Eels @ Den Atelier
I have to say that I was amazed when I saw that the venue was sold out. Especially on a Sunday night with a big Music Festival and the yearly fair going on at a few km away. I guess that speaks for the Eels popularity around here.
I was however to be hugely disappointed (not musically) by the Eels. I was told (as were all the other photographers) that we had our regular 3 songs no flash routine, but we were thrown out of the pit after a minute or so into the show. And that for no apparent reason. On the way out of the pit somebody from their crew told us that we could take a few more pictures from within the crowd though if we wanted.
Now I do and always did respect the rules that management has laid out for us, sometimes it’s one song only, sometimes it’s from an elevated spot in the back of the venue, sometimes it’s even from the side of the stage and I don’t mind, the rules are the rules. But I don’t understand why photographers are allowed into the pit only to be asked to leave before their allocated time is over?
What happened then? Well by the time we were back in the crowd the second song was nearly over, I looked around took one picture and to be honest at that point I thought, well if they don’t want us in the pit they don’t want their pictures taken and I left (first time I’ve done that). Especially since there were ans who paid to be there who saw a bunch of photographers blocking their view.
The few pictures I was able to get can be seen in the flickr slideshow below:
Pale Obsession band promo shoot.
We had only 3 days to prepare the shoot, the location was only confirmed the afternoon of the shoot, some gear that we needed was still on it’s way from Germany, and this was our first band shoot ……. all these elements and the lack of precious sleep created quite a sense of pressure that day.
But in the end we’ve had a lot of fun, and the result was well worth the effort. The location was the Rockhal Club in Luxembourg/Belval and it’s entry hall which provided us with a total of 4 sets. For these sets we used quite some gear: 2 Canon 5d’s, 24-105F4L, 70-200F2.8L, 17-40F4L, 15mm F2.8 Fisheye, 3 Flashguns Elinchrom D-Lite 4′s and 2 continuous lights, 2 Elinchrom remote triggers, 1 Flash as a back light, reflectors and a fog machine (thanks guys), and some HLS’s ….. thanks Mick and Tania.
It turned out to be a great experience, the guys from Pale Obsession were great and very patient. We’ve had some trouble in finding the right light setup for the fog and I wish we’ve had one or two more flashguns for the more complex shots, but in the end there was nothing we couldn’t handle and by having to deal with the gear at hand made us learn some interesting stuff.
Check out Pale Obsession on iTunes, and keep your eyes open for the release of their new CD.
Make sure you check out the rest of the pictures on the slideshow below or here:
The Kooks @ Den Atelier
The Kooks performed before a packed Atelier last night. The indie rock band from Brighton made it to Luxembourg once more to the delight of their fans.
The show started off with stroboscopic effects, I was a bit afraid that it set the tone for what was to come. But it was only for a few seconds. The light was actually very nice, a lot of variation in colors, brights and darks. The pit was packed with photographers so movement was very restricted. I’ve photographed the whole 3 songs with the 28-75mm F2.8.
The rest of the pictures in the gallery here or in the slideshow below.
Daniel Balthasar @ Den Atelier
Daniel Balthasar opened up for The Kooks at the Atelier. It’s a local band that has made it’s name here in Luxembourg. Those who were not fans before they started probably are now if I believe what I’ve heard behind me in the pit. Visit them on their website.
The light was quite ok here, the only drawback was that I had the opportunity to go on stage to take my pictures, but the stage was so cramped that there was no point, movement would have been close to impossible. A whole part from the second song was lit with red spotlights which is not so nice. I used the 28-75mm F2.8 for all three songs.
You can see the rest of the pictures here or below in the slideshow.
Pink Martini @ The Rockhal
Pink Martini performed in a nearly sold out Rockhal (Club) last night. I was surprised by the stage when I got in the pit. Every square meter was used for some kind of instrument. Thomas Lauderdale won the crowd from the start by talking in Luxembourgish (yes we have our own language). China Forbes has a captivating charm that didn’t leave the fans unimpressed.
Photographically the concert was very “bright”. I dialled down to ISO 1000 for most of the pictures. The only issue was that the light was so bright on China Forbes that the background often plunged into dark blacks. Some of the band members were hidden behind instruments which made it impossible to get a proper photograph of them. The size and disposition of the stage made for some very nice Fisheye shots. I shot the whole three songs with the 70-200mm F2.8, 28-75mmF2.8 and Fisheye 15mm F2.8.
