Butch Walker – singer-songwriter extraordinaire, genius producer, and Nikon shooter – what’s not to love?

Photographer’s Notes:

I always find spotlights a mixed blessing in a club setting, and particularly at the Pageant, where the background effects are often too weak – or simply non-existent – to register in the exposure. Such was the case for much of Butch Walker’s set.

Luckily, there were enough flare-ups in the accents that a little careful timing brought home a more “curated”capture of the evenings lighting. You can read more about my approach to this sort of shooting in my “Concert Photography: Timing” article.

Butch Walker was set back about two meters from the edge of the stage, so I covered this one mostly with the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 and the longer end of the 24-70mm f/2.8.

I kept the exposure locked around 1/250 and f/2.8 between ISO 1600 and 2500.

End Notes:

Butch Walker is a rockstar. And yes, he really does shoot Nikon. A man after my own heart.

The first day of Lollapalooza 2008 kicked off the three-day festival with a powerhouse lineup, including Gogol Bordello, the Raconteurs, the Go! Team, and Cat Power, not to mention heavyweights Radiohead. Here are a few highlights from the day.

Black Lips:

The Go! Team:

Butch Walker:

Duffy:

Cat Power:

The Raconteurs:

Gogol Bordello:

Radiohead:

Photographer’s Notes:

Day one of Lolla was a great experience with a ton of great bands to kick off the festival. While everyone shooting was looking forward to Radiohead, acts like Gogol Bordello and the Go! Team energized photogs in the pit with their high octane performances.

Due to the height of the main stages, I used the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 almost exclusively for those performances. I’d say that a Nikon or Canon 70-200mm lens was among the most popular choices for concert photographers, and with good reason.

If you haven’t already, check out the Lollapalooza 2008 Report and the dedicated set for Radiohead.