photos to the computer, I find I spend a lot of time cropping the photos down to take a closer look at the image. It’s a time consuming process. So I started looking at larger lenses. I thought something like a 150-500mm 3.5 would be in the range of what I wanted to try. Problem is that I can’t justify purchasing the lens since this would be it’s only purpose, once a year, only for soundboard concerts. Fortunately, my local camera store does rent out lenses.

The camera store only offered a Tamron 150-500mm 3.5 lens. And right off the bat I’m sticking my nose up in the air, as my favorite lens brand is Sigma. But it’s Tamron or nothing, so reluctantly I will try to work with it.

The lens does ok in the range of 150-300mm, details in a musician’s face were clear and tack sharp. I found some pictures that looked grainy when I pushed the lens out further. But when I rolled the lens to 500mm, wow, I was pleasantly surprised. Clarity is still intact and I am in close. To get a shot of the drummer from far, far, away just blew me away, and I got the shot at the right moment! This saved me so much time in post because I can actually see the image on the screen without cropping every picture down. And I bite my tongue to say that I actually liked using this lens, and will probably rent it again next year. The downside? The lens packs some weight. Heavy in the camera bag or heavy if I carry it over my shoulder with a monopod attached.

So once a year, not so bad, I will use this lens again!

A lifetime of music, a decade of music photography

Just about every music photographer I know at some point creates the collage. The collage of coveted photo passes. Memories of great photo shoots, disastrous photo shoots, and memories of the music. And while my display shown above doesn’t come close to the concerts I’ve covered they’re what remains. In my early days, I’d peel off the backing of the sticker and wore it on my shirt, only to realize that after the concert, I really didn’t have a way to reattach the backing to save the pass for eternity, so some became lost until I started placing them in my lanyard with the clear plastic pass holder.

After I submitted my photos for publication, I always go through the batch one more time looking for that one photo I took just for myself. Sometimes it became a difficult task to settle with one photo! I enlarged the photo to an 8x10, and frame it with the photo pass included and display it in my home. After 10 years, the walls are quite full, and provide a constant history of this musical journey.

Some of these memories include, Shania Twain, my first arena venue photo shoot, with late approval for the shoot coming in 4 hours before the show. I remember I brought my camera gear to the office that day, optimistically prepared to shoot, and that was a real good habit to develop going forward, be prepared!

Three Doors Down, I brought my Nikon Fish Eye lens to capture all band members on stage. Would have worked, if I didn’t drop the lens on a concrete floor. The lens still works, on some days, kinda.

Cheap Trick/Peter Frampton, my heart was set on photographing Cheap Trick, my teenage favorite band, but at the last minute band management denied photography, but allowed us to watch their show. I was so mad, I refused to stay, but returned to the pit to shoot Frampton, and had a great shoot.

The Goo Goo Dolls, I’ve photographed them several times now, the first time was in 2011, my second photography concert, shot with a beginner’s camera, Nikon D3100 with a kit lens. I made myself a nervous wreck by shooting in manual mode for the first time. My exposures were a little off, but ended up with some great images. In 2019, I shot them with a borrowed 17-50mm 2.8 lens, and the lens has become my favorite one to use for pit shoots.

Sir Elton John, 2016, I stood in the pit not more than five feet away from this musical legend. The area was small and confined, I couldn’t move. I would twist, turn, and bend to get the shots. It became a long time running joke that sometimes I just need to turn myself into a human pretzel.

The Rides, featuring Steven Stills and Kenny Wayne Shepard, I shot from the pit, and had a minute of one on one eye contact with Steven Stills. It was fun, and a little freaky at the same time.

Earth, Wind, & Fire, I shot on a hot summer night, that was so hot the sweat was pouring into my eyes, and it felt like at times I couldn’t see through the view finder. I ended up with some great images and a few days later, an eye infection.

The Hollywood Vampires, an all star band with Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, and Johnny Depp. The second photo shoot where I actually developed ‘camera shakes’ because I am a Johnny Depp fan and couldn’t believe I was standing just a few feet away from him. With the infancy of their website, one of my photos stayed on their website for about a year, and then their website was redesigned.

