My first concert shoot of 2015 was at the Carlsbad Village Theatre where I photographed Cody Lovaas and his band. From a photography point of view, this was not an easy show as the theatre was rather dark with uneven LED lights most pointing up at the band from the front of the stage. I spent the show shooting between ISO 3200 and 6400 at f/2.8.
The stage is also quite low, and there is no photo pit at all. I spent the show trying to work some forward angles without getting in the way of the crowd. That meant using the aisles and the areas off to the side of the stage.
The show started with set by Caitlin Elizabeth Evanson who did double duty as not only the opener but also as part of the band. She has a fantastic voice, the songs are catchy, and her stage presence is great.
Cody took the stage alone to start his show and brought out the band members as he took the audience on a trip through his relatively short history. You have to keep reminding yourself that he is just starting out because his voice, music and demeanor will lead you to believe that he has been doing this for a long time.
All photos taken with Nikon D4 and D750 bodies and the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses.
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