September 25, 2008 – Propelled by the chemistry between singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, indie rock band Stars wove a lilting set of lush pop in their debut performance at the Pageant.
Photographer’s Notes:
One of the first things I do when I arrive at a club venue like the Pageant is to check whether or not a photo pit is in place. Unlike larger venues like arenas and amphitheaters, a dedicated space for press and security is not a guaranteed feature for a house like the Pageant.
While Neko Case the night before featured a very wide photo pit, it wasn’t to be for Stars, so I made my way up to the stage through the thin crowd a few minutes before the openers, Bell X1, came on.
By the time Stars came on, the pit was loosely filled, just enough to make moving around difficult enough to conflict with the three song limit, so I stayed put. My position put me just stage left of Amy Millan, with Torquil Campbell slightly farther down stage.
Due to the fixed position, I shot with the 70-200mm f/2.8 on the D3 for the majority of the show, switching to the 24-70mm f/2.8 on the D700 for just a few wider shots. The band was positioned back from the front of the stage about two meters, so even 70mm on the telephoto zoom was plenty wide in most instances.
End Notes:
Stars were one of the very first bands I photographed when I was starting out. Last time I saw them, they were playing to 150 people in the basement of a university’s student center, and it was great to see them again in the big hall of the Pageant.
12 Comments Add your own
1. Celso | September 26th, 2008 at 12:30 am
I really like the way you take advantage of the existing lighting to make your shots.
best regards.
2. Todd | September 26th, 2008 at 1:46 am
Thanks for the comment, Celso. Sometimes it’s a real struggle, but I was happy that the light for Stars was somewhat reasonable, and they had some cool accent lighting.
3. Kate | September 26th, 2008 at 2:02 am
I love that last one of Amy! The lighting looks great.
4. Todd | September 26th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Thanks, Kate! That was my favorite lighting of the set as well, I appreciate the comment.
5. ww | September 26th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Hey Todd, do you sometimes ever catch yourself bopping your head to the music in between shots or maybe dancing a little bit? On occasion, whilst cameras in tow, I find it hard to sit/stand still if the music is good. It’s just a thought.
cheers
6. Todd | September 26th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hey ww, thanks for the comment.
Often while shooting, I am listening to and seeing the music more as a photographer than as a fan. I think the difference in this is being hyper-focused on the performance, rather than losing yourself in it or being swept up in the appreciation.
This is true of bands that I love and regular assignments alike.
Once I’m done shooting, it’s an entirely different story. I find that shooting from the crowd is also quite different than being in the photo pit, and is generally a much slower, less focused process.
7. Jessie | September 27th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Hey Todd, this comment has nothing to do withe Stars photo whatsoever i hope it’s okay. I just came back from The Rocket Summer concert and it was amazing. Bryce Avary was beyond descriptive. I think it would be really awesome if you have the chance to photograph him. He is so passionate and fun to watch.
And I was lucky enough to closely photography him, which will be up on my flickr in a bit, i just think you should see him haha.
8. Todd | September 27th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Hey Jessie, thank for the comment, Stars related or not.
I haven’t photographed The Rocket Summer, but I’ll try to check Avary out if he plays near me. Thanks for the suggestion!
9. amrul malaysia | September 28th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
nice captured!
10. Todd | September 28th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Thanks, Amrul.
11. Chris | October 2nd, 2008 at 6:09 pm
TODD OWYOUNG shot in UNIVERSITY student center?! I’m astounded! :-P Guess it goes to show we all gotta start somewhere… [oh, the Creepy Crawl... *sigh*]
Cool set. Makes me wanna check em out, with your description of “indie rock and lush pop.”
I enjoy 2, 5, and 10, with 5 being my favorite from the set. The angle and light on him is really nice. Great emotion in 10, too. I like 8 for the rim lighting, but her bangs created a shadow that really detracted me from the picture. I also like this shot .
Cool set.
12. Todd | October 2nd, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Smoke-filled bars, basement clubs, student venues – I’ve shot them all.
Long before I started shooting arenas, amphitheaters, and multi-day festivals, I cut my teeth in countless dives, believe me.
Anyone starting out with concert photography should. ;)
Thanks for your comment and the picks, Chris. Stars makes some lovely music.
speak up
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