Mmmm, Bacon

Shutter: 1/500, Aperture: f/2.8, Lens: 70-200mm, ISO: 1600

I’m now one step away from Kevin Bacon, so I can win that Six Degrees game. The Bacon Brothers were at the Birchmere in Alexandria VA last week and I got up and personal to get some pics. This was my first time at the Birchmere, it’s a dinner-theater style seating arrangement, and it presented its own challenges. This is one of my favorite concert portraits now. I love how the spotlights are casting such an unusual shadow and crazy colors, but it’s still unmistakably Kevin Bacon. A ton more pics below.

You’ve read my posts where I complain about too much red spotlight at some venues. Here is an instance where the red really works. I love the depth, and that the red isn’t blowing out all the detail and tones. I also like Kevin’s peculiar expression. I searched all of my shots to see if I captured a photo of him looking directly at me, but I don’t think I did. I think this is the closest I got.

I switched to my 50mm lens however I didn’t crank all the way down to f/1.4 for this particular shot. I like the edge lighting, plus the colored light on Kevin’s face, as well as the beams from the spot light in the background. I like the dynamic energy in it. There was no photo pit, and the stage was only about a foot off the ground, so I primarily used my 70-200mm to get zoomed in from the aisles, but for some shots I crept up and crouched low to the ground to get some with my 50mm. In a perfect scenario, I’d be in a pit, just below the stage and only need my 50mm, and the 15mm fisheye for one or two wide shots. Between the opener and the main event, I scouted out the best 4 or 5 spots I’d want to shoot from. I stood there for a second and then turned around to see who would be seated right behind me. I approached these people and let them know I could only shoot the first three songs, and that I’d only be in their way for 20 seconds at a time. I like to shoot and then run to the next spot, especially when the clock is ticking. And if you remember one thing on site, it’s to get a variety of distances, angles and vantage points.

One of the big rules of shooting a concert is to not focus soley on the lead singer. Don’t forget the drummer they say. So I tried to get everyone, the problem was those pictures were just not that interesting, and let’s be honest, the people checking out my pics of the Bacon Brothers, are not clicking on the images of the rest of the band. So I was sure to get a few pics, but it was not one of my primary objectives, especially since I only had three songs to shoot. Here is the other Bacon Brother, Michael, I loved the lighting on this one. One thing to note, he’s pretty washed out in blue. I don’t know if I’m considering all the other photos I’ve taken, but if I had to choose, I’d much rather the person be washed out in blue than red.

I love all of the expressions Kevin was making during my shoot. He had an incredible command of the stage and was just having a great time. The audience responded well to his laid-back, yet energetic persona. Does that sound contradictory? He was easy going and goofy, yet not so much that you’d roll your eyes (like you would at a kids’ concert). It was perfect. When going through your photo selections, picking which ones to include, the ones with great expressions and body movement are going to stand out. You want a connection with the viewer, and the best way to capture that energy and movement is with the best expressions. Luckily Kevin gave me a lot to work with.

This was my first time at the Birchmere, and like any place, it has it’s pros and cons. The lighting and stage layout were great, their lighting was exactly what I needed. There was a wheelchair ramp near the back that allowed me to get a faux backstage view of Kevin facing the audience. I wasn’t quite backstage, but behind them enough to get that look. The seating is all at tables, so everyone is eating dinner and drinking during the event. The stage is only a foot or two off the ground, since everyone is seated. This gives the performance a more intimate jam-session type feel, but makes it a bit more difficult to get photos from way up close, but I managed to make do. The only other issue I encountered was because all of the seats were at tables, and the show was sold out, the venue had no seats to offer me. This meant after the third song, I had to literally leave the venue and go home. I would have loved to stand in the corner and appreciate the rest of the show, but its per their policy. In the future, I may be able to swing a ticket from the performer, or from the venue if they’re not all sold out. But this was something I had not encountered before.

I was lucky to get into this show, and absolutely loved it. If you look at all the acts I’ve shot pictures of, Kevin Bacon is the one guy everyone has heard of, and needed no footnote. I was pleasantly surprised with both the music and his stage presence, and I had a really difficult time narrowing down my photo choices. You can see my favorites below, but here are the top nine now in my portfolio. I really did enjoy the show, if I have the opportunity to go and get tickets in the future, its definitely on my list.