Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are one band who I've always seen interesting images of, with a feast or famine mentality to the lighting design. Though the band did have some color to their lighting design, the overall takeaway was nearly monochromatic, thanks to the use of programmable spots blasting white light from the back and sides of the stage.
In fact, looking back, photographing Black Rebel Motorcycle Club almost felt like a slow-motion version of photographing the Dillinger Escape Plan. You know, without the screaming, climbing, and backflips.
Photographer's Notes:
For me, this concert was all about problem solving, and particularly with regard to knowing when to shoot and when to hold back. This is a common issue with any concert to a degree, but I think that BRMC definitely proved a special challenge.
Timing was a huge factor for this shoot, as the light was constantly changing as the moving spots washed over the stage. To make clean shots of the faces of the members, a lot of patience was required.
Having never photographed Black Rebel Motorcycle Club before, I only had a good guess at what the lighting would be like. I was fearing full-on strobes, but luckily the lighting moved at a much more reasonable pace. Still, with roving spots and a majority of the show taking place in relative darkness, there were plenty of challenges for this gig.
In the end, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 did a great job for the ranges needed for this assignment.