The rest of the pictures here or below.
Slash @ The Rockhal
Wow, …… what more can I say? Sometimes I find myself in the pit and tell myself: What a great job to do …. If someone would have told me 5 years ago that I would be photographing Slash at a concert I would have laughed out loud, but secretly I would be wishing it was true. Slash was terrific, he delivered a performance that will be remembered amongst those who attended for a very long time. Not to be missed is Myles Kennedy as the lead singer who delivered a very solid performance as well.
Photographically it was really hard to focus…. Myles and Slash both gave us a lot to photograph. Lighting was very variable but nice. The only really dark moments were when they ran to the edge of the stage on the left or right. I used the 28-75mm F2.8 only as it was not very easy to get a good composition with the 70-200mm F2.8 due to the monitors on stage that were blocking the view.
Enjoy the rest of the pics in the gallery or in the slideshow below.
Claudine Muno & The Luna Boots @ Fête de la musique
Claudine Muno & The Luna Boots are a quite famous local Band. They performed at the fête de la musique this year, which is a yearly music festival here in Luxembourg and France. They have have release two CD’s in the past.
I am not a big fan of photographing festivals, as the daylight takes away most of the atmosphere of the stage light. One the positive side you don’t have to fight with high ISO and slow shutter speed. I used the 70-200mm F2.8, 28/75mm F2.8 and the 15mm F2.8 Fisheye.
The rest of the pics in the gallery here, or in the slideshow below.
Bullet for my Valentine @ The Rockhal
It’s not the first time the welsh metalcore band stops in Luxembourg for their show. Their fans are numerous as the Rockhal was sold out for the event. The band has quite some history that goes back all the way to 1998. As I stated in a previous blog I am not a metalcore fan but I must say I kinda liked Bullet for my Valentine.
The light was good and diverse on this one. The stage was quite big and empty which made it tough for group compositions. The pit was quite narrow which made it difficult to move and the left part of the stage was not reachable for most of the three songs. I shot the show with the 70-200mm F2.8 and the 28-75mm F2.8.
The rest of the pics here, or in the slideshow below.
Rise Against @ Den Atelier
Rise Against kicked ass last night @ Den Atelier. The venue was sold out for weeks now and fans were eager to see Tim McIlrath and his guys from Chicago. They were fantastic on stage. By the time the played “Long forgotten sons” people were out of it.
Photographically it was ok. A mixture of blues, magentas and the dreaded reds. Some whites here and there. Security had a lot of work in the pit so that was a bit distracting. I shot the whole show with the 28-75mm F2.8. The stage was too busy for the fisheye and I was too close for the 70-200mm.
The rest of the pics here, or in the slideshow below.
Suicidal Tendencies @ The KuFa
I used to be a huge fan of Suicidal Tendencies but never saw them live. When I heard they were playing in Luxembourg I couldn’t wait to ask for a photo pass.
When I arrived at the venue yesterday I saw people playing basketball in the court. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I realized it was the band ……… they were having a game just like that, no security no restrictions. I asked for permission to take some pics and sure enough they had no problems with that. It was awesome …….
If you get achance go an watch them, take it. It’s well worth the money. They were full of energy and on top of their game. Guys if you read this: You are amazing!!!!!
Photographically it was a tough one, the light was dim with some brighter moments. The pit was divided in small spaces that you had to choose from in the begining and couldn’t move anymore afterwards. So it became quite a static session for us. The challenge here was to photograph Mike Muir, he kept on moving soooo fast around the stage, it made it really hard to get a sharp shot at 1/100th, F2.8 ISO 1600. Couldn’t go any faster without going up to ISO 3200, which I am not too fond of with my trusted 5D.
The rest of the pictures in the gallery or below in the flickr slideshow:
The Temper Trap @ Den Atelier
When I heard about this assignment I didn’t know the Australian band. It’s only when a friend send me the link to the video of “Sweet Disposition” that I got to know them. It’s a great video, if you haven’t seen it yet have a look at their website or youtube. Anyway, since then I was hooked and really looking forward to this concert.
