Backed by DJ Green Lantern on the decks, hip hop luminary Nas took the stage in a fiery performance that had the house shaking with tracks from 1994’s Illmatic to 2008’s Untitled and everything in between.
Photographer’s Notes:
Compared to the set for Talib Kweli, Nas’s set flew by. Just as for the opening set, I used a trio of Nikon speedlights for the performance, with the SB-900 on-camera and two SB-600s positioned on the stage as remote flashes.
While flash is normally restricted at many concerts, I brought the speedlight setup on a hunch and was glad I did. Without the aid of flash, this set would have been a struggle with the house lighting, which remained a dim glow over the stage for the majority of the set.
Combined with the fast movements of Nas on stage, and it was a no-brainer to fire up the flashes for this one. The SB-900 was on-camera as the commander, with two SB-600s on the stage.
Due to his mic technique, I found myself shooting Nas from house left for most of the first three songs for shots with the least mic-blockage possible.
6 Comments Add your own
1. Eric Hamilton | September 28th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Glad to see I’m not the only shooter firing up on-stage flash. ;)
2. Todd | September 28th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Not at all. When it’s an option, well – I don’t mind the option of flash in the least. ;)
It’s not allowed for many gigs, but if the stage lights aren’t giving me what I want and flash is allowed, having a speedlight (or three) handy can be a useful thing indeed.
3. Harry Simpson | September 29th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Hey Todd,
How do ya know when flash is allowed? Do you always ask…I just kinda assumed it was never ok….
Thanks
Harry
4. Todd | September 29th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Hey Harry, thanks for the comment. For most shows, the ground rules are laid down when the pass is picked up. At the very least, you can always ask.
Flash isn’t allowed for many shows I photograph, but there are always a few here and there that will allow it.
5. Chris | September 29th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Only 3 songs for this set? I’m used to shooting longer for hip-hop for some reason… at least you got to use flash!
My picks are your alternate version of 1 , 3, and this . Coupled with white front light, the background lights provide some interesting colour in a few of the photos.
Do you change the power of flash output when shooting or just set em and leave em?
6. Todd | September 29th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Your two hip hop shows have spoiled you, let me tell you. ;)
Thanks for the picks! I set flash to TTL, given that the distance between the performer and the speedlights was constantly changing.
speak up
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