PlayinDead Concert Photography

Commissioned Shoot: East West Church

For a slight change in my standard posts about concert photography this entry is about a commissioned shoot that I completed a few weeks back. The request was to have several portrait style group and individual shots as well as live performance shots of a Christian rock band. The rock band was preparing for an upcoming show and the shoot would take place at the East West Church in Marietta, GA.



Going into the shoot I really had no idea what to expect. I was working with people who I had never met and people who had only heard of me via a fellow photographer’s reference. On top of it all the main request was not to use flash. This was a little scary being that I had not seen the venue and was reliant on my contacts word that plenty of lighting would be available.

When I arrived, I was clearly taken back by the site in front of me. It was obvious that this shoot would be highly productive when I saw that there was a massive stage, a variety of lighting equipment, a smoke machine, and even an elevated drum kit. I was also relieved at my decision to rent a wide angle / mid range lens for the event. Specifically for this shoot, I picked out the Nikon 17-55 f2.8 which is well known for its clarity and high performance. Without this lens the shoot may have been a bust but with it I got some amazing photographs.

In addition to getting tons of great shots with the new lens, I also enjoyed the band. I am far from being a fan of Christian rock and was highly skeptical about the talent of the band members, but I was wrong. Each member of this band is gifted and their passion for music is evident in the photographs.