Billy Joel – October 23, 2008 (Upscale embedded with SynthID)
The Gear
Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 at 44mm
Camera: Nikon D300
Settings: 1/100s, f/2.8, ISO 1000
Lighting: Dual off-camera flashes positioned on either side of the ballroom + ambient stage lighting
Technique: Long-distance off-camera flash during a live performance
Worth noting: at this stage, I was shooting with whatever I could afford or whatever the Press Club would chip in to help pay for. I had no real idea what gear I needed. I hadn’t yet discovered the flexibility of prime lenses… especially for low light environments like this, where an f/1.4 or f/1.2 would have made a significant difference. That understanding came later.
The Goal
Figure out how to light a live performance from across a large ballroom… and grab a portrait in the chaos.
The Vision
This was one of the first big events at the National Press Club where there was a full-on audience, a stage, and a performance. It was also a first for the Press Club itself… they brought in his full-size grand piano. For me, it was the first time trying off-camera flash from a significant distance. I set up a flash on each side of the room, but I found myself preferring the directionality of mostly using the left side. That lighting preference… one dominant direction, harsh and unapologetic… would become a recurring theme in my work.
The Story
Billy Joel was at the National Press Club to give a performance. But it wasn’t just music… he played and talked, weaving in and out of songs, sharing anecdotes about the piano and his career. He talked about why he plays electric piano now instead of acoustic… it allows him to transpose songs to lower keys because his voice can’t hit what it used to. It was a really interesting, dynamic character study. He was candid about aging, about adapting, about the realities of performing for decades.
For the portrait, I caught his attention briefly while things were in between announcements. Just a quick moment during a transition. He looked over, smiled, and I got the frame.
The Lesson
This portrait is a lesson in imperfection. The exposure isn’t quite right… it’s a little hot. The focus is slightly soft on his eyes. But I still love the directionality and feel of it. Sometimes the technical misses don’t outweigh what’s working emotionally. This was also my first real experiment with long-distance off-camera flash during a live event… a technique I’d refine and use many times going forward, including at weddings where reception lighting demands the same problem-solving. Learning to light from across a room opened up a whole new set of possibilities.
