Chaka Khan at the Chumash Casino Resort [Large Images Warning]

[DwightMcCann]

I have an agreement to shot entertainment at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, which allows me to publish the images I take, so you will see something from me here every week or two. Chaka Khan's show was really magnificent. She is clearly world class and really didn't need that sound system for her voice, which hasn't lost anything! With that said, here we go:

http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/ChakaKhan-1000/CK4241-1000.jpg

http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/ChakaKhan-1000/CK4274-1000.jpg

http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/ChakaKhan-1000/CK4404-1000.jpg

http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/ChakaKhan-1000/CK4542-1000.jpg

http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/ChakaKhan-1000/CK4229-1000.jpg

Hope this isn't overkill. There are several more at my website, here (http://www.dwightmccann.com/ChumashCasinoResort/ChakaKhan.htm).

[aam1234]

Great pics, can't wait to see more.

[wintoid]

On a technical level, great shots. On an artistic level, you really captured her. I love Chaka Khan :D

[DwightMcCann]

Win, thank you very much. This venue usually makes getting technically good shots possible, but Chaka is one hell of a performer and still has everything she ever had, and more.

[d'homme]

Thank you Thank You .. I luv Chaka!!!!!

[DwightMcCann]

The Man, you are certainly welcome. Feel free to copy them for personal use ... just don't sell 'em! :-)

[EricKonieczny]

Hey Dwight, Thanks for the feeback on my shots and your shots are nice and crisp. It is nice to see good lighting in a stage peformance but still have it dark in the background

It looks like you used your 70-200 IS most likely. Did you use you 1.4 extender with it at all? You were definetly in good position for the shots.


As for the wide angle shots, were you in a aisle or someplace else?


Like you asked, since I didn't have monopod , did you use one? I need to buy on and try it.

[DwightMcCann]

Eric, yes, the lighting at the Chumash Casino is superb ... $750K! Yes, I used the 70-200 and sometimes with a 1.4 and even a 2.0, but don't remember off the top of my head what I used here ... probably both combinations. For the wider shots at Chaka Khan I just walked backwards up the main isle during the third song until their tour security touched my shoulder and said, "You're done, sir." Very polite and appropriate ... I had actually lost track of songs since I don't hear anything when I'm shooting.

I have, but have not used, a monopod! :-) The lighting at the casino is good enough that I don't think I need one. At the Maverick (see my website) there usually isn't room to use one ... I often sit in empty chairs, on the front of the stage, stand in the way back (which isn't nearly so far back as at the casino) and it is usually crowded. I guess I should post some images from the Maverick Saloon Project here, although they are nothing compared with the casino shots. Actually, I would love to have some feedback on improving them so I'll see what I can do about posting the Deana Carter concert I just shot Saturday.

A big thanks for taking the time to look at these. I'm really open to ideas, suggestions, alternate angles, etc.

I'm working on picking up a 300mm f2.8 IS L USM ... or did I mention that? B&H is out of stock. I think it'll work well at the casino.

[PhotosGuy]

Great work, Dwight! Maybe I should visit "Urban Life' more often!) ;-)

[DwightMcCann]

PhotoGuy ... yes, you should! I will be posting here regularly ... did you find Tom Jones (did I post him here yet?) and Charlie Daniels and Tower of Power? Come be with us where all the action is! :-)

[tim]

Great photos! I especially like #3 and #4 :)

[DwightMcCann]

Tim, just realized I never acknowledged your post ... thank you.

[JohnnyG]

Dwight, or should I call you Mr. McCann? Your work is breathtaking and I will watch for more posts in the future from you.

Thank you for these!!!

[DwightMcCann]

Mr. McCann was my Dad. I thank you. You can go to my DwightMcCann.com website and see quite a few under the Chumash logo.

[JohnnyG]

Mr. McCann was my Dad. I thank you. You can go to my DwightMcCann.com website and see quite a few under the Chumash logo.

Thanks. I like the Chumash site. Some real nice stuff there. I especially like Willie Nelson.

[lmtayl2]

AWESOME photos Dwight. I too love Ms. Chaka.....She takes it waaayyyy back.

[DwightMcCann]

Imtayl2, Welcome to POTN. Please feel free to copy from here or my website ... the 1000 pixel images make great computer wallpaper.

[mikegoat]

Dwight you are my weekly dose of nostalgia and answer to my question: Where are they now! As usual, great shots. I urge you not to be shy about using the monopod. You would be surprised to see how much additional native sharpness you get. I love my pod.

