I wish everyone in the world could have been at the Toshi Reagon and Big Lovely concert at the Freight and Salvage on May 6, 2017. The power, the wisdom, the love, the creative energy is hard to express in words. I guess that is why I am a photographer. But honestly, that is not so easy either. Every live concert shoot has a deliberate approach. Some more challenging than others.
This concert had a very intricate strategy, and I often felt like I needed 3 cameras rather than 2 hanging over me. With 2 cameras and 6 lenses, I never quite felt like I had the right lens attached to the cameras. Not wanting to miss a beat of this performance, I hesitated to change a lens. Could I adequately depict the masterful energy that went into performing this show? Would I be where I needed to be to show the love, the conscious political heart? I could not sit close to the stage because I would miss the power of so many women on stage (9-10). So, how could I gently get to the stage to show their beautiful faces? Would a long lens be fast enough in low light and stop the action to yield sharp images.
I usually plan my strategy before the show so I can think about it as little as possible during the show. You see, I don’t really like to take pictures. I work hard to be able to receive them. I pay extreme attention to the energy in the room and then, I open to it. Sometimes I even feel like a musician moving with the rhythm of the evening. I am nowhere else when the camera is in my hands. I watch every muscle, every blink, every highlighted expression, every opening, and yes, even every microphone stand, water bottle, and glaring white towel. I anticipate the energy as best I can, and this one kept me on my toes.
At one point the audience jumped to their feet for a long ovation. That was my cue. I wiggled my way to the very front and felt the glory of Big Lovely an arm’s length away. This group had an exquisite way of giving each other energy, support and attention. So, in a blink of an eye, Toshi was on the other end of the stage giving energy to Juliette. I looked up the aisle and knew there was no way I could go around the back of the hall. So, I ran behind the stage arriving just in time to edge my lens between performers and wait only seconds before Toshi was singing in 4th gear. Then, I ran back to stage left just in time to open my lens to Marcelle reaching for the mic, looking upward like she was happy to see her ancestors were enjoying the show.
So, you see, the phrase “taking a picture” doesn’t come close to describing what I do as “house photographer” at the wonderful Freight & Salvage. I stay as open as I can and receive the energy, and in this case that energy was a very high form of power, wisdom, love, and creativity.
After the concert, I stood alone shaking my head in disbelief of the brilliant performance we all had just been gifted. On the way home I wondered if the images would live up to Toshi Reagon and Big Lovely’s virtuosity of spirit. All in all, I am happy with the photos, but the bar was set pretty darn high. I hope you see them with their true intention…to pass on to you Big Lovely’s “Big Love and enormous talent.”
I will be writing more about “live performance photography” in future posts. See more live shots on my Live Performance page.
© Irene Young 2017
