Capping the metal Mayhem Fest, nu metal pioneers Korn stormed the main stage in what was one of the most challenging – and rewarding – sets of the day. Spastic lights, heavy thrashing, and a line of imposing monitors at the front of the stage meant press had to bring their A-game for this intense performance.
Photographer’s Notes:
I’ve seen some great live music images of Korn over the last several years, and I was excited to see what the band was about. A lot of the most memorable photos revolved around singer Jonathan Davis and the now signature mic stand that he uses. The polished metal stand features an H.R. Giger-esque female figure, and Davis uses the feature as a brace for his frequent headbanging.
Cameras Used:
Lenses Used:
Due a line of monitors at the front of the stage, this wasn’t a very wide-angle show in my opinion. I stuck mostly to the longer end of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 and used the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 for tighter framing. Overall, the new 70-200mm was great for this show, and really helped close the gap to Jonathan Davis and drummer Ray Luzier.
Overall, there was a ton of movement from Davis, so tracking and continuous AF were really important for this shoot.
In general, I’d say that Korn was probably second to Rob Zombie‘s performance in terms of technical challenges, but more rewarding in the fact that the light for Korn was much more dynamic. Lots of short-duration side and backlighting for this show, which made for great images – if you caught it. By comparison, shooting Five Finger Death Punch was a cakewalk.
End Notes:
Want more Mayhem? Check out the sets from Five Finger Death Punch and Lamb of God, and Rob Zombie.
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This entry was posted on Friday, August 6th, 2010 at 8:04 am and is filed under Music Photography and tagged with concert photography, festival, Fieldy, hard rock, heavy metal, James Shaffer, Jonathan Davis, korn, live, mayhem fest, metal, Munky, music, music photographer, music photography, photos, Ray Luzier, Reginald Arvizu, tour. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Just a heads up… the mic stand is not Giger-esque – it is Giger.
http://www.hrgiger.com/music/korn.htm
That’s even better. Thanks for the heads up!
The ambiance from the second shot is awesome! Are you anticipating and waiting for the stage lights to get into place?
Love the greeny-bluish-yellow ambiance in the second shot, Are you anticipating and waiting for the stage lights to get into place?
I would love to shoot Korn, even more after seeing your work. The fifth after cut is brilliant.
best thing about Korn is the Giger mic stand.
these are great, love the light! Jonathan Davis receding hair line… not so much! :)
Yes, the mic stand is pretty cool. Thanks for the comment!
Nice work, just weird crops on 5&7
Korn en photo sur isootshows :
http://bit.ly/cqoyxT #korn #photography
Photos of @Korn closing down Mayhem Fest 2010. The most challenging – & best – set of the fest! http://bit.ly/cMGLxa
RT @toddowyoung: Photos of @Korn closing down Mayhem Fest 2010. The most challenging – & best – set of the fest! http://bit.ly/cMGLxa
RT @toddowyoung: Photos of @Korn closing down Mayhem Fest 2010. The most challenging – & best – set of the fest! http://bit.ly/cMGLxa
I <3 inspiring concert photography: http://bit.ly/cMGLxa (via @toddowyoung) Almost wish I went to Mayhem after seeing some of these shots.
Don’t like ‘em, but I must admit they’re amazing.
Thanks for the comment, Adis.
Loving that first shot of Jonathan. It definitely captures the intensity and emotion that he sings with. I’m a big Korn fan (earlier work at least) and have seen them play in California a few years ago. I’d love to shoot them one day. Great job here Todd, really diggin these photos.
Awesome pictures. Great read. I was really excited to shoot KoRn (have always liked this band very much, especially as a young teenager), but it looks like I won’t be able to make it back to the States in time for the show in Florida. You’re a maestro behind the lens, Todd.
Hey Todd,
nice set. I’ve seen Korn a few times (never shot their show, though) and I know how the lights might get. They are always a challenging band to shoot but you nailed it awesomely.
Especially like the drummer shots.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hey Daniel,
Yeah, the lights were crazy for Korn – very challenging, but overall so good that it didn’t matter. When they were up, no matter how short, they looked great. If you could catch them, that is.
Thanks!