Shooting the musicians was fun and easy. The challenge was figuring out how to fit this in to an otherwise hectic day in the dark underbelly of the concert hall, which is slightly less glamorous than the building’s shiny exterior and grand concert hall. After scouting around the entire backstage area I selected what I saw as the only viable option, a wood paneled wall on the backside of the main stage. We set up there and between the initial sound check and during intermission I grabbed whoever I could as they were rushing by and asked them to pose. I only managed to get about a dozen done, but it was enough for a viable series. The image that was chosen as the cover was the last person I shot that day and as far as I’m concerned he made the series. Between the placement of the rose and his proud posture I couldn’t have planned it better.
Also between all of this I had to get a portrait of Chuck, who could not have been more busy. He kept his word though and met me in the empty concert hall with minutes to spare before the crowd was ushered in. I may have had 5 minutes with him, but at least I got the shot. The rest of the shoot was a pleasure, as I got to attend the full performance while shooting from the wings and side stage. They played beautifully and it was great to see such a talented group of young artists proudly performing for their community. These are some of my favorite images as well as how the story ran. The rest of the article is online here. Thank you to the magazine and ICYOLA for letting me be a part of this!
Rehearsals
Year-End Performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Published article
David Zentz is a commercial and corporate photographer based in Los Angeles