March 1st, 2013

Buckle up for a double first! My first ever concert coincided with my first attempt at concert photography; at the electrifying Lindsey Stirling show at the House of Blues, New Orleans. Talk about baptism by fire (or should I say, bass)! I was 20 feet from the stage, which promised epic photos (and a test of my eardrums, thanks to the speakers). Needless to say, the night was unforgettable – one that left me buzzing with excitement and (hopefully) some phenomenal concert shots!

The lights dimmed and the crowd went silent, and I quickly became concerned that I hadn’t thought this through properly. My camera is a Nikon D40, with two standard kit lenses, an 18-55mm and a 55-200mm. To top it off, the lowest aperture is 3.5. Still, the anticipation of the crowd (including myself) hung in the air. And then, a silhouette emerged, violin in hand, bathed in a spotlight. The audience roared to life, erupting as Lindsey Stirling launched into her opening piece. I was swept away, since, like I said, this was my first concert and I wasn’t expecting the crowd to go wild like they did. I have to say though, from the very first note, I felt like this wasn’t just a concert; it was an experience. Her energy was electric, coursing through her music and captivating every single person in the venue. The first few shots (which I didn’t save, although in hindsight I wish I had so I could have shown some examples of my mistakes) were…dark. I could barely see anything, and I’m very glad I had the presence of mind to take a look at what I was shooting after maybe ten or so. My heart immediately sank, but I figured I needed to at least make an effort, or I couldn’t in good conscience call myself a photographer. So I lowered the aperture as low as it would go, raised the ISO to 1000, and tried again. These shots came out much better, as you can see:

Feeling much better about myself, I was able to focus on the rest of the concert and just take some shots every now and then. Something that stood out to me was the sheer joy she resonated as she performed – Lindsey wasn’t just performing; it felt like she was living through the notes she played. Watching her, you felt the passion that resonated through the notes into the audience, and you knew there was no place else she would rather be than on that stage, performing for us. She put her heart and soul into her music and that energy and fire was contagious. You could practically feel her love for music and dance radiating from her, and we reflected that right back at her.

The concert itself felt like a kaleidoscope of sound and light. Lindsey’s masterful violin work and dancing went alongside booming bass and pounding drums, winding through a variety of genres. One moment she’d be shredding a dubstep inspired melody, the next, gliding through a beautiful ballad. All the while executing brilliant choreography that has always amazed me, especially as I have two left feet. The stage pulsed with life. It was a almost overwhelming, but in the best way possible.

It’s one thing to see her play on Youtube, who knows how many takes someone can do, and how much of what you’re seeing is accomplished in editing. To see her live however, is breathtaking because there are no cameras, no redos, and no post editing. She had to be on top of it, and she was. It reminded me all over again why she was taking the internet by storm. It was a night I will always remember, and I’m grateful that I was able to go. If you’ve attended one of her concerts, comment and let me know what your favorite part was!