Top Tour Moments of 2016

This past year was filled with incredible moments out on tour with Zac Brown Band. Let’s take a look at some of my favorites!

The beginning of each tour always holds something special in store. There is a renewed energy across the board from the entire crew. Here we see Zac sharing some of that excitement with fans at the edge of the stage. The outstretched arms are perfectly lit, and guide the viewer’s eye right to the man himself.

Those who know me… know my affinity for all things Stanley Kubrick. He has easily been the biggest influence on me artistically. As a result of this influence, symmetry plays a heavy-handed part in my eye as a photographer… and this photo is certainly no exception.

Sometimes the minutia in a photograph is what stands out to me. Things that I can’t possibly see when capturing the image that become clear in post-production. This moment for me isn’t about the scream… it’s about the goosebumps.

Films influence a lot of my work. Close Encounters of the Third Kind gets it’s well-deserved homage paid here with the band from Tulsa.

By now, I have a collection of these moments. Zac… just before the curtain goes up. The graphic on the curtain changes with each tour… so these moments are stamps in time representative of each.

One of my favorite aspects of being an official tour photographer is the access that it grants you. I could write an entire post on this topic alone. But through this access, I get to experience these shows from angles that only the rigging/spot crew would get to see. As a result… the fans also get to experience these perspectives.

I don’t think these moments will ever lose their luster. The trajectory of this band’s journey to sold-out stadium shows is a monumental achievement. I am honored to be along for the ride to cement these moments in time as the official documentary photographer of the band.

Sometimes it’s simplicity that makes a moment stand out to me. Here the wash of color and isolation of Coy on keys does it. The spot feels like a distant sun giving this moment an other-worldly feel.

I began experimenting with some wild new techniques this year. As a result… I found that this set of Russian lenses have an INCREDIBLE flare to it when used in just the right way. As a result… it feels like you can literally see the music as a visual force emitted from the instruments.

These lenses are incredibly difficult to work with. They are entirely manual, and there is some disconnect with how the image appears in the viewfinder versus how the light hits the sensor… making them wildly inaccurate.

They are not intended for this kind of photography, but something told me to give them a shot… and the results were absolutely stunning!

Technically, these photographs are essentially a perfect storm… but when that storm hits, it produces an astounding image that is nothing short of magical. This effect is achieved entirely in-camera.

More sci-fi influence here north of the border… although I can attest that Zac was not actually abducted by aliens here.

I absolutely love how Coy is silhouetted in this image. The lack of color is a stark contrast to the rest of the moments in this post. The subtle hits of light on his nose and the back of the keyboard feel like a whisper in an otherwise silent moment.

Plenty of recurring themes in this year’s post. I am unsure how I got such a high perspective on this particular stage… but I am happy that I did!

No annual recap would be complete without a jump shot from iconic Fenway Park! These two never disappoint!

The sky is the stand-out feature in this moment from Atlantic City. It isn’t often that this band plays on a stage that is right against the beach. Unique venues like this always become a memorable moment.

One of my goals when shooting this band is to make them feel larger-than-life on-stage. This moment with Hop precariously perched across the corner of the thrust is certainly no exception

This guitar is always a personal favorite… but I love how Coy is displaying it with a sense of pride. If you look closely… you can see a reflection of the setlist in the body!

I will wrap up this year’s recap with this moment with Zac. I love the wash of color in this image, and that Zac is framed up in an array of spotlights.

I am constantly enamored with our lighting crew for the incredible palette of light and color they provide me to paint with. Without their incredible eye… none of these moments would be possible the way that they are.

Thanks for joining me in reliving these moments. I’ll see you out on the road in 2017!