Melissa Ethridge, I shot her show from the soundboard. While most artists provide photographers the first three songs to photograph, for this concert we were only allowed to shoot the first song., Fortunately, it was a long first song, and gave me such an adrenaline rush to get the images.

Joe Bonamassa I photographed in a theatre, about 10 rows back from the stage. I was shooting from the right side, but wanted to switch to the left side, which meant I had to literally run to the back of the theatre, out the door, across the lobby, and back in the door to the left side. I made it to the left side with seconds to spare to capture one of my favorite images.

I have been very fortunate to work for a great online publication where I can photograph so many concerts. And of course, the great friends I’ve made along the way. I raise my glass and toast to another 10 years of music photography!

The move to mirrorless

One important factor as a photographer is to keep up with technology. This doesn’t mean a photographer should change gear each time a new model is released, but in due time, it becomes a necessity.

I am proud of myself with the upkeep, maintenance, and cleanings with my gear, I’ve never had to send a camera in for repair or replacements. And believe me, I’ve had my klutzy moments, dropping the camera, and shattering a glass filter on a lens (the lens wasn’t damaged).

I’ve shot my way through two Nikon cameras, and after eight years with the newer of the two cameras, it was time to update. A simple shutter actuation test confirmed it was time, and so began the task of learning all about the wide array of cameras offered. In the last eight years there have been a lot of changes!

Let me also explain that I am a huge fan of brand loyalty. I use the same paper towels my mother did, part emotional, but more importantly, fact driven that they are the best. And it’s easy to be overwhelmed with all the bells and whistles new cameras can offer. But I am a realist, and don’t require the camera that does everything (I honestly feel that will never be invented, lol), but I am very clear about what I need the camera to do.

For my needs, I need a fast, quiet camera that does well with low light situations. The contenders for the mirrorless camera were Nikon, Sony, and Panasonic. There was no Canon, even though their mirrorless line receives rave reviews, and the images are gorgeous. I don’t know, I’ve never had a solid good vibe about Canons, and didn’t want to force myself. With Panasonic, I was impressed with the quality of their point and shoot camera boasting a Leica lens. Some of the images taken on that camera came out better than my trusty Nikon. But Panasonic has partnered with Leica on lenses, so the reality was although the camera was affordable, I wouldn’t be able to afford the lenses. The Sony A9 series has become very popular with amazing features, the ability to shoot 20 frames per second, seems surreal compared to my present Nikon hitting 4 frames per second! This was going to be a tough decision, one that took a few days to really think things through. I took the specs of both cameras and went head to head.

After all was said and done, Sony was the victor. And you know what, I was ok with that. Yes, there was sadness leaving Nikon, cameras and menus that were familiar. Next, I was off to my local camera store to check out the camera in person. The one thing I didn’t count on was a much smaller hand grip to hold the camera. Darn. Nikon’s grip fit me like a glove. Then I found the A7iii, with the better grip. Checked the specs on this camera, and I was good to go. Most of the features of the A9 are on the A7iii, the 20 frames per second is not on the A7iii, I now have 10 frames per second. And I’m ok with that too. I’m coming from 4 frames per second, and this will be a big improvement. If I had 20 frames per second, I fear that I would require too many memory cards. I mean, if I feel I’m really missing something there, I can always trade up.

It was almost two weeks later where I could free up some time in my schedule to take the Sony out and get to know it better. I thought a quick trip to the Philadelphia Zoo would be the perfect spot for an afternoon shoot.

I was hoping to be amazed with its 693 point auto focus, and I was. The sharpness and clarity blew me away. At this time, I’m only working with one lens, Sigma’s 24-70 f/2.8, and the images required some cropping. I cropped a few down to extreme proportions, and still looked good. The big test was the speed. I found the penguin pool, and let me tell you, those little guys move fast, and honestly the camera outperformed the photographer, lol.

