Hello blog, it’s been a while.
I didn’t have much time to post this summer because I was on the road for six weeks as the official tour photographer for Lilith (see my first post here). After a 12-year absence, Sarah McLachlan brought the music festival back for a summer run.
(Nikon D3, 70-200, ISO 1250, 1/160, f/4)
Sarah was the headliner, but there were up to 10 other female performers at every show. They rotated throughout the tour with some playing only one night while others – like Sheryl Crow – stayed with us for five or six dates.
(Nikon D3, 24-70, ISO 2500, 1/1000, f/4)
I shot over 63,000 images at 23 concerts across the United States and Canada. One of the prettiest venues was The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington state.
(Nikon D3, 24-70, ISO 500, 1/250, f/4)
In addition to making photos all day, I had to find a way to deal with those digital files. Different pictures had to be sent to various places every day (wire service, tour management, in-house use, email to staff, etc) and each set of photos required a different output resolution and watermark.
Thankfully, I use Apple’s Aperture to edit and tone my photos. On tour, its ‘smart albums’ feature was a lifesaver.
I applied keywords to the images as I edited, and Aperture automatically sorted them into separate folders. Then all I had to do was export the contents of any particular folder using my output presets (with designated resolution and watermarks), and I was done.
I also used Photoshelter extensively to deliver images to management and make off-site backups of my best photos. I used Photoshelter’s Aperture plug-in and rarely had to leave the program.
Here are a few of my favorite photos from Lilith 2010.
Nancy Wilson of Heart can still rock out.
(Nikon D3, 24-70, ISO 2500, 1/400, f/4)
I photographed Jenni Rivera’s mariachi band as they prepared to take the stage.
(Nikon D3, 24-70, ISO 800, 1/250, f/4)
Mary J. Blige stole the show with her rendition of “Stairway to Heaven.”
(Nikon D3, 70-200, ISO 2500, 1/250, f/4)
I made a “Ray Charles” shot of Sarah’s music director Vince Jones.
(Nikon D3, 70-200, ISO 200, 1/800, f/4)
Sarah was a blast to work with and was pretty comfortable with me backstage.
(Nikon D3, 24-70, ISO 2500, 1/30, f/4)
Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson posed for me before taking the stage.
(Nikon D3, 24-70, ISO 1600, 1/30, f/4)
I had a blast doing this tour and made a lot of new friends. I shot the crew photo on the last day by putting my camera on a tripod and triggering it with a Pocket Wizard wireless transmitter.
(Nikon D3, 24-70, ISO 2000, 1/250, f/5.6)
Next summer’s Lilith is already in the works, and I hope to be back out on the road with Sarah again.