With 2012 coming to a close, I thought I'd post some of my favorite images from this past year. It's been a great year of shooting and I've had an absolute blast. I've had some great opportunities to shoot, travel and meet up with fellow music photographers.
I've included the technical shooting details as well as my own thoughts of why these images are unique or special to me. Hope you enjoy.
Green Day @ iHeartRadio Music Festival 2012
The iHeartRadio Music Festival was easily one of my top shoots of the year – and with bill basically consisting of some of the biggest acts around, how could it not be? I had a blast shooting Green Day's set – for me, this shot sums up the band's energy and irreverent attitude on stage.
- Camera: Nikon D800
- Lens: Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/250
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 2500
- Focal Length: 22mm
Atmosphere – Mayhem Fest 2012
Mayhem Fest is always a rowdy show, with tons energy being thrown down on stage and off. Naturally, shooting the atmosphere of a festival is always part of the job, and it's always a thrill to nail a shot that captures the crowd. This crowd surfer had just come down over the barricade and was full on going mental for the camera.
- Camera: Nikon D700
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/640
- Aperture: f/5.6
- ISO: 200
- Focal Length: 24mm
Taylor Swift @ iHeartRadio Music Festival 2012
Here's another one from the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. I flew out to be part of the official photo team for this festival, so it was really a pleasure having great access to some of the biggest names in music today. There was a thrust out from the stage that the performers made liberal use of during their sets. This image of Taylor Swift was made while she was on the extension. I liked the slightly different angle that the thrust allowed for this shot of Taylor really belting it out.
- Camera: Nikon D800
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/640
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 3200
- Focal Length: 40mm
Atmosphere — Rusko @ The Pageant
Catching atmosphere shots during electronic music events is a really challenging thing, but it's also being a little pet project of mine. In this shot made during Rusko's set at the Pageant, the pit was absolutely heaving. The front row was all hopelessly smashed against the railing and just a mess of hair whips and wild arms. This image was just a bit of luck in catching this female fan as she came up from a hair whip – I thought her expression captured the kind of ecstatic energy of the show.
- Camera: Nikon D3
- Lens: Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/40
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 3200
- Focal Length: 14mm
Asking Alexandria @ The Pageant
This was a fun show for a variety of reasons. First, it was nice to meet up with my friend and colleague Adam Elmakias. Second, Asking Alexandria just put on a debaucherous, fun set. Adam and I tag teamed this show with wireless flash, which you can see in this shot making very nice friends with the huge amounts of haze being pumped over the stage. Just a classic rock star pose here that I was happy to capture.
- Camera: Nikon D3
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/250
- Aperture: f/3.5
- ISO: 640
- Focal Length: 27mm
Childish Gambino @ The Pageant
Childish Gambino put on a killer show at the Pageant, which was thrilling for the rapper's energy as much as it was to see a great production for the tour. For this shot, Gambino was right up at the edge of the stage and leaning over – I thought the angle created by the Pageant's high stage and the dramatic uplighting created a really interesting feel in this image.
- Camera: Nikon D3
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/320
- Aperture: f/3.2
- ISO: 2000
- Focal Length: 28mm
Aerosmith @ iHeartRadio Music Festival 2012
Another one from iHeartRadio. Can you tell I enjoyed this shoot? This image of of the inimitable Steven Tyler. He was doing one of his signature drop-to-your-knees-and-wail moves, which only last for a second. I'm pretty sure I was probably accidentally jabbing fellow shooter/friend Andrew Swartz—who was just to my right—in the head trying to make this shot – sorry, Andrew.
- Camera: Nikon D800
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/400
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 3200
- Focal Length: 48mm
Flaming Lips @ LouFest 2012
Yes, a shot of Wayne Coyne in his human hamster ball. Pretty pedestrian festival fare, I know. But I just loved Wayne's expression of childish glee that was beaming from his face. This shot was made right after he came back from a romp rolling over the crowd. I was right next to the ramp and this image was made just as the stage hands were about wrangle Wayne back and unzip the ball. If I can tell you a dirty secret, this shot is kind of not even in sharp focus, but I love it anyway.
- Camera: Nikon D3
- Lens: Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/160
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 2500
- Focal Length: 14mm
KISS @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
KISS. No brainer – this band is always fun, and ever since I shot them in 2009 I've been looking forward to the opportunity to do so again. I came prepared for their 2012 world tour with my Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 and a Nikon D800. Normally, a D800 would be complete overkill for a concert, but frankly I just got greedy – I wanted all the ridiculous resolution of the 36 megapixel sensor for this show. Tommy Thayer and Paul Stanley – these guys never disappoint. As a cool bonus note, I got a call from Tommy Thayer later on saying he liked the images. I know this is probably uncool of me to say, but getting a call from the lead guitarist of KISS is pretty damn awesome to me.
- Camera: Nikon D800
- Lens: Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/500
- Aperture: f/4
- ISO: 1000
- Focal Length: 14mm
Lamb of God @ The Pageant
Lamb of God are a very intense band on stage with singer Randy Blythe leading the charge. Big stage monitors are always a challenge at a venue like the Pageant because the stage is already quite high, but they just worked for Lamb of God. Probably because Randy Blythe must be a yoga master and uses the monitors as props for his stage antics. A photographer couldn't have given better direction.
- Camera: Nikon D3
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/500
- Aperture: f/3.2
- ISO: 2500
- Focal Length: 24mm
Lil Wayne @ iHeartRadio Music Festival 2012
Jump shot. Dreads swinging. Lil Wayne not from the soundboard. After getting to shoot Lil Wayne from the pit for his entire performance back in 2008, I thought that there was no chance of me ever getting a change to photograph him again under such condition. I wasn't counting on iHeartRadio Music Festival.
- Camera: Nikon D800
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/400
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 3200
- Focal Length: 42mm
M83 @ The Pageant
M83 probably aren't the first band when you think of that goes balls, but that's exactly what this band does live. This image is of Anthony Gonzalez when he came to the very edge of the stage for a brief moment during M83's show at the Pageant. It was a tricky shot because there was relatively no light on him and he was doing that sort of bass player lean/wobble. You know the one. It's the kind of shot/moment where you don't know you have it until you see it.
- Camera: Nikon D3
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/100
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 3200
- Focal Length: 35mm
Brad Paisley @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
What can I say, I'm a sucker for wide-angle shots with fans reaching toward a performer. Even this shot of country star Brad Paisley doesn't look all that wide, it was still 24mm on the full-frame Nikon D3. I liked the somewhat unique side angle that the thrust from the stage allowed and the fact that the spotlights were bright enough to shine through (albeit diffusely) Paisley's cowboy hat in this image.
- Camera: Nikon D3
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/320
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 800
- Focal Length: 24mm
Rusko @ The Pageant
DJ shots are always a bit tricky. Without stage access, they're always difficult due to the stage, the inevitable table and the fact that said table is probably covered with crap. I liked this shot of UK dubstep producer Rusko because of his expression and gesture, accented by some fortuitous backlighting. Strangely enough, this is also only one of two images in this set that was made with a telephoto lens – take that for what you will.
- Camera: Nikon D3
- Lens: Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRI
- Shutter Speed: 1/125
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 6400
- Focal Length: 110mm
Slayer @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Kerry King of Slayer. This image isn't going to blow anyone's mind (it doesn't blow mine), but I still love it. Some combination of the terribly harsh lighting and technical difficulty balanced with the plain fact that it's Kerry !#$%ing King with a guitar in his hands. What else do you need? That's just metal, pure and simple.
- Camera: Nikon D700
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/400
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 1600
- Focal Length: 32mm
Jane's Addiction @ The Pageant
This image of Perry Ferrell was made on Jane Addiction's tour opener for 2012. The photo pit was absolutely packed for this show and incredibly difficult to move in as I recall. For me, this one is all about the gesture and look on Perry's face. You can only imagine face of the ecstatic fan he's pointing at in this moment.
- Camera: Nikon D700
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/500
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 1600
- Focal Length: 32mm
Usher @ iHeartRadio Music Festival 2012
Again, I'm a bit of a sucker for wide shots showing fans reaching toward the stage. But more than that, this image captures the spectacle of the iHeartRadio Music Festival. The biggest artists and an absolutely killer stage production to match it, complete with a sold-out arena of music-crazed fans. Also, as a fun fact, that camera in the upper left of the image belongs to none other than Kevin Mazur, who is the founder of Wire Image.
- Camera: Nikon D800
- Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/250
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 3200
- Focal Length: 22mm
Skrillex @ The Rave
This last shot was made on January 1, 2012 around 2 AM at the Rave in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin during a special New Year's Eve set by Skrillex. The show was happening in the massive Eagle ballroom at the Rave, which is an absolutely cavernous space that was filled to the brim with party goers. For this shot, I went to the balcony opposite the stage and shot straight on. I wanted a tighter but still atmospheric shot of the crowd and waited until the stage lighting flared up to make this image.
- Camera: Nikon D700
- Lens: Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8
- Shutter Speed: 1/250
- Aperture: f/3.2
- ISO: 3200
- Focal Length: 200mm
End Notes
There you have it. Some of my favorite images from 2012. I say some, because invariably I'm sure I've forgotten some in the bowels of my PhotoShelter account. Hope you've enjoyed these images and have a great start to 2013. See ya'll in the new year.