What's in a bag?

Finding the right bag to safely transport my gear was always an issue once I purchased my first DSLR camera. I caught a great package deal with my first camera at B&H, it came with a backpack. I’m not a big fan of backpacks, most of the time I would just sling one shoulder strap over one shoulder. I loved that there were ample pockets for storage, inside I was left with limited room. For most assignments it would hold one body and a couple of lenses.

Next came the ‘sling bag’, which I still use when one body, one lens will do the job. I have more flexibility on how to wear it, either on one shoulder, or lengthen the strap to cross over my chest. Accessibility is great, I can unzip and pull out the camera rather quickly. Not so great with pocket storage though.

A few years later, I discovered the ‘Messenger’ style bag, and I knew this is the bag I wanted. It could hold two camera bodies (by this time I had added a second Nikon camera), and could probably throw 3 lenses in there. There were a couple of pockets for storage, and the strap was flexible like my sling bag.

But there was one thing that stopped me dead in my tracks, the price tag! I couldn’t find a messenger style bag under $300.00. Seriously. Even worse, I couldn’t justify the cost. Broken hearted for months, one day I was in a department store and out of the corner of my eye saw backpacks hanging from the baby department. These were diaper bags! And there was more than one style, so I took a closer look.

I found a pink diaper bag (didn’t have another color option) that offered water resistance, and opened from the top. Inside there was plenty of room, two large side pockets, and two insulated beverage holders on opposite ends of the bag. The shoulder strap is adjustable to wear like my sling bag. I had an idea of how to make this work, so I bought the bag for $29.99.

The bag offered no padding inside, which was the first concern. I purchased an egg crate foam, which is usually placed on a bed, or cut down to a chair size for comfort for under $10. Then I cut the foam down to fit the inside bottom of the bag, covered it with fabric. Bottom padding done! Then I constructed the compartments, cut down foam, sewed fabric around it, and added a light piece of cardboard to the back, and strips of velcro to the side of each panel. It was a brilliant concept! I have created the option to set up the compartments how it suits me. Whether I need one or two camera bodies, or I need to include the 70-200mm 2.8 lens (nicknamed the beast) and still have room for more lenses, it all worked, and that is amazing. The large side pockets store everything else I need, lens cleaner, battery charger, spare batteries, spare cards, pens, notepads, business cards, a hand towel, protein bar snacks, and whatever else I need to throw in. The added bonus is that when I throw a bottle of water in the beverage pocket, it stays cold. In the sling bag and the backpack, the pockets weren’t deep enough and the bottle would often fall out.

Oddly, women often compliment my bag, not really knowing what’s inside. Finding the right bag can be a daunting, frustrating experience. Needs change, bags need to change. Until my needs change again, this one does it all, my needs are not compromised, because after all, it’s what’s in a bag.

The pink diaper bag and the Sling bag.

When on vacation...

Ah, yes, I love to travel!  I'm also the type of person that likes to prepare my adventure as much as possible before I leave my home.  Don't get me wrong, I love to be spontaneous, and get caught up in moments, so there are always blocks of free time to be found in a jammed pack schedule.  But I have found, over the years, that when all reservations and itineraries have been prepared ahead of time, I can relax and truly enjoy the environment.

On my last vacation I decided to stay in the states.  There still are some I haven't visited.  While most people kick back and relax, and take in the sights, I'm on a non stop photo shoot.  After all, I don't know where I'll find my next great shot, that is, until I take it.

David Cook, Nashville, TN

Ironically, I tend to pack light on clothing, but heavy on cameras and gear.  Besides my dslr camera, I brought my two Holga film cameras, an iPod, and a Canon point and shoot camera.  Now, the Canon point and shoot camera I've had for 10 years now, and it's been a classic love-hate relationship.  I don't use it often, so there's always the fumbling and trying to remember how it works.  Like any point and shoot, it wasn't designed for low light photography, but, it is advanced enough where I can manipulate the settings to a near manual mode, and does an adequate job when shooting concerts.

