Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – Concert Shoot

Macklemore is the stage name of Ben Haggerty, who along with his producer Ryan Lewis is one of the biggest things out right now. They brought their high energy show to The Valley View Casino Center in San Diego on December 5, 2013 and I was there to capture it.

The show started with a set by Big K.R.I.T also known as Justin Scott. The energy was good with a nice mix of lighting. Nothing really special but a nice way to start off a shoot.

Next up was Talib Kweli who had one of those backdrops that I was just drawn to. I tried to position myself to get both the performer and the backdrop in the same image.

Then it was time for the main event. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis allowed us to shoot the 2nd and 3rd song of their set. It was incredibly frustrating to have to stay off to the side during the opening number as I could see the photos in my mind as Macklemore stalked, jumped and ran around the stage. Finally it was time to shoot. There are some shoots where you hope to have a little space between you and stage during to the height of the stage. The Macklemore stage was high (not as high as the Jay Z stage I would have to deal with 2 nights later) so the angles were difficult.It was easier to shoot off to the sides.