This is the third time I’ve shot Cavalry, and each time they get better and better. Really, I don’t know what else to say. I see so many bands, that it’s hard to keep my attention, but they definitely do.
They’re releasing their debut CD with a CD release show at Debonair on August 13th, so if you’re in Chicago, you need to go. You have no reason not to – the show is free. Check their Myspace for more details.
Shooting Notes
Angels and Kings has a small stage. A VERY small stage. Honestly, I don’t know how all five guys managed to fit on the stage. So, since the stage was so small, I had two issues – it was hard to isolate individual performers for a shot, and I was getting a lot of shadows, since everyone was so close to each other. The stage is a good height though, probably around three feet. High enough to get the band up a bit, but low enough to not get the “up-the-nose” look.
The lighting – well, it was steady, and it was white. I should count my blessings. It could have been red. It is an LED rig on the ceiling, right above the stage. There is no back or side lighting, so the light is pretty flat. Also, since there were just a few lights, it was easy for the band to keep moving in and out of light, or half of the performer to be lit, and half in the dark. But, like I said, at least it was steady – I didn’t have to worry too much about changing exposures.
I shot with the 16-35mm a lot. Since the stage was so small, everyone was on the edge of the stage, so I got to play with some distortion. Besides, with the great energy of the band, especially Collin, they really warrant the 16-35 for full body shots. Other than that, my ISO was on the high end – between 4000 and 6400, with the shutter speed usually around 1/125. The fisheye also came out for this set for a song.
