July 13, 2008 – With a show that begin with him passing out long-stem roses to the ladies in the front row, The Reverend Al Green delivered a spirited performance to a sold-out crowd at the Fox Theatre.
Decked out in dark sunglasses and a sharp suite, the R&B and gospel singer wore a huge grin throughout the show and especially at the start, clearly enjoying his time on stage before the 6,000-strong audience.
Photographer’s Notes:
Compared to the 60-second shooting restriction for Gladys Knight, who performed before Al Green co-headlining the tour, this set felt downright long at a full two-songs.
Still, it wasn’t without its own complications, as the positioning was still confined to a few small pockets at the front of the stage. I shot from essentially two main locations: in the center aisle and crouching down just stage left of Al Green.
Lighting:
This set was lit by spotlights, just as Gladys Knight’s performance was, though the intensity of these lights was about a stop dimmer than for the previous set.
Light atmospherics graced the stage, with green, red, and magenta washes coming in from behind.
Lenses & Gear:
I shot this set with the Nikon D3, Nikon 70-200mm, and Nikon 24-70mm. The telephoto zoom was my main go-to lens for this gig and its range was just about perfect for this stage and performance.
Exposure & Metering:
I shot this set around ISO 1600 at f/3.2 and 1/400.
End Notes:
I’m personally curious whether I would have shot this set much differently if I had only a minute to make my shots, though I’m pretty sure that Al Green was still passing out roses around the time that clock would have been up.
14 Comments Add your own
1. Celso | July 22nd, 2008 at 6:34 am
This gig wasn’t very colorful but I guess the genre tries to appeal to a more intimate ambiance… Nicely captured…
Just a question… Don’t you shoot anything in BW?
BR
2. Todd | July 22nd, 2008 at 9:05 am
Hey Celso, thanks for the comment. No, this set was less bright and less colorful than even the one before it. At this venue, unless the act has very colorful effects of its own, most of the time spotlights dominate the treatment.
I do convert to B&W, but only when it’s the best alternative and/or there was really, really poor lighting. I generally prefer color work if not shooting in dives!
3. George K. | July 22nd, 2008 at 9:37 am
I’m curious. Do you have two D3s or do you actually switch lenses mid-song. With only one minute to three songs to get the job done, it seems a challenge to switch lenses.
Then again, I might just be really slow at swapping them (mostly in fear of sensor dust).
4. Todd | July 22nd, 2008 at 11:11 am
Hey George,
I only have one D3 (though two would be nice). I plan to pick up a D300 or D700 in the next few months, too, but for now I only shoot with one body.
I think that it can be a mental block to change lenses, but in practice it can be as quick as 10 seconds. What’s more to me is actually slowing down to think about changing lenses!
For the most part I don’t worry about dust at all in the pit. I’m shooting at such relatively wide apertures that it doesn’t usually show up if it’s there.
Dusty festivals are another thing entirely though, and even then I will change lenses as need be.
5. Lori | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Wow, he’s totally a pimp! Love the roses. He looks good, and appears to be having a really great time up there.
I love your second shot of him holding the roses with the arms of the ladies (presumably!) reaching up for them from below the frame.
6. Todd | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Hey Lori,
Nice to hear from you here. The ladies were swooning, let me tell you, and Al seemed to love every minute of it.
Thanks for your comments!
7. George K. | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:29 pm
@todd
I think my biggest problem is that I need to put one lens down, loosen the body cap, undo my camera lens while holding the body face down, reach over and pull off the body cap on the other lens and make the quick switch, then replace the body cap on the unused lens.
If I use the stage as a platform, I risk having a $1,000+ lens fall from vibrations or getting kicked. I guess I need to start using my bag more but then I become a fumbling fool.
8. Todd | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Hey George,
With all the caps on (front and rear), I think it’s possible to change lenses in about 10 seconds or less with practice.
Now, if you remove all the caps and put the hoods in shooting position before shooting, you can cut that time in half. I’ve recently started doing this more and more, because change time becomes just a few seconds. If you remove lens hoods, less bulk, you can shave off even a little more time, as they’re nothing to assemble or snag.
Also, the bag setup plays a big role, too. The fewer flaps and zippers to get through, the better for quick lens changes. When I’m shooting, I keep my lenses as accessible as possible, whether that means shooting with a belt system or having a messenger style bag that is slung around in front for easy access.
9. Chris | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Huh, he looks pretty good still! As for changing lenses, I would agree that it’s a fairly fast action. Depending on my belt configuration it takes me about 5 seconds to change lenses.
10. Todd | July 22nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Yup, Al was looking pretty good, and he certainly seemed to enjoy himself, which was great to see.
Using the Kinesis M550, flap open, all caps off, lens changes can be very, very quick. I find it takes a second or two more to swap to the 70-200mm, as the long lens case slows things down a little.
11. George K. | July 22nd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I think that’s where my problem lies. I’m always afraid to leave the rear lens element exposed. Maybe if I try just popping the caps off just before I enter the photo pit, I might be able to swap lenses quicker.
12. Todd | July 22nd, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Hey George, you can always try taking the caps off right before entering the pit. I always use rear lens caps while just transporting gear.
Even if you keep a flap over your lenses and only take them out to swap, removing the rear caps should shave a few seconds off your changes.
13. Chris | July 23rd, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Ahhh technology!
There’s something Ray Charles about him, no? I dunno, maybe it’s just me. Nice backwash in this photo and this one just screams emotion. But nothing beats hands in the air ! Great set man, and good to be able to keep up again!
14. Todd | August 14th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Hey Chris, thanks for the comment! With the sunglasses and smile, there was a little Ray Charles going on that night. Thanks for your picks!
speak up
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