Marado Live in DTLA

Open mic nights are terrifying. That thing where people say, "Imagine everyones in their underwear" doesn't work. This is why I like being behind the camera, no attention on me and all of it on whoever's on stage. Marado on the other hand was made to be in the limelight. He made open mic night look like it was his show and these photos prove it.

I've noticed that most artists focus on the crowd more than me shooting. To be fair, they aren't performing for me specifically, but the audience. Despite that, Marado gave my camera some much deserved attention. It screamed, "I may be here tonight, but this one lives beyond that". It'd be a disservice to not convey that same feeling. 

This is what I mean by making an open mic a personal concert. The energy flowed through Marado into the audience. 

Concert photography is all about being observant and an opportunist, no ones going to wait for you to take "THE" photo. This is a perfect example of setting up your frame for what you anticipate is going to be a great shot.

Written and photographed by Richardesque