48127

[DwightMcCann]

Yes, yes, I was reminded again last night that I left my brand new Gitzo carbon fiber monopod at home (unused to date) when Sawyer Brown's photographer showed up with EXACTLY THE SAME EQUIPMENT I HAVE plus a monopod! The problem is that I often rove all around the Samala Room, sit, stand, sit in lap, move to back, up steps, and mentally the monopod seems like it would be in the way ... but no telling until I try, eh? I see you have "customized" yours in several ways ... wonderful ... I wouldn't have thought of several things you have done. But, you have convinced me to try ... I shoot the Isley Brothers next week and will make it a point to take it and use it.

I still have every intention of getting together with you ... but I have so much to do! I just turned down Tom Jones request to use my images on his website ... they thought that giving me a photocredit while they sell merchandise was adequate.

I just got a 30" light tent and am getting ready to try matting and framing some image for sale as part of my winery client opportunities!

I'll have Little Anthony and the Imperials on my website this weekend.

[mikegoat]

It really isn't in the way most of the time. Attach it to your camera with a small ball head, collapse and carry it around. You can use it like a table top support, drop one or two leg sections and use it on those steps or on the floor in front of you when you are sitting down. Just hook it up and get used to it. You will aclimate fast and it will be part of your rig. When you are in a crowd of people, there is nothing better than getting it up overhead and getting the shots from above you would have missed (not at your venue of course, but other places.)

[DwightMcCann]

I am fearful that you are right! :-)

[KaplanMultimedia]

Awesome shots Dwight. I was a professional musician in the late 1970's and throughout the 80's. I would give a finger (or two) to shoot the venues you do. Congratulations, it must be very rewarding.

[Claire]

Great pictures as usual. :)

[DwightMcCann]

Thank you, Joel ... it is rewarding in many ways eventhough I am neither a musician or fan.

Thank you, Claire.

And while I have your attention, let me announce I have just posted my Little Anthony and the Imperials images from New Year's Eve here at http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=126474.

[sasa007]

I like these pics, one and only thing that can be done to make them even better is to adjust levels on pretty much all of them.I know that due to smoke effect on a stage, things do gets lighter than they should be...

Cheers.

[DwightMcCann]

Sasa, I have very good computers, monitors and software and cannot for the life of me figure out how to improve these with levels ... but I allow editing and reposting so please show me. :-)

[symes]

Dwight,

I have come to visit your posts in your domain...:)

I have to say that though the photos are really good, they don't seem to have the sharpness of your usual posts...having said that...I like the third last one and I really like the second last one...That is cool

Cheers,

[DwightMcCann]

Symes, welcome over here! Yes, these are not as good as my current work ... they were taken in May last year. I had only been using the 1DMarkII a month, which means three or four concerts, and had not really gotten my technique down. One thing I noted while going through the originals is that I was not bracketing yet when I shot these, which really is essential. While the EXIF does not appear to be in these (I now try to leave it in all the images), I went back to the original (just for you) and see that I was shooting with my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS with the 1.4 TC, which really doesn't deliver the raw impact that the 300mm f/2.8L IS that I use for head shots now produces. Also, there was a three songs limit and the songs were not long, the lighting was unusually difficult and there was a huge amount of smoke ... some concerts are just better than other photographically. If you haven't been here before, I have eight or ten or so concerts that you can locate by searching for threads I started in this forum ... they will all have "[Large Images Warning]" in their titles if not otherwise obvious. Or go to my website, in the Chumash Casino section, where they all live.

Thanks for coming by! :-)

[Croasdail]

I am not sure about you, but I wish I could make some of the stuff I posted here 6 months to a year ago just go away. the good news is my current stuff is better.... though I am hoping in 6 months from now I can say the same, that I will be much better then then I am now, because I am not nearly as good as I need to be.

This stuff just doesn't cut it compared to what you are producing now. I think it was your boxing shots that really turned me on to your stuff.

The bad news, the more I know, the more I know I need to know more - and the equipment bill just keeps getting higher. For basketball I started out with 1 camera - I am not up to two, and I just figured out a cool remote setup I want to try so I think so I will be adding a third to the frey. Oh well.

From most else, this would be great - but compared to what you produce now..... just not there. It's tough when you get expectations set so high for yourselves. Both you and Gavin have set the bars up pretty high for yourselves.

Cheers.

