{"id":7176,"date":"2015-02-19T05:30:02","date_gmt":"2015-02-19T10:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=7176"},"modified":"2015-02-19T05:30:02","modified_gmt":"2015-02-19T10:30:02","slug":"concert-photography-in-a-local-light-front-row-focus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2015\/02\/19\/concert-photography-in-a-local-light-front-row-focus\/","title":{"rendered":"Concert Photography in a Local Light: \u201cFront Row Focus\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2015, nearly every concertgoer carries a smart phone with a built-in camera, so snapshots of the onstage performers aren\u2019t exactly a rare commodity. But there\u2019s a long and proud tradition of legitimate concert photography, and it\u2019s no hyperbole to call it an art form. Some of the most iconic images in music have come from the lenses of such giants as Elaine Mayes<\/strong> (her Monterey Pop<\/a> concert shots of Pete Townshend<\/strong> and Jimi Hendrix<\/strong> are classics), Mick Rock<\/strong>, Jim Marshall<\/strong>, Anton Corbijn<\/strong> and Jenny Lens<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Avett<\/a>

Avett Brothers Halloween 2014 Photo by www.DavidSimchock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/center>Asheville has its own modern-day exponents of concert photography. You\u2019ve likely seen these characters at any number of local venues; they\u2019re the ones who not only understand the rules (no flash photography, \u201cpit photography\u201d allowed for the first three songs only), but have a keen and discerning eye. Concert photography is about so much more than snapping the shutter at the right moment; it\u2019s about synthesizing what\u2019s special about a performer \u2013 someone who deals in sound and movement \u2013 into a still and silent visual image that captures the essence of that performer.<\/p>\n

Three of the finest Asheville-based concert photographers have created an exhibition of their best work, on display now through April 15 at The Green Sage Caf\u00e9 (Westgate). \u201cFront Row Focus\u201d presents arresting images from the cameras of Nick King<\/strong>, David Simchock<\/strong>, and Frank Zipperer<\/strong>. Though all three travel on assignments, \u201cFront Row Focus\u201d is drawn from the best images documenting local performances. Curated by Paul Rollins<\/strong>, the exhibit features dozens of color and black-and-white photos.<\/p>\n

The works of the three photographers are displayed throughout the Green Sage\u2019s airy, open space; while the room is well-lit after dark, the photos are seen to their best effect surrounded by natural light. Zipperer \u2013 a photographer whose tastes run toward jazz \u2013 presents his concert photos primarily in black-and-white format; that format allows the photographer to make visual statements about his subjects through controlled use of contrast. The shots are often up close and personal, and always lead themselves to contemplation and close study.<\/p>\n

Much of Simchock\u2019s work displayed at \u201cFront Row Focus\u201d features rich, deeply saturated colors that lend the images an almost three-dimensional quality. The hyper-realism and stunningly sharp focus creates a you-are-there ambience. Nearly all of Simchock\u2019s photos document performances in Asheville; the few exceptions \u2013 photos taken in New Orleans and Philadelphia, for example \u2014 are so breathtaking and remarkable that their inclusion makes sense.<\/p>\n

King\u2019s work is superb in its capturing of those just-right onstage moments; though dealing with subjects who are constantly on the move, the photographer\u2019s documenting of a split-second slice of the performance somehow captures and conveys all of the movement. And it does so with astounding clarity. Though he, too, sometimes works in close-up, King\u2019s wide-angle lens brilliantly and effectively captures the stage as a whole.<\/p>\n

All of the photos on display at \u201cFront Row Focus\u201d are available for purchase, but it costs nothing to view them at the exhibit. The photography installation is open for viewing during Green Sage\u2019s normal operating hours (daily 8:00am \u2013 7:00pm).<\/p>\n

Who<\/strong>: \u201cFront Row Focus\u201d featuring the work of Nick King, David Simchock, and Frank Zipperer<\/em>
\n Where<\/strong>: Green Sage Caf\u00e9 (Westgate)<\/em>, Asheville NC
\n When<\/strong>: Now through April 15, daily 8:00am \u2013 7:00pm<\/em>
\n Door<\/strong>: Free, and prints are available for sale.<\/em><\/p>\n

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In 2015, nearly every concertgoer carries a smart phone with a built-in camera, so snapshots of the onstage performers aren\u2019t exactly a rare commodity. But there\u2019s a long and proud […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,65],"tags":[237,642,862,869,1585],"class_list":["post-7176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-shows","category-review","tag-asheville","tag-david-simchock","tag-frank-zipperer","tag-front-row-focus","tag-nick-king","cat-44-id","cat-65-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7176\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}