Tarja Turunen @ Paviljonki, Jyväskylä Finland

[kmb]

Guys, sorry about the flood... But I'm not posting nearly every concert here anyway. I'm curretly shooting at a pace of 2-3 evengings per week (on a good week that means 4-6 bands).

Anyway, Tarja Turunen (http://www.tarjaturunen.com) is best known as the former singer of Nightwish (http://www.nightwish.com/en/news). This was a sort of christmas song tour. You can listen to samples from her album here: http://www.universalmusic.fi/tarjamicrosite/eng/album.php
Click "Album" and then the play-buttons under "Henkäys ikuisuudesta".

1
http://kuvat.huumakuva.net/albums/userpics/10002/_MG_9546.jpg

2
http://kuvat.huumakuva.net/albums/userpics/10002/_MG_9573.jpg

3
http://kuvat.huumakuva.net/albums/userpics/10002/_MG_9597%7E0.jpg

4
http://kuvat.huumakuva.net/albums/userpics/10002/_MG_9636.jpg

5
http://kuvat.huumakuva.net/albums/userpics/10002/_MG_9469.jpg

6
http://kuvat.huumakuva.net/albums/userpics/10002/_MG_9600.jpg

[sam walker]

Heippa Kalle nice shots very atmospheric.
Sam

[johnstoy]

Grand Piano's totally rule...anytime, anywhere...

Very, Very good presentation here KMB...

The accentuation by the stage lights and your creativity to capture the moments is very professional...

She certainly is a looker, too...

Thanks for the glimpse into some of your Christmas stuff...

[rab_cilbup]

Excellent shots, but good god woman, what have you done to your hair ? ;-)

Heard a rumour that she was going to host next year's Eurovision Song Contest as it'll be held in Finland after Lordi wiped the floor with the competition this year, but I don't think it's true.

Am a big Nightwish fan btw, will be interesting to see how they get on without her, they've auditioned quite a few replacements while recording the new album apparently.

[René Damkot]

Very nice. Pity about the sheet music on the piano in #5 and the mic in the last.
So, where do these photos go? Magazine?
You are certainly getting to a very high level over the last few months...

[johnstoy]

Excellent shots, but good god woman, what have you done to your hair ? ;-)

Definately the hair...just figured it was one of those "I'll wear this hair style this one time only" moment...cause it's so 60 ish...

Very nice. Pity about the sheet music on the piano in #5 and the mic in the last.
So, where do these photos go? Magazine?
You are certainly getting to a very high level over the last few months...

Wait ,there is even more sheet music on the floor...but gotta admit again...number 5 is great with both hands out...Love it...

[René Damkot]

Wait ,there is even more sheet music on the floor...

In both cases, I was reffering to faces being covered. Almost unavoidable, but I hate when that happens.

[johnstoy]

In both cases, I was reffering to faces being covered. Almost unavoidable, but I hate when that happens.


I never left sheet music around...no sheet music was used in the final rehearsals either, and absolutely none in the actual musical shows, ever...

[kmb]

Very nice. Pity about the sheet music on the piano in #5 and the mic in the last.
So, where do these photos go? Magazine?
You are certainly getting to a very high level over the last few months...

Thanks. By "high level" do you mean quality or the performers? :)
Not sure if these will go to any magazine yet. They'll be used on one music magazine's web site (not getting paid for that), and I know that another magazine is going to do a story of her on a later number, but I'm not sure if they'll need the photos. I also offered these photos to a largish (comparatively - nothing is quite large in Finland) news paper whose main location is Jyväskylä, they phoned me today (I linked the pictures after I processed them during last night), and wanted to clarify whether they could use the pictures for free. I told them no. For me, that's rather unprofessional of them. Either offer a fair compensation or don't use them at all. Unlike some small/UG music magazines here, they're a company whose primary intent is to make money...

I didn't quite get why she was using a "headset" microphone in some songs and a normal one in others. I guess it is just some sort of stylistic choice, and made the show a bit more diverse. As you can see, the normal mics have colors matching to her outfit.

The shoot was challenging because I wanted to make sure my photography would annoy the audience as little as possible. I spent a lot of time waiting for the music to get loud enought to cover the sound of the mirror slap. This then caused a lot of pictures where she basically looks like, well, a fish (not critiquing her looks, just that any singer with classical background will look in a frozen picture a bit silly if it's taken at a wrong moment - that would be the photographer's fault). I also could move very little except between the songs, because most of the time I was literally in the middle of the audience who was sitting down. Another tough task was to try to get something light behind her, because I have a strong dislike for pictures where dark hair blends into dark background (and I did take a lot of bad pictures in this respect because I just can't really "translate" what I see to what the camera sees - as you know, eyes see some 13 (?) stops of levels of light, and digital camera only 5-7).

Anyway, I didn't get a close-up of her that I could be really happy - I consider the first picture a bit dodgy - not just a very interesting concert picture (meaning that if it's interesting, it's because of her beauty, not because of the photographer's skills).