So as luck would have it, I found out that David Cook (American Idol winner) was performing in Nashville during my stay.  And this wasn't just another gig for him, this was the close of his tour, where energy was bound to be high.  I could have walked in the venue with my dslr camera and shot the first three songs without the formal approval from management.  My dslr was in the car, and I was tempted.   But I was on vacation and decided to use the Canon.   There was no pit, and didn't want my camera jiggled and bumped by the excited fans.

I have to say, the one thing I love about point and shoot cameras is when you throw the zoom all the way out the image becomes grainy.  I like grainy because it looks like it could have been taken by a film camera, and to me, has this old, almost vintage feel to it..  On the other hand, the one feature I dislike the most about this camera is the continuous frame, mainly because it's slow, and no where as fast as I've grown accustomed to with my dslr.   When I use this cameras in concerts, I shoot single frame, which is always fun, and forces me to anticipate the shot even more.  It's a great exercise to do from time to time.

Who has the better deal?

When I'm shooting a concert in the pit, I find that people in the front row are quite sociable and curious as I open my camera bag and set up for the shoot.  Usually, there's several conversations that occur before the concert begins. Very rarely does someone ask about my camera and lenses, as they are likely to be armed with their phones and don't pursue photography beyond that.   The most common questions  asked are; "Who are you shooting with?"  And my favorite, which some of my friends also ask, "Do you need an assistant?"

What a lovely thought to actually be able to allow a photo caddy, much like a golf caddy, by my side.  Someone who knows photography well enough and can handle my desire to change lenses several times during a ten to fifteen minute shoot!

At a recent concert, I was talking to a front-row fan, who said to me with such enthusiasm, "You are so lucky, to see the show as you do."  I smiled politely, but started to wonder…do I really have the better deal than snagging a spot in the front row?

Both positions require some work.  For the concert go-er, they must arrive early enough to secure a top spot in line before the doors open.  This results in a bit of a wait time. Once the doors open, that person has to run into the venue at top speed to secure their front row spot, waiting as much as up to two hours before the opening act begins.  More wait time.

I spend up to fifteen minutes the night before packing my camera bag, cleaning lenses, recharging batteries, making sure I'm good to go for the event.  I usually like to arrive to the venue  thirty minutes before the concert begins.  My efforts at this point are minimal.

Once the show begins, my clock is ticking.  I've got the best seat in the house for as long as the artist will allow, which is usually the first two or three songs.  After that, my gear and I must leave the venue.  That's it, show over.  So the next day, when my friends ask how was the concert, my usual reply is answered with a slight tone of regret, "Yeah, the first three songs were great."  I certainly can't say the whole concert was fantastic, because I wasn't there.

But I do walk away from the show with something the concert go-er doesn't get, the photographs I took, which is the souvenir that makes me happy.  Once I get home, there's the several hours spent loading the photos, editing, and choosing the fortunate few that make it to my editor for publication.

Back at the concert, that lucky fan in the front row is thoroughly enjoying the performance.  From any seat in the house, fans are taking in the music, reacting,  singing along and moving their bodies to the sounds,  They are the fortunate ones who are able to take in the whole experience, and hands down have the better deal.

The experiences between the barricade of the pit and the front row are completely different. There are many times I wish I could jump over the barricade and enjoy the show, and there are some occasions I'm glad to leave after the shoot and beat the concert traffic afterwards.  And don't get me wrong, most of all concerts I photograph are artists that I love and hold a special place in my heart.  My greatest experiences are when I can totally immerse myself in the music and everything else is around me is completely blanked out.  It's me and the performer one on one.  When that moment happens, I know, I have the better deal.

Music Photography 101

To say I work "in the pit" does not sound glamorous at all. An image of a deep hole in the ground comes to mind.  But to say I work in a photographers pit, adds a bit of nobility, and perhaps a touch of respect.  For me, it's  a fast paced 10-15 minutes workout of capturing great images, and that one image, unique, and so different from the rest that makes the whole night worthwhile.  Factor in high stress levels to achieve the correct camera settings within seconds, putting yourself in the right spot to get the shot, and trying to stay out of the way of a dozen (or more) other professional photographers.  It's one big adrenaline rush, is what it is, and I love it.

