Capturing the Night
Bill Burr Carnegie Hall photography from the performance that later became Live at Andrew’s House started as an assignment to document the entire night, not just the show itself.
In November 2011, I photographed Bill Burr at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
By that point, I’d already worked with Bill a few times. He didn’t just want coverage of the set — he wanted the whole night documented. Before the show. Backstage. Family. Everything around it. Assignments like this are some of my favorite parts of celebrity photography, because a lot of the story happens outside the spotlight.
His family was there, which made the night feel different right away.
The image used on the show poster is mine, and one of my favorite frames from the evening shows Bill walking from behind with his dad next to him. That wasn’t random — it was part of what he wanted remembered from the night.
Before the doors opened, I was free to photograph him anywhere in the building. Once the show started, though, access tightened up quickly.
When Bill Took the Stage
Once Bill hit the stage, I stayed in the back of the hall. That was the rule. Carnegie Hall is pretty strict once things are underway.
I worked with my Nikon D3 — still my favorite camera I’ve ever owned — and a rented 600mm lens. I don’t remember if it was an f/4 or f/2.8, only that renting it was the only way to make the distance work from where I was positioned.
Even though most people now know my work through Las Vegas event photography and corporate events, assignments like this show how much overlap there is between event coverage and celebrity photography, especially when documenting major performances.
At one point, I was escorted to a small viewing window built into the structure of the hall. It’s hidden and so low that you have to lie flat on the floor to see through it.
From there, the stage is completely unobstructed. No audience, no distractions, just a clean line to the performer. It’s clearly there for staff or authorized access rather than comfort.
I made three images from that position. It’s a view almost nobody ever gets inside Carnegie Hall, and it was worth the awkward position on the floor to capture it.
Before and After the Show
Bill was outstanding, exactly what everyone there came to see.
Afterward, there was an after party that I stayed for and photographed. I knew a lot of people there, so it didn’t feel like jumping to the next assignment. It felt like the natural wind-down of a big night.
When the images were later selected, everything ran in black and white, which suited the feel of the event and how it was ultimately presented.
The audio from this performance was later released as Live at Andrew’s House on vinyl, giving the night a life beyond just being another live show.
Bill Burr Carnegie Hall photography is still one of the celebrity performances I’m happiest to have documented.