[René Damkot]

Thanks. By "high level" do you mean quality or the performers? :)

Both. But I guess these two come with each other ;)


Not sure if these will go to any magazine yet. They'll be used on one music magazine's web site (not getting paid for that),

I'm kinda 'double' on that myself; I charge larger bands for web images, small (local) bands not. Surprisingly, bands don't seem to understand we are in this to make money :rolleyes:
I tend to gravitate more to the 'no pay, no images' side lately. Frankly I'm getting a bit fed up by this 'why should we pay if we didn't ask you to take pictures' attitude.
If they ask nicely, I can be flexible, otherwise they can pay.
(Anybody know a 'usual rate' for web galleries?)

and wanted to clarify whether they could use the pictures for free. I told them no. For me, that's rather unprofessional of them. Either offer a fair compensation or don't use them at all. Unlike some small/UG music magazines here, they're a company whose primary intent is to make money...
Very unprofessional, yet happens a lot. I've had two (free) music magazines use images without stating my name, asking or paying. When contacting them, one never bothered to answer my email, others said 'sorry, won't happen again, but sorry, no rectification and/or payment'. I couldn't be bothered to make a big issue out of it, but that was the moment I decided to watermark each and every image that goes on the net, unless I get paid for them.


I didn't quite get why she was using a "headset" microphone in some songs and a normal one in others. I guess it is just some sort of stylistic choice, and made the show a bit more diverse. As you can see, the normal mics have colors matching to her outfit.

Hadn't noticed that. Nice touch....

I spent a lot of time waiting for the music to get loud enought to cover the sound of the mirror slap.

Thats when I set the 1D2 to delayed, silent, transport. (Or whatever it's called)

This then caused a lot of pictures where she basically looks like, well, a fish (not critiquing her looks, just that any singer with classical background will look in a frozen picture a bit silly if it's taken at a wrong moment - that would be the photographer's fault). I also could move very little except between the songs, because most of the time I was literally in the middle of the audience who was sitting down. Another tough task was to try to get something light behind her, because I have a strong dislike for pictures where dark hair blends into dark background (and I did take a lot of bad pictures in this respect because I just can't really "translate" what I see to what the camera sees - as you know, eyes see some 13 (?) stops of levels of light, and digital camera only 5-7).

You did quite well with that (#2, 3, 5, 6)
About the moving around: I took images of Welle: Erdball last weekend. Atak was sold out. I couldn't move either, unless I wanted to be a nuisance to the audience. I did bother the audience for about 2 songs, after that the 80-200L got a lot of use that night....
I think you need to be aware of the audience while you are shooting, and try to be, but sometimes you just can't...
So I think that if I would have been there, the mirror would have been heard a few times.... (That is a nice way to impose a '3 song rule' on yourself IMO; absolutely don't be a distraction after 3 songs ;))

I consider the first picture a bit dodgy - not just a very interesting concert picture (meaning that if it's interesting, it's because of her beauty, not because of the photographer's skills).
True.
Not much to do about that.

[DwightMcCann]

Rene, will you stop with these "Pity that ...." comments? I look at the images, am totally blown away impressed, then I read your comments, go back and look, and the damn images just aren't so stunning when I see the deficiencies you point out!!! Please only do this on my posts!!! I am kidding, of course, since I fell in love with the first image (with the girl, not the image) and you can't take that away from me. :-) Grand stuff, K!

[rab_cilbup]

Watch out for her husband Dwight, he's a nutter ;-)

[DwightMcCann]

Watch out for her husband Dwight, he's a nutter ;-)
There is no husband in my fantasies!;)

[René Damkot]

Rene, will you stop with these "Pity that ...." comments?
Sorry, can't help it. ;)
I look at my own pics that way too. Helps me improve :cool:
I figure it's more use then just post 'cool picture'...

[kmb]

I also offered these photos to a largish (comparatively - nothing is quite large in Finland) news paper whose main location is Jyväskylä, they phoned me today (I linked the pictures after I processed them during last night), and wanted to clarify whether they could use the pictures for free. I told them no. For me, that's rather unprofessional of them. Either offer a fair compensation or don't use them at all. Unlike some small/UG music magazines here, they're a company whose primary intent is to make money...

Well, those pictures didn't get sold to that newspaper, but today I got a call that they wanted to start using me as a freelancer phtographer in the future (specifically for concerts and the like), and got two gigs for this week, the next being Scandinavian Hunks (you can guess what sort of performance that is...). Oh well, what wouldn't I do for money... The compensation isn't anything special, but pretty ok, I guess.

[DwightMcCann]

Sorry, can't help it. ;)
I look at my own pics that way too. Helps me improve :cool:
I figure it's more use then just post 'cool picture'...
I hope I was clear that I was not suggesting you stop but rather that your comments are excellent and noting they have a certain "style" to them. Oh, please, continue to make these observations ... you have changed several things that I now do such as removing my UV filter when shooting concerts. Sheesh, I always thought Fins had the best sense of humor! :rolleyes:

[René Damkot]

Sheesh, I always thought Fins had the best sense of humor! :rolleyes:

Who are you calling a Fin?
Dutch overhere. :lol:


Yeah, you were clear.
Just wanted to clarify myself, so others who don't know me longer, understood ;)

No way I'm gonna stop commenting, I like to give my opinions :D

[kmb]

Sheesh, I always thought Fins had the best sense of humor! :rolleyes:

The evidence shows otherwise; Finns really like "Late night with Conan O'Brien" ;)

[DwightMcCann]

The evidence shows otherwise; Finns really like "Late night with Conan O'Brien" ;)

Let's you and him fight! :cool: