Photos: Interpol @ The Pageant
Three words come to mind for Interpol’s stage treatment at their Pageant show: Moody. Dark. Perfect.
Photographer’s Notes:
Cameras Used:
Lenses Used:
It might sound like an oxymoron, but Interpol like their lights dark. I’m almost surprised they didn’t use blacklights.
Lots of deep blue washes for this set. When one color dominates a treatment, exposure can be a huge challenge, and for more reasons than just the technical.
For me, exposure with live music photography isn’t necessarily about capturing the ambient conditions as they were observed. If that were the case, there wouldn’t be all that much to look at in these photos.
What I find most important, more than strict adherence, is producing an exposure that best portrays the band. This means straying from a technically accurate exposure of the light and tweaking the color balance as needed.
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Photos: Interpol @ The Pageant: Three words come to mind for Interpol’s stage treatment at their Pageant show: Moody… http://goo.gl/fb/2m5Df
Only the darkest light will do for @Interpol – A strangely perfect fit, too. Photos: http://ishootshows.com/2011/02/16/photos…
@toddowyoung Nice! You should shoot in low light more often.
RT @toddowyoung: Only the darkest light will do for @Interpol – A strangely perfect fit, too. Photos: http://ishootshows.com/2011/02/16/photos…
Hey Todd,
Great shots as usual! I am shooting them tonight and I have to admit that what you were saying is pretty scary…
Would you have any particular advice for someone like me who does not own a super-fabulous camera? I am actually working with Canon T1i, which isnt a great camera at all…
Nice play on the the spotlights!
Thanks, Melly!
Totally agree. Having seen them probably 30+ times and shot them 4, you need to embrace the darkness. I got lucky on my last shoot. Their music fits the lighting and you just have to work with it. There is color. If they played in brighter lights, it wouldn’t fit their style at all. At least Paul doesn’t wear shades ;o)
Hey Debi,
Thanks for the comment. 30+ times, I think that must put you in an elite bracket of Interpol fans.
Embracing the darkness is definitely must for interpol and similar bands who prefer moody lighting. The Strokes & Julian Casablancas come to mind as another set that are notorious for their dim stage treatments.
What do you think about black & white shots from shows? Especially, the ones that are created post production.
I think B&W is all up to personal taste. If that’s your style and vision, go for it.
Personally, I prefer color most of the time for my own live music photography work.
I’m torn. I like color best, but it seems like b & W can help improve the shot when the lighting is poor. I feel like I am cheating when I convert to B & W
Photos: Interpol @ The Pageant http://bit.ly/hiHsYA
Photos: Interpol @ The Pageant http://bit.ly/hiHsYA
Do you do a lot of post processing??
Hey Christine,
Generally, no – I don’t do a lot of post processing. Most of the time when I’m using Lightroom 3, I’ll adjust exposure and white balance if necessary, and that’s it. Tweaks take a matter of seconds.
Only the darkest light will do for @Interpol – A strangely perfect fit, too. Photos: http://bit.ly/fD089t
Worked out well :) RT @toddowyoung Only the darkest light will do for @Interpol – A strangely perfect fit, too. Photos: http://bit.ly/fD089t
“For me, exposure with live music photography isn’t necessarily about capturing the ambient conditions as they were observed. If that were the case, there wouldn’t be all that much to look at in these photos.
What I find most important, more than strict adherence, is producing an exposure that best portrays the band. This means straying from a technically accurate exposure of the light and tweaking the color balance as needed.”
I would absolutely love to see a whole post on this topic. I personally strive to capture the atmosphere in the shots and therefore typically do not lighten exposure much except to create publishable photos when necessary. I’d like to hear more about your philosophy and how you’ve come to cultivate it since I enjoy your pictures.
Hey Rebecca,
Good comment and suggestion. Will definitely try to do an article on this in the future.
RT @toddowyoung: Only the darkest light will do for @Interpol – A strangely perfect fit, too. Photos: http://bit.ly/fD089t
St. Louis Photographer, Todd Owyoung took some fab shots of JHA Endorsed artist Interpol last night. http://fb.me/V5m4mZNb
Great work! Thanks for publishing it.
The high-ISO surely were handy!
Thanks very much. Yes, the high ISO was essential for this shoot. Notoriously dark “lighting” for these guys.
What settings did you use for this show?
RT @JHAudio: St. Louis Photographer, Todd Owyoung took some fab shots of JHA Endorsed artist Interpol last night. http://fb.me/V5m4mZNb
Todd,
As always, another great set of pics. I particularly dig everything about the first guitarist shot: great back light, nice catch light in both eyes, slight hand blur. Epic.
Hey Jay, thanks very much. That first shot is my favorite, too – something that just worked out for an unusual shot of Dan. Thanks again for the comment.