Photographically it was a good mixture of lights. The show in itself was quite static which made it tough to make different compositions.
The rest of the pics here in the gallery or below in the flickr slideshow. Enjoy…..
36 Crazyfists @ Den Atelier
36 Crazyfists were part of the three bands that performed on Sunday. They were the first ones to start the show. I was impressed by seeing them close to the stage already well before the show began. They were talking to fans and signing autographs. When they were done with their show they all were amongst the fans, having a beer, talking, taking pictures with fans. I think that’s really impressive and sends out a positive message. Respect to them for that.
Lighting was rather dull, blues, magentas and reds. Quite dark too, but that’s the usual treatment with metal bands most of the time. I used the 28-75mm F2.8 only for this show. The pit was the biggest I’ve seen tough, it really left a lot of room for movement and composition.
As always the rest in the gallery here or below in the flickr slideshow.
Unearth @ Den Atelier
I can’t say that I am a metalcore fan, but when I see a show like the one performed yesterday by Unearth, I can see that change some time in the future. Unearth was founded in 1998 in Boston, so they’re not really new in the scene. In fact one of the show goers told me that Unearth was at the very beginning of the metalcore movement.
Photographically magnificent, they really gave me something to photograph, they even sometimes went as far as “announcing” their moves with small gestures. I had a blast photographing this concert.
The rest of the pics here or below in the flick gallery below:
Atreyu @ Den Atelier
Atreyu is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller. A very energetic band and a fantastic crowd made it a treat to be in the pit and take photographs.
Photographing this show was both: excellent and one of the toughest at the same time. Excellent because the guys were great, they gave their fans a show to remember and that’s always great to photograph. Tough because the light went from dark, I really mean dark, 0 light to very bright. I had to time my shots and hope for a nice pose when the lights were there. I shot the whole show with the 28-75mm F2.8 as I didn’t want to waste any time changing lenses.
The rest of the pictures below on flickr or in my gallery here.
Beatsteaks @ The Rockhal
Arnim, Thomas, Bernd , Peter and Torsten from the Beatsteaks sure feel at ease on stage, one could clearly see that. They delivered a solid performance at a sold out Rockhal last night. The crowd was mad for the guys from Berlin.
Lighting was really nice for once, a rich mixture of colours and a lot of white on the performers. Sadly it was one of those concerts where I was not able to move in the pit. It was only 50 cm deep on a length of maybe 7 m, which is not that bad, but there were 7 photographers in there and 5 security guys. That made is a bit crowded and hard to move. Basically I was able only to slightly move during the three songs. Movement was fast on stage and crowd interaction was plenty. I used my 28-75 mm F2.8 only for this one.
The rest in the gallery here.
Mika @ The Rockhal
It was a full house yesterday for Mika, and by the sounds of it, his fans were more than pleased with his performance. The stage as very well lit and very interesting. The opening in itself was …. special. I have to say, I was quite impressed by Mika and his crew.
The lighting was very bright and changed a lot. Not the most difficult situation to expose for. Mika moving around so much was more of a challenge. The stage was quite dynamic in itself which kept the backgrounds changing and interesting. The toughest part was not getting run over by the camera teams in the pit. There were 3 cameras on rails, and boy they really don’t care about anything else than filming the event……
The complete gallery can be seen below or a higher res version here.
Emily Loizeau @ den Atelier
Emily Loizeau is quite a famous french singer/songwriter. The stage setup was somewhat different than the usual, which made me curious. She used a kind of small construction to stand on, even though she’s not that small.
From a photographic point of view it was a bit dull. The lights were orange and constant except for some very few moments and there was not a lot movement on stage. The light was quite low as well which forced me to shoot at ISO 1600 all through the 3 songs. I used the 28-75mm F2.8 and the 15mm F2.8.
Rodrigo y Gabriela @ den Atelier
One of the reasons I like this job so much is that from time to time you get to see people like Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero perform on stage ( obviously to photograph them as well ). You could literally feel the passion of these two artists on stage. The crowd was hooked from the moment they started playing. To be honest, finding words to describe the show is near to impossible. If you get a chance to see them by all means, … don’t hesitate.
