Music Photography Blog

by Adam Elmakias

Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL

I recently upgrade my studio light for the first time in… forever. Literally. I haven’t gotten a new studio light in a long time. Mostly because, well, I stopped using it. So why upgrade gear I wasn’t using? Recently, I got a Profoto B1 500 AirTTL Battery Powered flash. Easy, portable, effortless. Exactly what I needed. I have always been interested in shooting with studio lights, however, I haven’t really improved my skills with them in about 5 years. I figured I would again. It’s going to be a lot of learning, but you got to start somewhere. So a box and light here I come.

I shot some backstage portraits, only this time – with the crew on the tour. Historically I have photographed the bands I have been on tour with backstage – which makes sense, that is who I am working for. Generally speaking – the longer a band has been a band, the better they look in front of the camera. I don’t know if it’s the years of caffeine intake that are incrementally being released through their pores that makes their skin glow. Or maybe its the multiple daily cigarettes that help their skin look a little more leathery that I love. Whatever it is, it looks awesome, and I love it. Most crews are much older then the people they work for, and have been doing it for a lot longer than the band. Bands come and go, but the crews stay on the road and just jump to their next gig, it is their lifelong lifestyle.

All of these images are edited in Lightroom. For what it’s worth, no spot editing was done on the images. I shot everything with a 5d Mark III and a Sigma 50mm Art Lens. Anyway, here are some backstage portraits of the crew that was out on the Parks and Devastation tour.

Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias
Backstage Crew Portraits shot with the Profoto B1 AirTTL by Adam Elmakias