Photographing the iHeartRadio Music Festival

 

I was back for the 5th 2015 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas recently and once again had the opportunity to photograph many of the biggest names in the music industry.  Being in the same venue, with a similar stage setup to previous years meant I had to come with a fresh approach to something I knew pretty well.  That said, you never know what an artist is going to do and where they’ll do it onstage (or off!).

This year I shot the festival with lenses and bodies that were different from last year.  I used 2 Nikon D750 camera bodies and just two lenses; the 24-120 f/4 and the brand new 300 f/4.  The setup worked well in all situations, and with the amazing low-er light capabilities of the cameras, I had all the dynamic range I needed to shoot fast.  I was lighter on my feet and had more stamina than in past years since I wasn’t being weighed down by my equipment.

There were some amazing amazing performances.  Hard to say who my favorite was/were.  From a band’s perspective I loved Coldplay the most, followed by J Lo in performance, with a close second by Puff Daddy.  Biggest surprise performance for me was no doubt Kanye West.  I’d seen him before but never with this much legitimate artistic passion.  He actually smiled and had fun on stage, which really surprised me.

I did notice one thing in particular that I always seem to miss – the dancing.  This year I thought the dancing was particularly off the hook, especially J Lo’s dancers, Jason Derulo’s, as well as Trey Songz.  Amazing and off the charts great!!!

Here are some of my favorite images from the shows.  Both nights were great, with fantastic lineups!  Sam Smith, Coldplay, Kenny Chesney, Jason Derulo, Lil Wayne, Demi Lovato

 

Sam Smith  Coldplay  Kenny Chesney  Jason Derulo  Demi Lovato  Duran Duran  Lil Wayne  David Guetta  Disclosure  The Killers  Kanye West