Crystal Castles @ Webster Hall, NYC, 10/23/08

Canadian electro-duo Crystal Castles (Alice Glass and Ethan Kath), named after the popular 80s role-playing game, was CMJ’s surprise superstar act in 2007. They made a return to the festival this year as the headliner for a sold-out show at Webster Hall and it was absolutely crazy, both to witness and to shoot. Shows at Webster Hall are always a challenge because there is rarely, if ever, a barricade set up for photographers, so we’re usually dodging the crowd the entire time we’re working. One advantage, though: even though they tell you it’s the standard first three songs, no one’s paying attention, so you can generally shoot the entire show. Tip: make friends with the security guards. If they like you, they’ll let you shoot from roped-off areas, etc. This also tends to work at Terminal 5, too.

I started out the show about three rows back, house stage right, but the moment Alice came out, the crowd went wild. There were photographers everywhere, the floor was thumping along with the beat, Alice is everywhere at once, and I was pressed so tightly against my neighbors that it was nearly impossible for me to shoot. My first two shots here were taken in the midst of the chaos before I retreated. I was worried about my equipment, so I backed off, noting that there were several photographers shooting from the stage itself. I checked for special credentials, which none of them had, and started to look for my in.

It wasn’t long before I was perched atop one of the massive speakers permanently settled on either side of the stage, where people usually set their bags for safekeeping. I shot the entire show this way, shocked that no one came to yell at me or shine a flashlight in my eyes to get me back on level with the rest of the crowd. This elevated me just enough that I could [mostly] get all of the cameras and waving arms out of my shots—unless I wanted them there. I also no longer ran the risk of damage to my equipment or, secondarily, my person via flying elbows and alcohol.

My set-up was, again, very basic: I had my Canon Digital Rebel XTi set on aperture priority (f/2.8) and I switched back and forth between my Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens and the Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8. A note on the Tamron: a nice third-party lens. The photos are pretty sharp, but the lens is slow—didn’t work so well for a show like this, where something crazy is happening every moment. If you’ve got the funds, go for the Canon L series equivalent (which costs about four times what the Tamron does). I almost always shoot manually, but this show was too crazy-go-nuts for that, and the aperture priority setting proved useful. The lights were synched with the music, which means one thing: way too much strobe. Occasionally, the tech would hit Alice with a nice blue wash, but not often. Then again, as I mentioned, she was everywhere—stage left, stage right, in the crowd. Who could keep up with her?

While it was a difficult show to shoot, it was a ton of fun. There were times when I had to stop shooting to dance with abandon. Even better, I’m pleased with my results. They’re always better when you really have to work for them.

Citizens Band @ Spiegeltent, NYC, 9/8/08

The Citizens Band is a modern cabaret act with a revolving door of cast members, including well-known performers, in addition to some exceptionally talented circus acts. The troupe hit New York’s Spiegeltent at South Street Sea Port’s Pier 17 with their sixth original production, The Panic is On. This particular show, a political satire, featured aerialist Chelsea Bacon; Nina Persson (of the Cardigans & A-Camp fame); Craig Wedren (Shudder to Think); and a special performance by Amanda Palmer (formerly of the Dresden Dolls).

If you don’t know much about Spiegeltent, it is, quite literally, a circus tent (a seasonal venue, obviously). Given that, it’s beautiful inside, and the lighting is amazing. I shot from a stationary position in the tent, about two rows back from the stage and on the aisle, which provided a clear, open space for shooting. This particular show was interactive, with the characters moving around the audience, which made it simultaneously both easier and more difficult to shoot. More on that later.

My setup was pretty basic. I used my trusty Canon Digital Rebel XTi and switched back and forth between my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II and Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lenses. I’m almost solely a manual shooter, so I try to keep my settings such that I really only have to change the shutter speed along with the lighting cues. I set my ISO at 800, as it was nice, theatrical lighting and bright enough that I could avoid the noise of a 1600 ISO setting. I kept my aperture at f/2.8 so as not to reduce my depth of field too much, especially since I had a whole room to capture, as opposed to one area of a stage. I shoot RAW, so I left the white balance on auto. Temperature changes are easy enough in post-production that I don’t find it necessary to adjust too much while shooting unless things start looking wonky in my viewfinder.

There was a lot going on here. Players center stage, hanging from the ceiling, to the side, and behind. This allowed for some interesting visuals. I tend to like to move around a bit and alter my angles, try to see things from a more artful perspective while still maintaining a journalistic approach for whichever publication I happen to be shooting for. I was glued to my seat, however, so the movement was helpful. Sadly, I lost a lot of shots when some of the performers got too close. I remember what would have been an especially nice shot of Amanda Palmer walking down the aisle, away from the stage. The particular lenses I was working with are less than optimal when your subject is standing less than five feet from your face. Alas, maybe it’s time to ask Santa for a nice, wide prime.

Overall, as you’ll see below, I got some really nice shots. The only time I found myself really frustrated was during the contortionists’ performance, which was straight-up lit through and through with red. I was dissatisfied with every one of those shots. Oh well. Here’s some of the good stuff, with specs attached.