When it comes to splash, color and the unabashed exuberance of the stage, it’s hard to beat Vegas, and its coterie of wildly diverse, talented, athletic, sensual, magnetic performers. Luckily for me, I know a few, none more vibrant than Joli Irvine, who has dazzled many a Vegas goer from numerous stages on the legendary strip.
We have happily been involved here at our studio in a two month, all-consuming series of shoots which occurred in January and February of this year to use the Nikon Z7 and Z6 cameras to show the public sizzle of stage people, and accompany those color-laced images with quieter, hopefully observant pictures of them in repose, off stage, at home, where the sequins and spandex give way to beat up jeans and t-shirts.
The Z6&7 tandem proved to be a great combo for this. With the staged, flashed, controlled, art directed pieces such as below, the Z7, with its phenomenal resolution came into play. When shooting fast, with higher ISO demands, the Z6 came out of the bag. For instance, the banner pic up top, of Joli freelancing a dance routine, onstage, with only background spots on, was shot at ISO 16,000. This is a number I would have only had acquaintance with in, I don’t know, high school math class, not when I had a camera to my eye.
I also used the Z6 backstage, in the dressing rooms, with available light, or, at most, a hot shoed fill flash. The below is available makeup mirror light, ISO 6,400.
However, when shooting onstage, in a controlled set piece, Z7 was the camera of choice. Multiple flashes, big and small, smoke machine, orchestrated action, ISO 800.
The only lenses used on all the installments in this series were S lenses, designed for the Z system mount. We had at our disposal the 14-30mm f/4, the 24-70 mm f/4, and the 35mm and 50mm f/1.8.
Hats off to Joli, who was the star of the show. And to the crew. Holy smoke they brought their game. Lynn DelMastro, as usual, was spinning the production wheels in amazing fashion, working tirelessly so my flights of imagination somehow become real, and possible. Wonderful video work by Chris Hershman (film director), Braden Coucher (film producer), Riley Phillips (sound / camera), DJ Williams (camera), Michael Cali (crew chief), Andrew Tomasino (1st Assistant), Adam Silversmith (photo assistant), Gayle Kotula (location manager), and of course a huge thanks to Samantha Brown Peterson (wardrobe stylist) for all the amazing vintage costumes! And our other Vegas showstoppers, Elyse Morris Corbin, & Lara Preister. They rounded out our trio of talent both onstage and in the dressing room.
The video work by Chris and his crew are available to view over on the Nikon website, in their “Learn & Explore” area, listed under the “Ideas and Inspiration” category. The Vegas video, for which these were made is up and running, and you can click here.
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The 24-70 mm f/4 is an interesting choice by Nikon to start with. How did you find the loss of a stop of DOF? I would have expected the larger mount would mean easier fast lens production.
I love the picture you took backstage! Her expression is authentic, day dreaming. The quality is superb. Also the women on the right with the bokeh of her hair jewelry. Many layers and different real expression in one shot. Amazing!
I like how you managed to get such great colours with the Z range. I have been a Nikon user through and through, and I have reached a stage where my equipment is getting old. My battered D3 is nearly gone, I’m shooting on the D750, but I feel I either need to go mirrorless with Nikon or change brand altogether. I’ve given me a dilemma.