Closing out twenty-years as the best-selling musical duo of any genre, Brooks & Dunn rocked the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in a big farewell show on the Last Rodeo Tour. The day of the show, I received an email from fellow music photographer Chris Bradshaw that gave me a tip-off that made some great images possible.
Before the shooting notes, I present to you “Hillbilly Deluxe”:
Photographer's Notes:
So, what was the tip that Chris gave me? Simple: Head out to the end of the thrust.
There isn't a proper photo pit for this show, so photographers are basically mixed in with the fans. The Last Rodeo Tour, like many country music tours, employs a short catwalk right into the crowd. Chris mentioned that he'd seen the tour photographer head out there, so he booked it out there as well while all the other press were lined up along the stage.
I took Chris's tip to heart, and all I can say is, it was a fantastic suggestion.
While Kix Brooks hangs on the stage for the two alloted songs, Ronnie Dunn comes out onto the thrust during the second song and basically performs there for the entire song. What this meant was really fantastic, close-up access to the singer. And, since the B-stage at the end of the thrust was lower and free of lights or any monitors, it was great for shooting.
Cameras Used:
Lenses Used:
For this show, the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 was essential, as I was out at the end of the thrust for the first song, while Brooks & Dunn performed on the main stage for the first song.
It's only at the end of the first song that I switched to the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 the for my main shooting of Ronnie Dunn, and these lenses were key.
End Notes:
BIG thanks to Chris Bradshaw for the tip. If you saw my images from Green Day in 2009, Chris is the same guy who very generously sent me an email with his shooting notes for that show as well (check out Chris's notes at the end of the Green Day post, they're very detailed). Both times, Chris has sent me shooting notes for concerts completely unsolicited, and it's something that I greatly appreciate it.
If I'm ever shooting a tour that you've already shot and want to send me tips, I'd graciously accept them. Thanks again, Chris!
Questions or comments? Leave a comment below, and let me know what you thought of the images.
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