135mm: The secret weapon of music and concert photography
Jermaine Fowler performing at The Arlington Drafthouse. Sony A7R IV + FE 135mm f/1.8 GM.
Whenever I’m working with talent for a show, whether that’s a concert, a standup set or any type of performance, I usually try to pick lenses that would help me create the best work in the venue. Each lens in the kit is there to serve a purpose and while a lot of the time I tend to favor the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8, there are instances where those lenses are just far too slow for such a dark environment.
That’s where the 135mm comes in.
The one I rented from LensRentals was Sony’s own FE 135mm f/1.8 GM lens, a lens that perfectly complimented my Sony A7R IV. It’s a lens that does a lot of things well and when it came to photographing my friend, actor/writer/comedian Jermaine Fowler during a standup set at the Arlington Drafthouse, it was my main lens of choice throughout the whole evening for several reasons.
Portrait Powerhouse
The 135mm is MADE for portraits. It allowed me to compose very tight, intimate shots from both behind and around the stage, isolating him from the rest of the stage. This meant less distractions and keeping the focus on him. 135mm also works because it allowed me to work in those stage elements so that it’s not a portrait without context. While the 70-200mm could have delivered tighter shots, the 135mm strikes a perfect balance between close and uncomfortably close.
WHEN YOU’RE LOST IN THE DARKNESS, LOOK FOR THE LIGHT
Another advantage of using the 135mm f/1.8 is that aperture. Being able to open up all the way to f/1.8 in a dark theatre is a boon, especially when stage lighting falls off very quickly. It also means that I can use every ounce of light on stage and in turn, up my shutter speed to keep Jermaine sharp. This also means I don’t have to turn my ISO as high to compensate for the lack of light. I’m able to work with the lighting better to create images we’re both happy with and I’m spending less time worrying about fighting settings to make something that meets my standards.
PRIME TIME
The 135mm is a prime lens. That means it doesn’t zoom in or out but that trade off is that it can get those faster apertures that I mentioned above. The difference going from f/2.8 to f/2 to f/1.8 is a substantial difference. It also has the benefit of being incredibly light and compact in comparison to the 70-200mm. This means it sticks out a lot less and is less distracting to the crowd as I move around. The goal when covering angles when I have to be around the crowd is to try and distract them as little as possible, and while sometimes that’s unavoidable, a smaller lens that can get the job done exceptionally well makes achieving that a lot easier.
-
Jermaine Fowler performing at the Arlington Drafthouse.
A fast 135mm prime lens can be an absolute ace card in your kit when used like this. It’s a lens that I quickly learned to love because it allowed me to grab tight, detailed portraits in low-light without a lot of weight to boot. There are multiple options these days, so whichever one you go with, you’re not going to be disappointed.
Thank you for reading! If you found this helpful, follow me on Youtube and Instagram.
