September 20, 2008 – Hard rock band Shinedown delivered a pummeling set at Pointfest, storming the main stage in a vehement performance.
Led by singer Brent Smith, the five-piece laid down an epic performance, bathed in dramatic lighting from the back and the roar of an enthusiastic crowd before the stage.
Photographer’s Notes:
This set was a real surprise for Pointfest, and I had a blast shooting Shinedown. I hadn’t heard much of the band’s other than their radio singles, but I was really impressed by the rock-solid performance.
Brent Smith was particularly photogenic, not only because of his great stage presence, but also due to the dramatic stage lighting on the singer.
Overall, the band’s stage treatment saw epic backlighting, with relative little light from the front. The band also received some very hot underlighting throughout the show.
I shot with the Nikon D3 and D700, utilizing the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 for the entire set.
In addition to the live shots, I also had the opportunity to shoot some very quick shots of the band before they took the stage.
20 Comments Add your own
1. Kristen | October 9th, 2008 at 12:47 am
Excellent set of shots!
2. Todd | October 9th, 2008 at 12:52 am
Hey Kristen, thanks very much. Glad to hear you like this set!
3. Zach | October 9th, 2008 at 1:42 am
If you liked how they sounded live you should check out their new album “The Sound of Madness”
4. Todd | October 9th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Hey Zach, thanks for the rec.
5. Jessie | October 9th, 2008 at 8:11 am
This set is amazing, awesome composition. I like the one with the lead singer’s eyes going upward, very nicely captured.
6. Todd | October 9th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Thanks for the comment, Jessie. Brent Smith was a great subject, very expressive throughout the whole set. He had a captivating presence on stage and was a lot of fun to photograph.
7. doug | October 9th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Fantastic set - you nailed some great poses, and the Nikon sensors really show off that light. I especially like the second Jimmy Page-esque shot.
8. Todd | October 9th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Hey Doug, thanks for the feedback, glad to hear you like the set. I’m loving the D3 and D700, I have to say, they’re great set of concert cameras.
Thanks for your pick!
9. Nathan | October 9th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Just like doug said, that second shot is my favorite, so awesome. Did you end up using CLS this time around?
10. Todd | October 9th, 2008 at 9:42 am
That seems to be a popular one, thanks for your vote, Nathan! I didn’t use any flash for any of the live sets from this festival, though I would have liked the opportunity at some points.
Shinedown’s set was actually one of the best lit sets, right up there with Puddle of Mudd, which had a spotlight.
Brent Smith was fairly well lit for much of the performance, though a bit of flash for the other performers could have been an nice option.
11. João Pinheiro | October 9th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I’m blown away by your photos, as usual.
I actually photographed a Porcupine Tree gig this wednesday—my first time photographing a concert in a really long time, which gives me an even bigger appreciation of your work. You always manage to capture some amazing moments with an incredible composition and exposure/use of light.
Here’s a technical question for you: do you notice a big difference in the way the D70 and D700/D3 cameras handle bright lights, particularly in the red channel? I had a lot of ruined photos due to blowing out the red channel under those evil red lights.
12. João Pinheiro | October 9th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Erm, the gig was actually on tuesday, not wednesday. :p
13. Todd | October 10th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Hey João, great to hear from you. Thanks for commenting on this thread.
I have found that the D3/D700 do seem to handle high contrast lighting well, thanks to the wider dynamic range. As channel clipping, I find the newer sensor is better in this regard as well, though severe overexposure is going to result in the image blocking up.
Red lights are a constant scourge with concert photography. Any mono-color wash is going to wreck havoc on any image, but red is quite nasty!
Thanks again for the comment, João!
14. John Boccabella | October 11th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Todd - congrats on yet another stellar set! Love ‘em! I see some definite portfolio material in here :) Cheers!
15. Todd | October 11th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Hey John, thanks, I’m sure a shot or two will make it into the portfolio at some point. I have a few images from recent shows that I’d like to feature now.
16. Michael Strout | October 13th, 2008 at 11:52 am
First off,
Great shots during that set!
Second,
I love your group shot at the end.
What kind of lighting did you use for this?
17. Todd | October 13th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Hey Michael, thanks for the comment.
The group shot was lit very simply – two 45″ umbrellas on either side of the band, the rest is daylight.
Shinedown was one of the only bands I shot while it was still light out during this festival.
18. Eric Hamilton | October 14th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Todd,
You have an uncanny ability to get exactly where you need to be to capture the most amazing shots. Your compositions and timing are nothing short of spectacular.
- Eric
19. Todd | October 14th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Hey Eric! Ha, I don’t know about uncanny, but it does involve a lot of hustle in the pit! I’ll definitely run down my subjects if I see something about to happen that I want.
Composition is a must for me, it’s one of the big three along with light and subject. While it’s always best to have all three, as you know, careful composition can make even a poorly lit and unremarkable subject look pretty good. ;)
20. Chris | October 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
School has got me behind on your sets… arg.
3 is rediculous, 10 has EPIC backlighting, 12 is something you NEVER see from a show… it’s like he’s coming out of pure darkness.. a very interesting photo, almost aesthetic like it was setup. These guys look like a fun band.
speak up
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