Greatest Show of All Time (Low)

That Time I Photographed All Time Low at the Rock Hall

Sometimes, you have a breakthrough point while chasing your dreams in which you have to pinch yourself to ensure it is truly happening. When the impossible goals and items on your bucket list are suddenly a part of your portfolio. When you are standing face to face with the people you only knew as faces on a screen and voices in your headphones. The moment you realize these are real people and YOU are taking their photo.

Working at the Rock Hall, you meet a lot of cool people. And, luckily, I get the opportunity to photograph them. All Time Low performed on the outdoor plaza, bringing in almost 2,000 people to watch and witness. They may not be one of my top bands on my Spotify Wrapped, but they have always been a bucket list band to shoot. Seeing how electric their concerts look, I always thought it would be a fun one. I didn’t even have a clue. Yet.

I was lucky enough to sit in on an exclusive interview with the band conducted by my coworker and friend, Michella. All Time Low is her all time favorite and getting the opportunity to document one of the best moments of her career (and possibly life) was an absolute honor.

It was so cool going into this interview not knowing much about the origins and personal lives of the band. I felt like I knew them personally by the end of it. Seeing people whose favorite artists were sitting only feet away from them was so special. The energy of the room was exciting and bursting with good vibes. I was humbled by the experience, getting hit with that feeling that I am part of something so much bigger than myself. Something that connects people. Something that changes lives. Something I have worked so hard for and still don’t feel deserving of.

One of the best parts of meeting artists is realizing just how normal they can be. How nice and easygoing. Of course, this is quite often not the case. But, this band and their team went above and beyond to be kind and gracious and polite to all of us involved with the events of the day. I had a chance to chat with the road manager, showing him the museum and giving insights to the behind-the-scenes of the place. Him telling ME that I had a cool job made me laugh - he literally works with one of the biggest bands in the alt genre.

The last thing before the concert began was the signing of the wall - a hallway by the security door in the building covered in signatures of all the artists and guests that enter through the doors. Enshrining their presence in Sharpie and leaving behind their memories.

After that, it was time.

After the first band performed (they are getting their own post, don’t worry), I made my way into the pit with my friends Maya (@maya.nuri.photo) and Amber (@aterrormusical). The sun was setting, the crowd was gathering, and I got that feeling in my stomach. That spark of excitement. That sense of purpose. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

As the lights came up, Alex was sitting at the piano. The yellow and orange lights bounced off of the haze surrounding him. And as the crowd grew wild and the music began, my shutter went off and didn’t stop.

Abiding by the “first 3, no flash” rule is sometimes stressful. There were 5 of us photographers in the pit, all trying to maneuver around each other and capture what we needed. The members of the band never stopped moving - both a good and bad thing. It makes for dynamic photos, yet also can be difficult to follow along. My senses were heightened, adrenaline pumping through my veins. My shutter finger moved as quickly as possible. I had to take into count all of the circumstances - the lighting, focus, framing, settings, movement. Adjusting as the lights rapidly changed and as the band jumped around the stage. I was so focused on getting the shots that I barely even heard the music. My earplugs muted the world around me as I crawled around in front of the barricade, trying to not block the audience or be in the way of my photography peers.

After the first 3 songs were finished, I took a breather and just soaked in what had just happened. I fully realized the amount of people that were present and just how close I had been to the band. How I had taken photos that no one had ever seen of their favorite band. I almost cried. In that moment, I was so proud of myself. I had worked hard enough to make it to this point. I had crossed off another bucket-list show. I was truly a music photographer. And I was dying to get to work on the photos.

I wandered around the audience, trying to capture the energy of the crowd with the band in front. Being the house photographer, I was lucky to have full range of the venue. I knew all the best spots and had access to all the different barricaded areas. It is liberating to have so much creative freedom. Access is one of the most difficult parts of this industry, and I am so grateful I have that privilege through my job.

Before the last few songs, I decided to start uploading my 1000+ photos to Lightroom and go back to the surface and just let myself enjoy the rest of the show. It can be hard to truly experience the music when you have a camera in hand. You get stuck behind the lens, caught up in the job. It’s nice to empty your hands and experience the moment without anything between yourself and what is in front of you. And sometimes that is my favorite part of the job. Experiencing it the same way as the thousands of people around you. All your senses are already heightened and once you take away the barrier, the impact of the entire experience feels greater. And then you can’t wait to do it all again.

This show felt like a shot of espresso - jumpstarting my drive and excitement. And I’m craving to do it again.