Page 53 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2023 Digital Edition

Capturing

Blues Magic

Marilyn Stringer. Photo by Joe Cantrell

By Mark Thompson Many blues fans probably think that shooting photos is a
There are four key elements to any successful blues festival glamorous way to experience festivals. That outlook quickly
– the producer, the musicians, the audience and the volunteers dissipates once you learn that the photographers generally
who make the event happen. There is another ever-present group, pay for their own travel expenses and hotel rooms. They have
small though it may be – the photographers. From their vantage to apply for the coveted photo pass, which gives them the
point in front of the stage, the photographers at every blues access they need to get up close to the stage. The pass may
festival do their best to capture the fleeting highlight moments, include a ticket for the event. If not, it becomes one more item
creating a visual montage that allows blues fans around the of expense, along with food and beverages. Upon returning
world the opportunity to experience the festival, whether they home, the non-stop editing and posting continues.
were there or not. Developing the skills to be in the top ranks of music
Go to enough blues festivals and you will begin to notice photographers takes years of attending live events, learning
some familiar faces in the photo pits. Laura Carbone usually the patience required to be ready for those magical moments,
can be found at up to 20 festivals and music cruises in a suffering through trial and error as you learn how to adjust
typical year. Other photographers whose work has been your camera for various lighting conditions, and perfecting
featured in the Blues Festival Guide, like Marilyn Stringer, Jim the appropriate use of each camera lens.
Hartzell and Rick Lewis, are out there shooting 8-10 fests a The digital age has revolutionized photography, making it
year, in addition to local venues when the blues come to town. possible to shoot hundreds of pictures, knowing that you don’t
Two photographers with decades of experience, Joe Rosen have to pay for processing costs as with cameras that use film.
and Bob Hakins, stay closer to home on opposite coasts. You simply download the images from a weekend of shooting
Their festival presence may not be as pronounced but, like a festival onto your computer, then start looking for the gems
their fellow photographers, they attend hundreds of musical that quickly catch your eye.
performances annually. Hakins has been known to shoot up Digital cameras are also faster, creating images with
to five separate events in a given day. sharper focus and finely detailed color. Of course, the best
Collectively, their work has been featured in every major digital options can cost thousands of dollars, plus the cost
blues publication, in advertising and promotion for blues of a variety of lenses and an assortment of editing software,
festivals and music cruises, on the packaging for hundreds of making blues photography an expensive hobby. The latest
CD releases, in artist press releases, and all over social media. advancement, the mirrorless camera, offers a lighter, smaller
Much of the time, their efforts garner little, if any, financial body with faster speed due to simpler mechanics, plus it
compensation. Their pictures are truly their expression of love allows you to shoot quietly in more intimate settings, like a
for the art form and the artists who make the musical magic. classical music concert hall.

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