Whole Lotta Leica - February Results - W-Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 With The Woodshedders at Lovettsville Library

 

The Woodshedders at Lovettsville Library, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, W-Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f3.5, 1/60 sec

 

One of the benefits of living in Northern Virginia for me is the vibrant local music scene. The Woodshedders are one of my very favorite bands in the area. Ryan Mayo (bass), Jesse Shultaberger (drums), Dwayne Brooke (guitar), Jared Pool (mandolin) and Dave VanDeventer (fiddle) usually play to larger crowds in nightclubs and music festivals.

 

(Click Here) to go to the Woodshedders web page. Don't pass up a chance to see them.

 

On this particular Saturday in February, they played an acoustic show for the local library in Lovettsville, Virginia. The Hello Kitty and Spongebob balloons on the wall are not part of their normal stageshow.

 

My daughter and I attended this show, and it was wonderful, as expected. My February Whole Lotta Leica lens, the W-Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 LTM, worked quite well for this close up and intimate setting.

 

The Woodshedders at Lovettsville Library, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, W-Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f2.8, 1/125 sec

 

Dwayne and Jared, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, W-Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f2.8, 1/125 sec

 

The audience was a mix of regular Woodshedders' fans, and regular library patrons. The picture below shows that some kids really know how to mix their sources of entertainment.

Reading (and Music) Are Fundamental, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, W-Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f4, 1/30 sec

 

I like how the Nikkor allowed me to focus on the detail of the book page, rendering it sharply, yet include enough in the background to let you know what's happening back there. The 35mm focal length gives a wide enough field of view to include some context, even in a small room.

 

I now know the Woodshedders well enough to coerce them into a posed shot once in a while. I thought it would be fun to get a shot of them studiously reading in the library. I started off by handing them children's books, but a helpful library employee quickly gathered biographies of musicians - much more appropriate.

 

Saturday Afternoon With The Woodshedders at the Library #1, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, W-Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f4.8, 1/30 sec

 

Jared took a book on Monk, Dwayne - Django, of course, Ryan - Mick Jagger, Dave - Jimi Hendrix, and Jesse - Sting.

 

Standing on a chair, I closed down the lens to f 4.8 to get a little more depth of field, and shot.

 

Saturday Afternoon With The Woodshedders at the Library #2, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, W-Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f4.8, 1/30 sec

 

I always feel a little rushed when I have five people waiting for me to get the shot so they can go on their way. I think these shots turned out well, but I must admit that I held my breath until I got home and checked that I was able to get all of the band members' faces in focus. I should have taken a shot or two at iso 1250, with the aperture closed down another full stop. That would have ensure that no one's face came out blurry. But, I got lucky with f4.8.

 

For me, it's important to learn from each and every photo opportunity. Learning to slow down, make sure I've got the shot, and not be shy about directing my subjects to do what I want to capture are all lessons that I need to continue to focus on.

 

After shooting live music for a couple of years now, I am really enjoying the chance to shoot some more personal shots of the bands that I really like. It adds nicely to the stage shots that I've focused on so far.

 

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