[DwightMcCann]

Mark, I am not at all "driven". While I spend a lot of time with it and make a few bucks, it is the path, the "doing", the "being", living in the moment, the process, the experience ... all the Zen things, that I enjoy. I, and I suspect Gavin, don't set bars and then judge ourselves against our ability to attain them. Rather, we just continuously pursue excellence, share our experience and then move on to the next thing and try to do it a little better. Having my old work around acts as a touchstone to show that I am on the right path. Only if I never got any better would my old stuff be so good that I would be happy if that was what I was doing now. ;)

BTW, I haven't found any Chaka Khan images that are as good as mine even if I could do better today! :lol:

[Ballen Photo]

Very nice work again Dwight, I especially like the way the light worked for the third image. :D
-Bruce

[Hoursofdarkness]

Haha that is great.
Chaka Khan Chaka Khan your the only one.
Great shots.

[Croasdail]

Interesting thoughts there Dwight. I guess when I use the word bar there.. it is in two ways. First being the level expectation people see when they see your name as originator of a post... most people who have seen your work have high expectations of it. Second being that I do compare myself to others out there - and measure myself against thier work - not in a competitive way - but as a benchmark to what is possible, and I want to know what I could do better to achieve simular results. So yeah, guess I am a little driven here... hopefully it will never get to the point where it makes it not fun anymore though. Cheers.

[DwightMcCann]

Thanks, Bruce!

Hours, thank you, too!

Mark, watch out for the double-edged swords! While it is nice that people assume that my work will amaze and delight (that's what I expect from Gavin), it also means that whatever little imperfections or ordinariness that creep in are judged significantly more harshly than when a mere mortal presents ... which once again sounds silly to me: while I think much of my work is better than anything else I see in this genre, I reiterate often that it is mostly the result of working in a first class environment (equipment and technicians that get the most out of the best in terms of lighting and sound at the Chumash Casino Resort) with first class Canon equipment and world class talent. A girl scout with a Brownie could get good images ... in fact, the phone camera images that people sneak are even good. So, in an ood way, I think I get incomparable images but I don't think of it as being attributable to any talent of mine so much as the simple opportunity. Until I see the work of other photographers with access to equal venues I have no basis to think otherwise.

[symes]

So, in an ood way, I think I get incomparable images but I don't think of it as being attributable to any talent of mine so much as the simple opportunity. Until I see the work of other photographers with access to equal venues I have no basis to think otherwise.

That is why I am looking forward to when you have your own studio...or when you call to tell me that you need someone to take over your job in Califronia and you have selected me...:)

I think that when you get your own studio you will prove once and for all that this is a little too simple...you have proved that good equipment and lighting is not all...I am not saying that you haven't admitted this yourself, but look at the improvement in your images...Bracketing, and tweaking when you shoot etc...

Oh yeah and I always check out your work...I just rarely comment here because I really can't add much other than nice shot...:) Your website is also very good...I almost have mine up and ready to go...

Cheers,

[DwightMcCann]

Symes, thank you ("thank yous" are so much easier than "nice shots", eh?) Speaking of websites, I really want to convert mine over to Flash but I just don't have the time, yet. I'm thinking about at least putting my 2006 casino stuff into a Flash exhibit. I am also considering using the Exhibit Engine from here, but again, not time enough to investigate it. This damn day job that pays the mortgage and daycare is just interfering with my life!:confused:

You do know that Steve Parr and MDJAK also want my job! Perhaps I should eBay it!:lol:

[symes]

You do know that Steve Parr and MDJAK also want my job! Perhaps I should eBay it!:lol:

I won't get it that way...hmmm...maybe some woooing?

I could find you some models?:)

[Transportithere]

I just became 14 years old, again.
Do I remember her.....
Rufas w/ Chaka Chan ..... oh yeah!!!
"Once you get started. Oh, It's so hard to stop...."

[DwightMcCann]

Glad I could "beam her up" for you, Transport! :-)

[I Simonius]

Thanks for coming by! :-)

Very impressed by your work Dwight - I had a little crack at a band last year,
,http://king-images.smugmug.com/gallery/1310432 ... and am reasonably pleased with the shots ( for my first band shoot) but would probably feel far too timid to get right in there, especially if the crowd were very energetic

How do you manage it, do you just wade in willy-nilly?

