∴Live from the Island∴

I normally don’t take on last minute photoshoots. In my experience the stress of it outweighs the benefits, and it’s often suggestive of something having gone wrong in the preparation stage that I’ll be in line to contend with. But when a friend reached out last week asking if I was free to shoot a show the following night on an island in Seoul’s Han River, I could see he needed a hand. There’d been a miscommunication with the J-pop band he’d booked to tour Korea, and it turned out there’d be no one to cover the performance.

That’s how I ended up sandwiched between about 500 people and Hitsujibungaku. When shooting live music, you’re usually allowed 2 to 3 songs in front of the stage. Many of the best photos will come from this little window, because they’re more intimate for their proximity to the musicians and you’re better poised to follow the action. The thing is, I’m about 6’3’’. This means that if I were to stand normally I’d be blocking many of the typically shorter Korean audience members, and a distraction for the rest. So for the first few songs of every show I shoot, I’m working from a half-squat I can’t break. It’s murder on the thighs.

The band had one request: a group photo from the stage after the encore.¹ I’ve seen bands do this but I’d never actually done it myself. I’m kind of shy in front of crowds. My role as the Pumpkin Ghost when I was a teacher shamefully gave me nightmares in the lead up to the big day.² I got the signal (“You can go take the photo now”) amidst the crowd’s cheers (for everyone on the stage except me) and I strode into a sea of faces…

…with 3 cameras on like a nerd because I had nowhere to put down the extras in the rush.

Here are some selects from the show. I hope you like them!

Cheers,

Chris

1. An encore here is factored in to the set list. It’s not a plea for the band to return, so much as a chummy chance for the audience to go through the motions. It is to invitation what canned-laughter is to mirth.

2. I was sharing the stage with 7-year-old ESL kids and I was the one stressing. My English was at least as good as theirs.