Photos of drummers never look the way drums sound, to me. I suppose that’s a given because, well, two different senses, but I love shooting drummers — so much movement! so much interesting gear! — and sometimes I’m frustrated by my inability to capture the way a backbeat sounds in my head and my chest and my heart.
One of my favorite things about the 506 is the stage set-up — it certainly isn’t the lights — because it means, if the crowd is thin enough or positioned well, I can get right up and take great close-ups of whoever’s drumming. Drummers are so often trapped at the backs of stages, almost invisible to the camera, and the 506 puts them in a place where I can get to them, which I like.