Concert, Festival, Photography

Vanden Plas Acoustic @ Progpower USA XII

One of the many great things about the annual Progpower USA festival is the unique performances that often surround the event. Progpower USA XII in 2011 was no different as Germany’s Vanden Plas performed an intimate acoustic set in the afternoon of the festivals final day featuring Vanden Plas originals and some of the bands favorite covers including Locomotive Breath (Jethro Tull), Boat on the river (Styx), Music Was My First Love (John Miles), Father, Far Off Grace, How Many Tears, and Holes in the Sky.

Photography Notes:

The set was performed in “The Loft” portion of the Center Stage complex during the afternoon. The Loft features a minimal stage lighting setup of tungsten cans whose age shows in their significant “warmth” from a color balanced perspective. Outside windows run the length of the room stage left and allowed the sun to compete with the stage lighting. While I normally do not shoot live music in black and white, the uniqueness and mood of the performance commanded it.

Shooting was a challenge as the packed room was without a pit and the acoustic delivery and small stage warranted a more subtle approach to coverage. Given such, I positioned myself largely on stage left and right, just out of audience view and waiting for moments to capture the overall feel of the sets delivery. Shooting duties fell to a single Nikon D700 shared by the Nikon 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8. Exposures came in about 1/40 F2.8 ISO12800.

Allen Ross Thomas is an Atlanta, Ga based music industry photographer available for concert, promotional, portrait, and editorial coverage for local bands, national tours, multi-day festivals, and international music events.

Tagged: Progpower USA XII, Vanden Plas

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1. Vanden Plas @ Progpower USA XII
2. Labyrinth @ Progpower USA XII
3. Darkwater @ Progpower USA XII
4. Therion @ Progpower USA XII
5. Haken @ Progpower USA XII

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