Tim Rogers @ The Grace Emily, September ’09

Tim Rogers doesn’t need to advertise his solo shows. Right across the country the man sells out intimate venues like the Grace (and two nights running none-the-less!) performing in solo mode. So unadvertised was this show that I didn’t even know it was on until the day before!

A tight squeeze right up to the stage meant it would be difficult to suss good spots and angles, but not impossible. Familiar faces in the Grace kindly let me past them in order to get right to the front of the stage (thanks Noir!).

That challenge over, the next one presented itself: Tim was donning a cowboy hat and shooting upwards with what available lighting from above cast a nasty shadow right over his face. I could tell this was not going to change unless the hat came off. Thankfully it did towards the end of the show, but until then I shot at f/2.8, ISO 1600, 1/60 and cursed myself for not having a faster lens

Tim Rogers is no stranger to a drink, having downed a bottle of white (no glass needed!) during his show and a number of beers later. I caught up with him after the show and we chatted about Sydney (my hometown, often mentioned in his music) and I asked if a portrait shot would be cool. He was keen to pose for me, but made it clear they were not for Rip It Up and he was doing it for me personally. No sweat. I found a nice corner in the Grace, and cleared the table thinking he would sit at, it kind of old school style. I took a quick test shot of the empty stool with my flash off camera and then Tim entered the frame and started to pose. I knew I should be ready for anything, and Tim certainly delivered – hamming it up against the wall, not even using the stool. The only thing that would have made these shots better would have been with beer in hand!!

Tim Rogers is a beautiful musician, a damn funny guy and an excellent subject to shoot. While these last shots are by no means great composition wise, it does illustrate his humorous nature.