You've all seen the warnings or have even been stopped at a venue for having recording devices or video cameras. And we all know what hassle bringing a tripod can be. On Friday February 5 in downtown Phoenix, I went to the George Strait, Reba, and Lee Ann Womack concert, and with available light managed to grab a few nice photos.
My main camera is the Canon 7D, but that can be bulky and hard to use in a large crowd. So I brought my trusted backup, the Canon SD950IS instead. It fit in a nice little Lowepro pouch that attaches to my belt. You know, many of these little pocket cameras can take video too, which is a no no at these events. So far, nobody has given me a hassle about that.
Obviously, the biggest challenge in photographing these events is light.. or lack of it. PLUS, the colors change all the time. And you get unexpected light flashes from various sources that can mess up any photograph. I use Lightroom to edit and still find I have to toss many as just too grainy or blurry. I did the best I could steadying shots, but many were not useable. I found that the reddish lights on stage gave me the sharpest photos and the white light gave me the worst photos.
I love country music so I came in expected to be pleased. And I was. Lee Ann Womack is still got it. Reba is.. well, simply terrific. Reba and Lee Ann did a duet which the crowd really responded to. And the star of the show, George Strait, is cowboy cool. Love that black hat for some reason. The show started on time at 7pm and got out at 11:30pm. As with all country events I've ever attended, the shows start on time, the performers give their all, and nobody leaves feeling cheated. And the country audiences are the nicest people you'll ever want to meet. Years ago I thought I was too cool for country until I saw all the pretty cowgirls that show up at these events. Oh the music is great too!
Enjoy my photos!
Jim Patterson