Oddly, my first shoot as a music photographer started in the pit. For most people, it doesn't work that way. I got lucky, and learned so much from the experience. In 2009, I didn't own a professional dslr, I borrowed one.  I shot in AP, and blessed with a late afternoon concert, because I knew nothing about low light photography at that point in the game.  Two years after that pit moment, I purchased my first dslr camera ready and motivated to do this right.

For anyone who ever dreamed of being a music photographer, I am happy to share the road I traveled,  To be successful in this genre of photography you must have: 1) a deep and passionate love for music, of any genre. 2) a dslr camera, and 3) a good working knowledge of portraiture photography definitely helps.

So how do we start? We practice and we learn.   The first thing you're going to need is your very own band. You will want a band who's music you like, because you're going to be hearing their songs over and over again. You will need the band to be gigging as often as your schedule will allow.   

Eddie, lead guitarist and co-founder of Kharma Train.  First shoot with this band at The Red Stallion, 2012.  Testing the waters with individual shots.

Late in 2012, I started with a local cover band, Kharma Train.  I joined them for a year and half tour from their second show.  I wanted to support local music, make my contribution and  give back high quality images they can use for their branding, advertising, business cards, calendars, etc.  The majority of cover bands can't afford to have this work done professionally, and is vital in their survival.  As a photographer, the benefit  is that it gets your work out there, whether it be a newspaper ad, or photos used on social media.  

Whether you're searching a city to find the right band, or know someone in a band, the first thing that must be done is to ask permission.  Your needs must be genuine, to learn to take great shots, period.  If you approach a local band asking to be put on their payroll as their photographer, you will surely be dismissed.  Accept the fact that this is a non paying job.  On the other hand, over time, you may find that the band members reward you in other ways, such as their friendships, gifts, not having to pay a cover, and drinks. Your work will also gain exposure, and that may lead to paying jobs.  Also, you want to make sure you're the only photographer running around with your professional gear.  You want to be exclusive in this regard to build their trust and have total access with this band.  Sure, there will always be the band's family and friends with their iPhones and point and shoot cameras, and that's fine.

So now, you got your band, Great!  If you haven't switched over to shooting in manual mode, this is where the learning begins on low light photography and learning the camera settings. To be professional, no flash, please!   For me, it was easier to learn manual by shooting in low light first. Another necessity; study those who came before you.  Spend some time and study at the works of other music photographers, for they are your Rembrandts and Monets.  Look at their work and try to determine what it took to get that shot. Some of my favorites are:  Bob Gruen, Allan Tannanbaum, Rob Shanahan, Lynn Goldsmith, Henry Diltz, and Annie Leibovitz.

Next time we'll talk about providing the right shots for your band, and photographer's etiquette!

The Milk Jug Experiment

If you ask me how to operate the flash on my camera, I would have to whip out the manual. Seriously, I would miss the shot.  I've grown accustomed to shooting without it, so when I accepted a job to shoot a wedding reception, I knew I would face challenges. 

The lighting in reception halls tends to be a bit on the dark side, so without adding the expense of rental lighting, it seemed inevitable I would have to use the flash.  With reluctance, I got out the camera manual, and learned how to operate the flash.  But still, I needed a solution to flash skin tones and the infamous red eye.  

You can find soft boxes designed to fit over the flash to accomplish what I was after, but I didn't like the bulkiness as it snuggly fit around the entire front of my camera. Plus, room in my camera bag was limited so this was no longer an option.  Enter the milk jug experiment.

Step One:  1/2 gallon size works best, so drink up, or transfer milk to another container.

Step Two:  Cut the handle off from the container, and then cut down the center of the handle.

Step Three:  Measure the size of your pop up flash and cut the handle accordingly.  The handle should fit securely over your pop up flash.