LARRY THE CABLE GUY- 'Tailgate Party' Tour Sanford Center, Bemidji, MN

This was quite possibly the most difficult shoot to date.  I was allowed 2 minutes by the tour manager to get the shots I needed.  This would have been fine, because Larry doesn't exactly jump around stage, and move from one end to the other, unfortunately the tour manager did not allow me to get even close to the stage.  My 80-200 lens did not measure up to the distance I was allowed to shoot which was approximately 500 ft from the stage.  Had I known, it would have been this far back, I would have brought a 400mm which would have been more than adequate for the job.  The images that I was able to get from that far back did not resonate a good feeling for presenting to an editor, but it is what it is!  With that said, here are the images, lesson learned, be prepared! Before the show just outside the green room, I was able to visit with Larry, AKA Dan Whitney, and you would be surprised the guy doesn't even have an accent he speaks normal, and is the most personable guy I have met to date who is in the entertainment business! Thanks for the laughs Dan, even before Larry took over!

 

Katharine McPhee Mall of America, Bloomington, MN

The only thing missing from this show were the people! Not sure if word didn't get out, but they missed out on a great performance from American Idol runner-up, Katharine McPhee, who performed to fans, in the Best Buy Rotunda at the Mall of America.  Lighting was very good for this shoot so I was able to get by with an ISO of 800, and shutter speed of 300-400.  The only barrier I had to deal with is some people standing in the very front, and if I was to go in front of them, I would have to kneel down, and the result would be some very unflattering shots right up Katharine's nose. The 80-200 was more than adequate for this shoot as my best images were taken standing back of the line. I was allowed to shoot the first 3 songs of her performance.

 

 

 

Maroon 5 'Hands All Over' Tour- Shooting Star Event Center, Mahnomen, MN

This was an interesting shoot with the aspect that, the night before, Maroon 5 performed at the Target Center in Minneapolis, and now, tonight they sold out the Shooting Star Event Center.  It's not very common for larger groups to play, smaller venues, however, with that said, that didn't seem to affect M5's performance none-the-less, as the energy in Adam Levine, and band was certainly there!  I was equipped with my 80-200 which proved to be my lense of choice for this shoot.  The Event Center does not have a photo pit, so you pretty much shoot where ever you can, even if it means blocking someones view for a few seconds of shots.  I will admit, I was a bit more bold, standing in front taking shots of the group, this time, and sometimes kneeling down.  The lighting for the group wasn't too hard to follow, as it seemed to repeat for most songs, one spot on Adam, and stage lights for the band.  ISO was 1600 and shutter speed right around 125-200. I was allowed to shoot for the first 3 songs.

 

LORETTA LYNN- Shooting Star Event Center, Mahnomen, MN

What an absolute honor it was to photograph country music legend, Loretta Lynn. She certainly has more energy than anyone I know that is her age! This shoot was one of the more relaxed shows that I have been to in awhile, don't get me wrong, hyper fans jumping around make for great shots, but its nice to get a break from that sometimes, and Loretta's show was a breath of fresh air.  Once again, the event center does not have a photo pit, so I knelt down for most of this shoot.  I was allowed to shoot the first 2 songs, opening for Loretta were her twin daughters, Peggy and Patsy.  I shot a majority of this show, with my 80-200 at an ISO of 1600 shutter speeds were right around 100-120, due to limited lighting, one spot on Loretta and the Lynns.

 

 

 

SAMMY KERSHAW - Shooting Star Event Center, Mahnomen, MN

Country Star Sammy Kershaw performed at the Shooting Star Casino, as part of a series of holiday concerts, in the midwest. At the beginning of the show, Sam's Tour Manager, Greg was very accommodating. He gave me access to the meet and greet and was just an awesome guy to work with! I wish all tour managers were like him!  Anyway- this shoot was fairly simple, although I was surprised to learn that I would only be allowed to shoot the first 2 songs, apparently Sam sweats a little, and they wanted to make sure he appeared his best in my shots.  Since there is no pit I had to kneel down for the majority of the shoot.  There were a few times where I did stand up, but that was minimal at best.  I understand that people pay good money to see these shows, and Sammy, and I do respect that, and I don't think my slight intrusion at the beginning of the show interfered too much with their enjoyment. ISO was at 1600 with shutter speeds around 300-400 as this was well lit from the stage lights and spot on Sam, however there were times I dropped down to a shutter of 100 as well.