I was tempted to use the Fisheye for this show, but in the end I left it in the bag as there was no room to move around too much and the front of the stage with obstructed with gear. I used the 28-75mm F2.8 for the first two songs and switched to the 70-200mm F2.8 for the last song. The lighting was a mixture really, better than often at this location, but the variation and the speed of the artists were quite a challenge. You can see the rest of the pics by clicking here or below in the flickr slideshow.
Iswhat @ den Atelier
Iswhat was opening for Femi Kuti that night. The music is a kind of mixture between Hip Hop and Jazz. It’s a different kind of music of what I usually get to shoot here, but I liked it a lot. The crowd seemed to be pleased as well.
The light was ok on this one. It’s “den Atelier”, lighting is usually quite harsh there. When I arrived and saw the stage I was quite curious as it was very open with only a few mikes standing around. I used the 15mm F2.8 and 28-75mm F2.8 for these shots. The rest of the pics in the gallery here.
Femi Kuti & The positive force
I didn’t know much about Femi Kuti when I went to the show yesterday. But he’s one of these rare persons who has that something that makes you hold your breath and watch. The venue was quite packed and Femi Kuti & The positive force knew how to entertain.
From a photographic point of view it was a bit challenging. The front of the stage was full of instruments and microphone stands. The angles from which to photograph were very few. In addition to that the pit was very narrow and crowded. There was one part during the show where pure red was used as light, and that’s not really favorable for good pictures. I used the 15mm Fisheye and the 28-75 mm for his show.
Phoenix live @ the Atelier
Well this was one of the toughest Concerts I’ve had to photograph. The light was only extremes, very bright or really dark. The evening turned out to be a real challenge, which doesn’t mean that I didn’t have fun. The lead Thomas Mars caught the crowd from the first moment on. The whole band was all over the place give the fans a performance that was worth remembering.
With everybody moving so fast and the light being that extreme I didn’t have time to switch any objectives, which makes me rethink my position on a second camera body …….
I shot the whole concert with the 28-75 F2.8, but I wish I would have had the time to use the Fisheye on this one. But hey, … we’re here to learn from our mistakes, aren’t we?
As usual the watch the slideshow below for the rest of the pics of here for the full gallery.
EWS Band Promo
EWS (Everwaiting Serenade) was the first concert that I’ve shot. When I was done taking my pictures I really had big doubts. I was used shooting in the studio with controlled light and rather static subjects. The result was not as bad as I had feared and the band really enjoyed the shots.
Fastforward to last month, we’re in touch for a Band shoot. They were in dire need of some shots for various supports. It took us a month to find the correct location for the shoot. We decided for 3 locations and several sets at each.
The studio shoot was the first one. The Canon 5D was used along with the 24-105F4L, 70-200F2.8L and 50F1.8 lenses. Elinchrom flashes with a Beauty Dish and small 60×60 Softbox, a Walimex flash for the background or backlight depending on the setup. And finally some reflectors for fill light here and there.
The second location was the restaurant “Opium“, we’ve had an hour for our 3 sets so things went quite fast there. We were done in 35 minutes which allowed us to shoot a 4th set and squeeze some portrait shots in. Here we used a combination of Elinchrom strobes with a softbox and a beauty dish. The people at “Opium” were very nice and had a lot of patience. Shooting there was a blast.
Make sure you check out the rest of the pictures on the slideshow below or here:
Rickie Lee Jones @ Atelier
Rickie Lee Jones has been on stage for a while now, she seemed at easy and enjoyed performing. Rob Wasserman on the bass astonished everybody when he used a bow (violin) on his bass guitar. The sound was quite remarkable.
I used the 28-75 mm F2.8 only, as I thought I had one more song (she asked the photogs to leave after the first song. No idea what happened), for which I would have used the Fisheye. The lighting was quite dark and monotone, with yellows, blues and some reds.
Make sure you check out the rest of the pictures on the slideshow below or here:
Air @ Den Atelier
Sometimes concerts are really difficult to photograph, not because of the light but simply because all the shots that you get look too similar. It Could be due to the fact that the pit is cramped with photographers, or that you’re allocated a very small space somewhere around the stage, or like in this case where the light doesn’t change at all during the 3 songs that ar allocated to you and the performers don’t move too much.
Here’s one of the shots from the concert. I used the 28-75F2.8 only as the songs were very short and I didn’t want to waste time changing objectives.
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