Rick Wenner • New York City

Sometimes, as a photographer, you will be challenged by uncontrollable conditions. Such was the case when I was asked to head out to The Local 269 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan to photograph The Audiobodies showcase performance. This venue was pretty small and as far as the house lights were concerned, well you might as well have had a flashlight with dying batteries taped to the ceiling. Good thing I asked questions to the publicist, Arien Rozelle of Feeling Anxious, and got some info on what to expect from the bar’s conditions. So, with that knowledge, I decided to bring along a few speedlites to help me out. All I did was set up two speedlites, one at a slight angle to the stage about 40-50 feet away and then another Justin clamped to an overhead TV stand which was to the side of the stage. This gave me a lot of creative control in this environment.

The Audiobodies are, for the most part, a two man band but at this performance they brought in an additional guitarist and drummer. Jason & Wyme are some of the nicest and respectable guys that I have met. They’re music is in a class all of their own and I mean that in a great way. Be sure to keep an eye on these guys as they just signed a record deal with one of the pioneers of hip hop music. They’re destined for a huge successful career in the music industry.