Hammerfest 2008 in Chicago

When I interviewed the Lovehammers back in early 2006, I remember being impressed by the way they talked about their fans and the huge shows they put on in their hometown of Chicago. And I sort of decided then that if I ever got the chance to shoot one of those big shows, I’d take it! I’ve always wanted to go to Chicago…

The opportunity came last weekend – two years after that interview – some things are worth waiting for! Hammerfest is a big deal and this year it was at the House of Blues in downtown Chicago. Great venue! All brick, two balconies that circle around the floor, and it feels small and intimate yet holds a LOT of people. I went with five friends – two who live in Chicago, and three others that flew in for the weekend. We spent the whole weekend together, but they were good sports when I abandoned them during the show.

Shooting any show is always intense – but the Lovehammers multiply that intensity by ten. Their shows are incredibly passionate and vital, and there’s movement and color and action everywhere. It’s an amazing thing to see live – and capturing some of that magic in a still photograph is one of the most satisfying things I can think of to do. They create magic onstage, and I tired to tap into that vein, and mine some of their magic in my images. It was a blast!


This image is one of my favorites because of the orange and violet lighting – the colors of RockBandLounge – and to see Marty Casey, our RBL Ultimate Rock Star bathed in those colors was great fun!

To see more images from the show, go to:
http://rockbandlounge.com/news/2008-03-lovehammers.asp

5 Replies to “Hammerfest 2008 in Chicago”

  1. Love it Cheryl…I am so glad you went! Of course I want to know the details of what you shot it with and how challenging the lighting really was… That said, you do a great job of capturing some great moments…and yes…I do love the RBL colors…If that had been the only photo you had gotten, it would have been worth it…pure magic.

  2. Hey Elisa! The lighting was a dream – truly! Just gorgeous! Everything was shot at 1600, and ranged from 1/60th to 1/100th of a second, with the aperture ranging from f1.2 to f5 – so excellent conditions.

  3. Amazing photos. Love how your camera brings out all the colors. I hope the opportunity rises again, for you to shoot at an INXS concert….with the same camera. The photos would be awesome.

  4. Hi Lisa! It’s not the camera that made the difference – it was the venue and the lighting – and of course the subject matter! INXS had great lighting as well – but not as colorful – those photos are here. I do want to shoot INXS again – definitely! And I hope it’s at a venue as cool as this one was. The Chicago House of Blues was a dream to shoot at.

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