UPDATE: The Late Night video expired, so I replaced it with Phantogram’s video for “When I’m Small.”
One of the reasons I was digging out Phantogram pics was because of their TV debut last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! Usually first time live TV performances are a bit laced with nerves, but they didn’t show it. Unless Sarah Barthel’s endearing head shimmy is a nervous tick.
Somehow I overlooked posting these photos from back in October. It was a good show, though I realized I’m basically too old to be staying up that late for an out-of-town concert. That same night, a few miles away, Liz Phair was playing a show. I briefly thought about trying to go to both, but with unknown start times and all there was no way of getting the timing down.
With my fastest f/1.8 lens and ISO pushed to 3200 it was still a struggle to get tack sharp photos in the limited-lumen, magenta gelled concert hall. Perhaps it’s something I should just resign myself to for anything other than a stadium or outdoor daytime show. And perhaps with that a slight adjustment in aesthetic goals (e.g. embrace the blur!).
Washed Out
Phantogram
Ra Ra Riot
This was a fun but challenging shoot due to the lighting. With the stage being powered off the grid by bicycles, the lumens were kept to a minimum. In some respects the surrounding street lighting looked brighter! Contrast was helped at times by a strobe light placed at the foot of the stage, but I didn’t try for any multiple exposure effects like at their indoor shows.
The low light situation was helped by managing to get a good position at the front of the stage, allowing me to use the stage floor to stabilize at least my body movement. Getting a bit caught up in the moment, I didn’t realize until I got home that I didn’t have image stabilizing engaged, which may have offered some additional assistance with camera shake. Although I can’t resist wondering what “might have been,” I should recognize I got some satisfying results while practicing good technique. And in some cases a bit of blur and movement is more interesting.
cameronyee.com 