You realize you were at exactly the right place at exactly the right time doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing? I just did!
A friend of ours posted on Facebook he was hosting an event at a local bar, Maximum Capacity in Chicopee, Massachusetts to introduce a new musical act he was working with, "The Shady Experience". I asked if he wouldn't mind if I shot some pictures there to gain some experience. He said he would not mind so I then began to do some research on how to shoot a band at a bar type venue. This was on a Tuesday and the "gig" was Friday.
While doing my research I came to the conclusion that I needed a different lens to capture the images I needed with the light I was most likely going to be working with. Again, back to the web I went and found a used Nikon AF-S 50mm f1.8 lens on a website and ordered it with expedited shipping so I could have it for my shoot. In the meantime I continued to pour over articles on how to shoot concerts, how to shoot in low light, how to shoot with your eyes closed or any information on the subject. I tried to soak up as much info as I could in those 4 days.
Thursday comes. Our friend has a VIP event that night which we can not make it to at the same venue and his sister posts some cell phone pictures of the event. I stumble upon the pictures and immediately become horrified. There are 3 five foot tall by eight feet long LED light walls on stage that the performers will be in front of! This was going to be harder than I thought.
Now it is Friday, that was quick, about 4:00PM and no lens. I tracked the shipment and the lens is in Chicopee but I can not get it. It arrived too late to be sorted and won't be sorted until 2:00AM. Great! Now I have to scramble. The lenses I have are not really that great for low light situations. My wife suggested Hunts Photo so after whining like a baby I gave them a call and they had the lens I was looking for. I packed up Rylee and took off for Hunts. On the trip there, we rounded a corner in Holyoke to see a fire engine pull out in front of me followed by another. The drove about half a city block and and stopped and blocked the road. Great! We circumnavigated the scene and proceeded to the shop. I finally had the lens I needed in hand. We started driving back home and once again rounded a corner to heavy traffic in a spot where there is never traffic. We finally round a corner and I was able to see a car accident blocking two lanes of traffic. More delays! We eventually got home and I had time to snap off two pictures with the new lens. I packed and off I went.
I got to Maximum Capacity for the sound checks and was able to get some good pictures of "The Shady Experience" before the lighting went to crap.
When the lights finally went down the "JDX Band" a Bob Marley tribute came on.
This was the time. Everything fell into place. I was able to get some amazing shots showing the singers emotions and it was at that moment I realized photography is for me. I had been told I have a "good eye", my images are good but this was the space in time where I realized for myself that this is what I need to do. It was actually a very moving and emotional experience for me. I now know what I want to be when I grow up! Life is funny sometimes.
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Walt Disney
As always, thanks for reading.
E
Kappy's Keeperrs
Hi Erik. Your images are pretty nice. Do you protect them with a water mark so they can't be reproduced without your permission? Just wondering. You've said more in this blog than I can ever remember you saying for the 20+ years I've known you!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteSome of my images I do watermark but I am looking to get my stuff out there.
It's easier for me to write than to speak my thoughts. Writing in a Blog, for me is almost like being anonymous but not really.