Shaman's Harvest opened for Alice in Chains September 1, playing a short acoustic set for the full house at the Pageant. The band played at the very front of the stage, in front of the drawn curtain, which made for tight angles with the Nikon 50mm f/1.4.
Shooting slightly down-stage, as opposed to right under the musicians, helped compress the scene in the above shot and create a flatter perspective.
Overall, this was the sort of set where the lighting was simultaneously harsh and dim at the same time, creating deep contrasts in illumination while still necessitating fast glass. The high position of the lighting was a large contributor to this effect, as was its distance. In this second shot, the contrasty light works to the advantage of capturing lead singer Nathan Hunt's pose, emphasizing his upturned face.
In this last image, the drumhead is actually acting as a reflector to tame the contrasts and create a little fill on drummer Craig Wingate's face.
These images are all made with the D2x at ISO 1600 using the Nikon 50mm f/1.4. Thanks to the constant lighting, the exposure for all images is consistent at f/1.6 and 1/160 second.
