Jae Jin is an incredibly talented artist and a good friend. Shooting photos of musicians has become a greater passion of mine since the pandemic. I’ve always loved going to shows and have even hosted quite a few live concerts at my house. These Big Deck Shows have been a challenge to continue in the midst of the Covid pandemic. So, I began connecting more to artists through photography and video wherever they are playing. This pic comes from a Sofar Baltimore concert where Jae performed at the Eubie Blake Cultural Center. Shooting concert photography can be frustrating when you don’t have control of lighting and often can’t even stand wherever you want to get the images you think might be best. I love this challenge...and hate it. It means trying to be discrete and creative. It also means you may get some crappy shots. For this photo, I was able to get to the side of the stage and hide behind a grand piano so I wouldn’t be a distraction. The lights overhead created a ton of shadows and uneven lighting. That said, it also created some unique highlights. This pic looks pretty good in color, but swapping to black and white and crushing the background yielded the best version of this photo in my opinion. The windows in the background seem out of place for a typical concert venue, but for the sake of this artistic shot, I think it bodes well to show an intriguing backdrop. What do you think? Feel free to comment or ask questions!
I also produced a music video for Jae in 2021 - check it out below.