As our photographer roster has been unable to get out and shoot shows for almost the last 18 months, we invited our most frequent contributors to pick their favorite five images, which they have shot on assignment for mxdwn.com.
In the first of this series, we’re highlighting Ekaterina Gorbacheva’s top 5 images. We hope you enjoy too.
Ghost at The Forum: November 16, 2018
It’s hard to pick a specific shot from this show, because they are all pretty special. But this one I think really shows the mood of that day: confident, sassy, fabulous and with some extra flare-y spice. This was my first arena show, and I am very grateful to mxdwn for the opportunity. Apart from it being epic and the performance being incredible, it’s always fun to work huge productions because of the lights, the stage details, the costumes, just so many more opportunities to catch that perfect shot, especially with a theatrical act like Ghost. Also, if before I liked Ghost, after I was listening to them nonstop for a month, maybe more – it was that good. And they sold out The Forum and had no openers, just them for two hours! A truly incredible show!
Metric at Hollywood Palladium: March 6, 2019
This shot is special for me for two reasons. Firstly, this was the first show I shot in LA after being out of town for a bit, and it was so good, it filled me with energy and excitement to shoot more. Secondly, I just love how it came out. The lights were great and easy to work with, I quickly found a way to edit these, which I though was very fitting to the style of the band and… just looked good. I am creating visual art after all, so being able to get a rare shot I am happy with is always a big deal.
Ride at the Teragram Ballroom: November 14, 2019
This is another shot that just magically happened and in my opinion perfectly embodied the vibe of the show and the music. It has a bit of a mystery because of the silhouette, it sucks you in because of the kaleidoscope effect and has the most beautiful colors. This show was a treat both to shoot and to watch as a spectator. Fun fact: I’d never heard of Ride before going on the assignment, so it felt even more special that I could immediately connect to the music and let it flow through, allowing me to capture the performance accordingly and truly enjoy that process.
Chelsea Wolfe at the Palace Theatre: November 15, 2019
I am including this shot here because I think it has the best back-story. We had troubles getting a press pass for this show and got approved at the last moment, an hour before the show. I rushed in without knowing what to expect, since it was my first time at the venue. Her stage setup barely had any lights, mostly maintaining a candlelit level of brightness. This particular shot was taken closer to the end of the show from afar with a long lens, a literal long shot, barely saved it in post, however, it ended up being the best one of the night, and went viral, to my delight.
Bauhaus at the Hollywood Palladium: November 4, 2019
This show was very special for several reasons. Firstly, it’s Bauhaus, it’s the gothic classic. Secondly, it was a perfect match for my style of shooting. Finally, even the band commented on the photos later, with a desire to include them into a revisited version of their coffee-table book.
I would also like to comment that it was a rare show, where the lights absolutely matched the music and vibe of the band. Sparse and minimalistic, very few colors that maintained a very consistent and desaturated picture throughout the show, heavy use of light beams that was creating a very mysterious and noire vibe. It was perfect, and really enhanced the auditory experience of this event.
Ekaterina Gorbacheva is a photographer based in Los Angeles, CA, and you can find more of her work on her website and via Instagram.
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