The Back to My Roots Tour

The Back to My Roots Tour, as I am labeling it, has led me out of retirement and back into the local music scene. Well, sort of. For this go round, rather than me being on the stage and performing, I am in the crowd, camera in hand, documenting the nights groups for the web based music review site Speak Into My Good Eye. A big thanks to Chris and Mike for bring me on board. I have been introduced to some great bands, met some fantastic people and witnessed some of the frenzy that has reemerged in the Asbury Park, NJ music scene.

If you are familiar with me, you may know that I shoot with a Canon 7D which is not the greatest camera when it comes to low light captures. Night clubs/bars are small and the lighting is less than stellar for photographs. Red Wash is a bitch. Many, if not most of the other photographers I have shot with have used flash. So to be different, I did not. I did not to a point of stubbornness. This resulted in some very soft images. Yes, I overshot a bunch in order to get the right combination of red/green/purple/blue/yellow lights in the image to satisfy my desires and I tried not to take the easy way out and just convert them to b/w unless they really screamed convert me!

Some of my favorites from July’s shows:

There came a point sometime in the later part of September in the main club I shoot at that they changed their front lights and gelled them. I had to break down and start using a flash to compensate. Even though I have a Rogue Grid attached to retain some of the color depth on stage, I still am very hesitant with using a supplemental light source due to the effects it has on the performers. The ones I have spoken to say they do not even notice but stealth mode is no longer possible. The good thing about it is that I am shooting 50% less than I did without a flash. And color wash is not as big of a concern. Trials and tribulations.

I have never been all that comfortable with on camera flash, much prefer having them off camera. Maybe one day when I am not the new guy on the scene anymore I will be able to set a few up around and on the stage and really create some drama. A 5DIII is not anywhere in my near future but how I would relish the chance shooting at 6400 iso without a worry at all.

Some shots using flash: