Everyone has a shiny new dream item that they want. It could be a car, an instrument, a watch, or maybe even a pair of shoes. For me, it was the Canon R6 MkII. Almost every photographer can relate to something we call ‘Gear Acquisition Syndrome’ (or more jokingly referred to as GAS), which is just the constant desire to buy more gear. Most of the time, these are just wants, but for me, it was a borderline necessity.
I had purchased a Canon T7I back in college as a film student, and I had been shooting on that for about five years, and I started to get to the point where my creative style was exceeding the limits of what my old camera could do. As a live music photographer, I am constantly battling with moving subjects as well as harsh everchanging lighting. After a couple years of developing my own style, I had gotten to the point where my T7I just couldn’t handle the stages I was shooting with the settings I wanted to use, and everything came out super grainy and I was having focusing issues. Every now and then, there would be a picture that came out great, but they were becoming increasingly few and far between, so I decided to save up and make the upgrade and take my craft to the next level.
Once I had saved up and purchased the R6 MkII along with a RF24-70mm F2.8L IS USM lens, I immediately noticed the upgrade in quality. I won’t go into detail about all the different specs because you would be reading this for quite a while, but the 24.2 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor allowed me to capture vastly more detail than the T7I, and the continuous shooting speed of the R6 MkII is almost double that of the T7I, allowing me to capture up to 12 frames a second mechanically, and even up to 40 frames a second using the electronic shutter. These two upgrades alone have just about negated any technological issues I was having before, freeing me to capture and create the way I want to.
One of the most thrilling aspects of concert photography is the fact that you can’t carefully orchestrate and capture your shots. Sure, you can talk with the performers before the show and plan out some things for them to do that would make a great picture, but there is no guarantee that it will turn out the way you wanted it to. Almost every shot you take is reactionary, so you have to always be watching and stay ready to capture the perfect moment when it arises.
I have spent over two years with the band I shoot for most- a rock band called Council Ring- so I have learned the mannerisms of the performers, so I know when to be watching as well as when to pre-shoot in order to capture the moment. The high speed continuous plus feature on the R6 MkII allows me to never miss the moment. Being able to capture up to forty frames per second, I am able to go back and select very precise moments. My main goal with concert photography is to capture unique moments on stage that really encapsulate the persona of each artist as well as to provide memories that bands can look back on fondly and remember the great times they've had on stage.
My favorite way to do this was developing my own style instead of trying to imitate that "professional" look that you see all over your Instagram feeds (there is nothing wrong with that style, I just wanted to try something different). I developed a style that heavily relies on the juxtaposition between dark backgrounds and bright, popping colors. Giving someone a product that is unique compared to what they usually see and hearing how much they appreciate it is one of the most fulfilling feelings I've experienced.
I could go on and on about all the different features and why I appreciate each of them so much, but the ones I have highlighted are definitely the standouts that continue to amaze me each time I use my new camera. I can fully lean into my bright, colorful, and crisp style of photography. I can finally use my lens filters without overloading the sensor. I can finally work the way I want to, and both my clients and myself have never been happier with my work.
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