Three-members strong, Chevelle double-fisted the whoopass as the hard rock band laid down a pummeling set at the Pageant for a sold-out crowd.
Photographer’s Notes:
This set seemed simple enough, but a lot of little things combined to make photographing Chevelle a nice challenge after Finger Eleven’s fairly straight-forward lighting.
Despite only having three members, the band actually seemed to fill the Pageant’s stage quite well on their own, and I didn’t feel that the wide open spaces were a negative. The general atmosphere of the set certainly contributed to this perception, at least in the pit.
Just the usual, folks: First three, no flash.
Lighting:
Lighting for this set was mostly a mix of deep color washes, with a few splashes of magenta-tinged whitish light thrown into the mix. Lots of quick changes for this one.
The fourth image in this set comes from a little patience waiting for one of the roving spots to hit singer Pete Loeffler and provide some nice color contrast and rim lighting.
If you have the time or patience, linger a few seconds on a shot like this can make a huge difference in the visual impact of a shot. Without the purple spot filling the background, this shot would have been almost entirely restricted to the green channel.
Metering & Exposure:
I was pretty locked down to ISO 6400 and 1/250 at f/2.8 for this set, even through all of the wildly different lighting.
Lenses & Gear:
I shot with the Nikon D3 and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 for this set, though I pulled out the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 for drummer Sam Loeffler.
11 Comments Add your own
1. Neetu | April 29th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Fantastic shots! I really love the angles! You are an amazing photographer.
2. Todd | April 29th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Thanks, Neetu.
3. Zach | April 29th, 2008 at 10:48 am
I like the set overall just because I was there and these guys rock, but I feel like these aren’t your best work. I would have liked to see some different images of Pete other than ones of him at the mic, he moved around the stage a bunch between the lyrics. Also, the singer and drummer got love, why not the bass?
Don’t get me wrong I love the images, but I was left a a little disappointed after looking at all of them. I can give you a more detailed analysis through email if you would like.
Thanks for the awesome shots though, this concert was amazing!
Zach
4. Todd | April 29th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Hey Zach,
Thanks for the feedback and honest critique, I appreciate it. And I agree.
Part of the reason for a deficit of images for bassist Dean Bernardini was his positioning and a general lack of light on him. For the most part, he played mid-stage or back near the amps, which left him lost in the shadows of the green and red washes.
Overall, though the three band members made a big sound, their positioning and stage presence was a lot more confined during the first three songs. I’d love to see these guys with a tighter setup.
Please feel free to continue with the analysis of the shots, I’d like to hear any more input you have on them, especially since you’re a fan and you were at this gig.
5. Zach | April 29th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Speaking of which, I was meaning to ask. Why do you only shoot the first three songs? Although bands usually play big songs for the first three they tend to hold off on their really popular songs till the end, at least that’s what I’ve experienced.
6. Todd | April 29th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Hey Zach,
The shooting restrictions for Chevelle, and many other bands, specify photography for only the first three songs. After that, photography is not allowed. Flash is often not allowed, either.
Some bands have different restrictions, some none at all.
Personally, I’d love the option of photographing for an entire set from the pit, as the lighting and energy is often best at the end of a set.
During the first three songs, bands are just getting warmed up, and lighting is often conservative compared with the effects to come.
7. Sarah | April 29th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I think these shots are great. I don’t know what that guy was talking about. Plus, I thought everyone knew about the first three shots rule. Just my 2 cents. Keep up the great work! You are my idol!
8. Zach | April 29th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Ah, I did not know that the bands were restricting you. I thought it was just some personal rule you had or something. In the words of Chevelle, I Get It.
9. Todd | April 29th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Zach: Sometimes it’s nice to have a song limit, as I can just relax after the shoot and enjoy the show. But most of the time, I’d love to shoot just a bit longer.
10. david jenrette | April 30th, 2008 at 6:43 am
wow! Came across your work by accident, but I’m hanging on. I thought your photographs were excellent! Straight on, capturing moments, yes.
David Jenrette
11. Todd | April 30th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Hey David, glad you found this site, and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment – I appreciate it.
I hope you’ll join in the discussion in the future, and please let me know if there are any features you’d like to see here on ishootshows.com.
speak up
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