Kenny Hall: Old Time Musician

Marc Blake on assignment producing training videos.

I was commissioned to create video and to photograph a tribute concert for a renowned musician. The California Endowment for the Arts sponsored a filmmaker to produce a documentary about a living legend named, “Kenny Hall.” This event was the debut of that film. Born blind, Kenny, now 80 years old is still going strong. He is literally a living archive of what is known as “Old Time Music.” You can sample the sound of Old Time Music at Kenny’s website. Kenny knows about 1300 songs that he can perform on demand – each with a story about where and when he learned it. He’s a fascinating artist. Kenny also hikes, blind, in the Sierra Nevada and knows his way around 100′s of trails. He snaps his fingers and sends out a radar signal which he uses to navigate safely.

The concert/event took place at an auditorium in Central California housed in the Fresno Art Museum. I knew that I’d need to light up a dozen or more musicians (on stage). I recalled using Westcott’s Apollo and Halo light modifiers when I was doing a project at the State Capital with California Governor Schwarzenegger.

I’m all about portability. Nothing is nicer than getting slam-dunk pro results with a minimal amount of gear. So, I loaded up a Westcott carry case with two light stands, a couple of umbrella adapters, a Halo Mono and an Apollo. I grabbed my camera bag (equipped with a few Nikon SB900 Speedlights) and was ready to go. I also brought some video gear… but that’s another article all together.

I simply set up the Apollo off one corner of the stage so as to not block any seats and the Halo Mono at the opposite corner. I pushed the light source up nice and high – about 10′ on those dependable Westcott large stands. I used the umbrella adapter to tilt the mofifier downward a bit and aimed it toward center stage. Each modifier was equipped with a Nikon Speedlight. I was able to control my exposure values from the commander unit on my camera.

The Westcott Apollo is seen here lighting up a huge stage without intruding on the room.

NOTE: The Halo-Mono allows the Speedlight’s infrared sensor to be exposed since it sits outside the modifier itself. The flash shoots its light through the diffuser from the back. I used a remote trigger (Skyport) on the strobe I had mounted on the Apollo modifier since that strobe unit sits inside and behind the Apollo’s front diffuser. In this configuration, my commander wouldn’t be able to trigger that flash unit remotely.

My Halo was the real star at this concert (for me anyway)! Meanwhile, look at all the light the Apollo, standing behind me from this angle, was throwing out – WOW!

I used a 2:1 lighting ratio with the Halo and Apollo to create a nice portrait-like lighting set up. Now, how can I explain how much light these two units and modifiers produced? Ah… how about a picture or two?

I moved my Westcott Halo-Mono just to the right side of my camera to light this after-concert group shot. The design of the Mono as a shoot-through light modifier cast enough light for a group two or three times this size. When I was finished, I folded it up with its umbrella-like mechanism, grabbed the light stand, stowed my camera and was on my way. Fast and portable.

This demonstrates how high up I was able to place the Halo Mono on a large Westcott stand. I was “sold” on using Halo’s when traveling with David Ziser (Wedding Photographer Master Trainer). It’s his favorite light modifier and I sure see why! Also, because of the silver lining and black(out) back I had a plenty of light and my audience was NOT blinded by the strobe’s flashes.

I enjoyed the rim lighting that I was getting when taking a few shots of those in the audience with the Halo as a backlight.

Marta Hall – Kenny’s wife of over 30 years. (very proud of her husband)

Larry Hanks – The world’s most famous Jaw Harpist.

All in all it was a great and rare musical evening and my client will be thrilled with the wonderful photos I was able to create thanks to the unobtrusive and powerful light I had in place – Thanks Westcott!