Bloc Party’s performance at the Pageant marked a high-energy event with all the ingredients of arena-sized rock, complete with the requisite smoke machines, dramatic backlighting, and strobe lights, all crammed into the 2,000-capacity venue.
While the venue remained at a thin density through the openers of Smoosh and Final Fantasy, with chairs at a minimum, the house eventually filled up to a healthy and eager crowd by the time Kele Okereke and crew took the stage.
Despite a minimum of banter and seeming irreverence for the institution of celebrity, Okereke dominated the stage with explosive vocals and physical bombast. The singer lead the band through an even mix of songs from their debut Silent Alarm and sophomore A Weekend In The City, though, as expected, it was the former that garnered the biggest applause.
Between Okereke’s fierce delivery on vox and Matt Tong’s unyielding tenacity hammering away on drums, Bloc Party projected an air seriousness throughout the night. Though the British four-piece powered through their set with more ernest efficiency than musical indulgence, the undeniable vitality of the performance won over any doubts of the group’s showmanship.
For a full set of images from Bloc Party’s performance, peep the Flickr.
Shooting Notes:
I used the Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 for the majority of this show, while the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.4 also saw a little bit of use. The reach of the 85mm was especially useful for shots of drummer Matt Tong at the back of the stage. Drummers are often problematic to photograph and this show was no exception, not only because of their position toward the back of the stage, but for all the kit between them and the lens.
Technically, the first three songs were as challenging as any performance I’ve shot. Between the mercurial contrast of dim ambient lighting to strobes exploding from the front of the stage and the back, the first three songs were persistently formidable to meter.
Luckily, the intensity of the inconstant light on the musicians remained consistent from burst to burst, so I was able to establish rough exposure after a series of errors. This fast education, combined with a little serendipitous dial twisting, produced a surprising set of final images that defied the disappointing first look.
11 Comments Add your own
1. Chris | September 26th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I enjoyed reading the shooting notes. Keep them coming. Your experience sounds a lot like my own of Metric’s show last Friday. As you saw with my downward shots of Emily Haines, they were just blasting away with strobes from the back and sides with dim blue light in between.
2. Todd | September 26th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Yeah, strobe lights are just brutal in general. Photographing Ratatat comes to mind as a similarly awful show to cover. Any performance involving a video projector is right up there with strobes for choice lighting. Ratatat had both.
Still, when it all comes together, these impossible lighting conditions can yield some of the most compelling images. If nothing else, the dramatic contrasts of the lighting can translate, with a little luck, perseverance, and high speed burst mode, into equally dramatic shots.
3. Tor Arne | September 28th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Great shots! I like the way you angle/tilt the shots. Is that something you do intentionally to liven them up? Looking over my own photos I tend to shoot a lot of portrait mode, just straight up. Any tips on when angling/tilting works good and when it does not?
Thanks! Your feedback is appreciated!
4. Todd | September 29th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Hey Tor, thanks. Yes, I do intentionally tilt the camera for many shots to produce the compositions I’m after. Personally, I call this “throwing angles,” and it is always actively done. The specific reasons can vary, but ultimately it’s done with the intent of creating a stronger, more dynamic composition.
Added a degree of tilt can create a stronger relation between an instrument and the frame, while other times it’s meant to change the dynamic of the performer.
These angles work best when there are not too many visual cues to what is up and down — for outdoor festivals when it’s most plain that the frame is tilted, the effect can be disorienting. But for indoor shots, an element of tilt can introduce a little more energy and add to the movement within the frame.
I may write a post about this at some point, do you think that would be helpful?
5. Tor Arne | September 29th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Thanks for your reply Todd!
I see your point about creating a stronger relation between the instrument/performer and the frame of the photo. I guess I have been thinking too much inside of the box so far when shooting concerts
And good tip on only using this technique when there are not many elements that can distort the effect by showing the real angle.
A post about how you think about framing in general when you shoot shows would indeed be very helpful! Like how you place yourself in relation to lights, microphone stands, monitors, and of course the artists themselves, to get good framing.
I tend to get 45 degrees to the vocalist and work it from there, but I’m sure there are angles I should look for that I’m not realizing could be good.
By the way, I have to compliment you for writing extended notes on many of your photos on how you worked to capture that specific photo. That helps a lot!
Thanks!
6. Todd | September 29th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Tor,
For me composition is a huge concern, since so many of the concert shots I see may have acceptable lighting or pose, but fall short on really compelling and thoughtful composition. This is one area of my images where I consciously try to nail with every image I share.
I’m writing a general concert tutorial that will be a persistent page, but I will also be writing a series of other how-to/tips posts (like the one on telephoto lenses). All the things you mention on position and framing are included in the first draft.
Let me know if there’s anything else you think would be helpful. I’m happy to share what experience I have, so just me know.
I just started breaking out the “shooting notes” and will continue doing that from now on. The latest concert post is not in all seriousness, though, so stay tuned for the next one for better tech info.
7. Tor Arne | September 30th, 2007 at 9:09 am
The telephoto-lens post was very informative and your comments helped me decide between a wide-angle zoom and a tele-zoom (I ordered the 17-55 2.8)
I’m eagerly looking forward to your composition tutorial
Regarding shooting notes I was not only referring to your posts here on your blog, but also on Flickr. I’ve noticed that when people comment on your photos you are very good at giving informative comments back. I really appreciate that. Thanks!
8. Todd | October 2nd, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Tor, I’m very pleased all the info is helpful. I’m glad to share my experiences. Hopefully I will get a chance to write a few posts in the next week.
9. Jay | October 5th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Todd, Your work is off the planet your comps and exposures and post work are 5 star. Thank you.
Would you if you could tell us what body did you use and did you use any fill flash and what do you use for noise reduction? Will you get the D3 and is your camera now full frame?
Jay
10. Todd | October 14th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Thanks, Jay. I used the Nikon D2X, and no flash was used for these shots. I tried something new with this set regarding noise reduction, which was to use Nikon Capture NX’s “better quality setting” for NR when converting from RAW to JPG.
The Nikon D3 does seem like it would be great for work like this, and I do have one on pre-order. I definitely look forward to using the camera for concert photography.
11. Year in Review: Top 10 Co&hellip | December 31st, 2007 at 1:21 am
[...] Despite very challenging lighting, Bloc Party’s put on a great set, powered by Kele Okereke’s driving vocals and Matt Tong’s constant barrage of beats from his kit. I’d love the opportunity to photograph these guys again, especially under different lighting schemes. (Read the write-up) [...]
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