Stagecoach Day 1 – part 1 | ALAN HESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographing Stagecoach was all about making choices. There was no way to shoot all the bands, many times they overlapped and the distances between the stages made it tough, nearly impossible to get to everything. So what to shoot?

The first choice was between David Serby and the Dirt Poor Folklore on the Palomino stage and The Cleverlys on the Mustang stage. For me this was a coin toss since I really didn’t know either band but since these two stages were not that far apart, I figured I could get both by shooting and moving. So that’s what I did.

Then it was a quick jog over to see The Cleverlys. I arrived in time to see them perform a cover of the Black Eyed Peas song “I Got a Feeling”. It was interesting to see the audience reaction to a bluegrass version of this pop song.

Then it was decision time again… do I photograph Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real on the Palamino stage or stay at the Mustang stage and shoot the Gourds instead. I went over to shoot Lukas Nelson and am really glad I did since I am pretty sure he would be the only performer to play barefoot and leap into the air while playing guitar.

I was having so much fun shooting the Lukas Nelson set that I didn’t make it over to the Mustang stage to shoot The Gourds but it was time to get over tot he Mane stage for the first act of the day to start and for the first glimpse at what would be the tightest shooting conditions of the festival.

The first Mane stage act was Stealing Angels, a trio of singers made up of Caroline Cutbirth, Tayla Lynn and Jennifer Wayne. I won’t get into the details of the crowded pit and the very limited angles, but instead will just say that I am happy with what I got.