Mandy Moore, or more recently known as Rebecca Pearson on the hit NBC tv show, This Is Us, is a superstar with entertainment roots as a singer and songwriter.
I got a chance to watch her show at New York City’s iconic music venue, Webster Hall while I was on a concert photography assignment.
Like many millennials, I grew up listening to Mandy as one of the main pop artists of the early 2000s alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Simpson. A lot has changed since then, especially Mandy’s style of music. Her music has since grown to more mature ballad-type songs that bring a sense of calmness when listening to her sing.
It has been 15 years since Mandy last toured. The last time she was on tour, in her words “she was 23, not 38, and six months pregnant”. The show was a family-friendly affair where people that grew up listening to her music as an adolescent brought their toddlers so they could share a piece of their childhood with the next generation. While introducing her bandmates, she introduced her husband, Taylor Goldsmith as her “baby daddy” and shared how their tour is a real family affair as she’s pregnant with their second child. So happy for them!
Admittedly, I’m not as familiar with her new sound and album as I was with her old music. Maybe it’s because a part of me will forever hold onto the nostalgia of music from the early 2000s, but I know I’m not alone.
While getting ready to photograph Mandy’s first three songs, I overheard a conversation between two friends in the bathroom where one of them said “I can’t wait for Mandy to sing Only Hope, I’m going to lose my sh*t’. And lose it they did, along with the crowd singing along and swaying back and forth. Instantly, everyone was brought back to the beloved movie, A Walk To Remember!
After the concert, I went home and played it on repeat. I’m sure everyone else did too.
In between songs Mandy talked to her audience with endearment and shares the process of putting this new album together. It was clear there was a mutual feeling of adoration between artist and fans.
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When deciding what camera gear to use, I typically pull from the same list. As this was a low light situation I definitely wanted to use my full-frame Sony a7iii and a versatile zoom lens like the Tamron 28-75mm, f/2.8.
The secret to having stand-out pictures though is a star filter to put over your camera lens. They come in crosses of 4, 6, or 8, and make all the difference in some stand-out photos. If you want to break into concert photography I wrote more tips on how to start photographing concerts.
To learn how to break into concert photography I wrote tips on how to get started and you can read what camera gear I use for concerts.
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