Preview: Janelle Monáe @ The Pageant

Don't be fooled by this image – you'll have to read the exposure to appreciate how dark the stage really was.

Here's a preview shot of Janelle Monáe's stunning performance last night at the Pageant. Technically, Monáe was supporting Of Montreal, but frankly, I think she stole the show. Which, for anyone who's seen Of Montreal in the last few years, is no easy task.

Photographer's Notes:

Janelle is simply a firecracker of a performer. As great as she is of a subject, she's not without her challenges. Namely, a good deal of movement. For a production with spotlights, this is no problem, but for opener-lighting with nothing but the house rig, things are far from a technical idea.

Enter the fast prime.

Cameras Used:

Lenses Used:

The Nikon 85mm f/1.4 was a lifesaver for this show. I shot this image at 1/125 at f/1.4 at ISO 3200. If you want to translate to an f/2.8 zoom like the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8, you're talking either using ISO 12,800, knocking your shutter speed down to 1/30, or something in between.

Needless to say, it was a Janelle received a dim treatment, but the beautiful new 85mm lit up the stage.

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