The Blackbyrds
@ Union Chapel
@ Union Chapel
Recipes Used:
It’s time for my sixth Photo Pass of this year, which is great considering my first one was in May!
This one was a shot in the dark that I wasn’t expecting but we got into Union Chapel in the heart of Islington and I’m here to tell you about The Blackbyrds, a group that has evolved a ton over the decades but all you need to know is that they started off in Washington D.C. as musical children of the legend Donald Byrd.
Fun fact: The two acts I’ve seen at the Union Chapel both have “Blackbird” in their phonetic name! The other being the incomparable Lady Blackbird.
But anyways! Onto the set.
I had a lot of fun with this. I went all over the spot just trying shit out. I took my manual 35mm lens which is great for getting exposure in the shot but not great for clarity once you veer your eye from the centre of the photo. (I need to cop a tighter lens, is my point.)
I started on the balcony areas – seen above – and eventually moved down to get more intimate shots, where I can truly cook.
As I said in my recipe test for the Monochrome settings used for this post, (See “Recipes Used” in the beginning) it’s very hard to judge exposure but when you get it, it delivers a look that is hard to replicate.
With that said, here’s some more!
Let’s now bring some colour into it as I tried to hit every spot I wanted with a colour and Monochrome version. I could’ve easily cloned them and use a pre-set but where’s the fun in that?
I remember seeing a Photography post about colours and what colours you don’t like getting. I love blues and purples. Reds can be an issue for me. I don’t know if it’s the camera or the recipes I use but something happens where too much red is present. A fuzziness, hard to describe.
Anyways, you’ll never see those. Here’s a mixture of shots as I was pinging back and forth between subjects.
I really feel like the best shots came closer to the end. Maybe because I felt like I did enough at a certain point so I just stuck around to get different things. The next cluster features a fair few bangers if I say so myself.
We finish with some Monochrome, including some hasty shots of the band taking in applause at the end. (I was putting my jacket on as they were about to bow.)
Every show I get a pass for is a blessing. This one was a genuine surprise to get to shoot such an iconic piece of US Black music. If you’re a Hip-Hop fan, you know about “Rock Creek Park” but the whole night was fun.
They had the crowd feeling it all night. A personal favourite, both professionally and personally.
chillicharlie.taylor@gmail.com
Born in Camden, North London.
Bred in Leigh-On-Sea, Essex.
Screenwriter/Podcaster/Photographer/
Hip-Hop Student.