BTW I discovered at the end (too late!) that I could have got much better access to this show as I knew some people backstage - Oh well:)

[DwightMcCann]

Simon, odd looking group you shot. :-)

I rarely "wade in" and don't do anything at either venue "willy-nilly" ... I am a well paid professional, sigh, and don't have the freedom to be unprepared. OTOH, I am the "House Photographer" where I shoot so am not subject to "venue restrictions" but there are lots of restrictions imposed by the talent. Neither the casino nor the Maverick(s) are "clubs" so it is rare that I am in the midst of the crowd to shoot, although for performers that allow me to shoot unrestricted, I sometimes am standing in the middle of a bunch of dancers for a few minutes ... but in general everyone is pretty respectful of me ... but not always ... I've had a drink poured on me at the Maverick (a bar) by a lady who was angry that I was shooting a cute buxom girl during a meet & greet (she was actually angry that the cute girls get the attention and she got nothing and I wasn't sympathetic to her plight!) and once when I asked a girl not to stand on my Pelican case containing my equipment some (drunk) guy took exception and confronted me, but I feel very safe at the casino (lots and lots of security) so I just suggested to him that he should do whatever he felt he had to do, but she couldn't stand on $20K of my equipment ... I think that just confused him. He left. When security sees any unknown guest speaking to me they may come ask me about it ... they are all very protective of me and I don't generally overreact to confrontation now that I am old and decrepit.

[I Simonius]

Simon, odd looking group you shot. :-)

I rarely "wade in" and don't do anything at either venue "willy-nilly" ... I am a well paid professional, sigh, and don't have the freedom to be unprepared. OTOH, I am the "House Photographer" where I shoot so am not subject to "venue restrictions" but there are lots of restrictions imposed by the talent. Neither the casino nor the Maverick(s) are "clubs" so it is rare that I am in the midst of the crowd to shoot, although for performers that allow me to shoot unrestricted, I sometimes am standing in the middle of a bunch of dancers for a few minutes ... but in general everyone is pretty respectful of me ... but not always ... I've had a drink poured on me at the Maverick (a bar) by a lady who was angry that I was shooting a cute buxom girl during a meet & greet (she was actually angry that the cute girls get the attention and she got nothing and I wasn't sympathetic to her plight!) and once when I asked a girl not to stand on my Pelican case containing my equipment some (drunk) guy took exception and confronted me, but I feel very safe at the casino (lots and lots of security) so I just suggested to him that he should do whatever he felt he had to do, but she couldn't stand on $20K of my equipment ... I think that just confused him. He left. When security sees any unknown guest speaking to me they may come ask me about it ... they are all very protective of me and I don't generally overreact to confrontation now that I am old and decrepit.

They were an odd bunch - 'Bollywood' they were called I think.. but the music was BRILLIANT!

Difficult to shoot and tap your feet at the same time though:lol:

Good job you are so secure where you work (shoot), I guess not having to worry lets you relax and concentrate on getting the best shots:)

[DwightMcCann]

They were an odd bunch - 'Bollywood' they were called I think.. but the music was BRILLIANT!

Difficult to shoot and tap your feet at the same time though:lol:

Good job you are so secure where you work (shoot), I guess not having to worry lets you relax and concentrate on getting the best shots:)
Yup, some tribute bands are magnificent and I guess have actually gone on to out class their muses/mentors. Credence Clearwater Revisited was like that in that they have become a name unto themselves.

Yes, very secure venue, very much unlike anything else I hear about.

Just noticed that there are several images in this set that have outside links to them, mostly from discussion boards where I can't log on to see the context although one is a Chaka Khan board. I don't mind if they don't sell something along with using my images.

[phishhead_23]

Dwight, is that a shutter drag shot I see?? I'd never have thunk. As alway, beautiful shots.

[dmp-potn]

Hello Dwight,

Great work. Some of these will look nice as 24 x 36 posters from your Epson 7800. :-)

Can't wait to see some shots with your (soon to be) new EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM. Take care.

[DwightMcCann]

Dwight, is that a shutter drag shot I see?? I'd never have thunk. As alway, beautiful shots.

You will be saddened to know that there are no "shutter drag" images ... not that I would take them anyway, but they don't allow flash! :D

[DwightMcCann]

Hello Dwight,

Great work. Some of these will look nice as 24 x 36 posters from your Epson 7800. :-)

Can't wait to see some shots with your (soon to be) new EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM. Take care.

My collages look great at 24" x 36" but I don't have a model release or local demand.

Actually, this concert was shot almost a year ago and I have had the 300mm f/2.8 (with 1.4 and 2.0 TCs) for quite a while and have a lot of concert images from both my venues exhibited on my website and here shot with it ... the closeups I take with it have sort of become my signature. And worse, I have the 400mm f/2.8 in this year's equipment budget and I am right on track for getting it in the Fall. You can see an image shot with the 300mm here: http://www.dwightmccann.com/ChumashCasinoResort/SinBandera05042006/SinBandera3870.htm from a fairly recent concert ... these images have EXIF data in them.

Meant to mention the other day that after chatting with you via PMs I have taken to saving the collages in .tif format for printing rather than the 1/10th size .jpg ... the bigger the print the more difference this seems to make ... so thanks for dragging me along! :-)