How we photographed Olivia Rodrigo at Lollapalooza

This week’s top photo comes from visual journalist Anthony Vazquez. Follow him on Instagram.

What makes this photo great?

At a concert, good lighting is your best friend. With the right combination of light, smoke and effects, producing great photos becomes much easier. In this photo, Olivia Rodrigo has a dynamic, energetic pose. Smoke and effects add to the atmosphere. The lighting worked in my favor, creating a dramatic cone of white light that highlighted her against the red background.

How I got this shot

Photographing this required some planning and anticipation. During the concert, I was in the photo pit, constantly moving to find good angles. Rodrigo had been using the runway a few times, so I anticipated she was going to either face it or walk down it. I ran to the very front of the runway early to get a clean, head-on photo. I got into position and started taking photos. Luckily, the lighting changed at the perfect moment, creating that beautiful cone of white light with the red background and smoke. This is a great example of how anticipating a performer’s movements and planning your shot pays off.

Technical details

  • Equipment: Canon R5
  • Focal length: 70mm
  • Aperture: f/2.8
  • Exposure: 1/1250
  • ISO: 1250

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Sierra Ferrell performs on the first day of Lollapalooza.

Sierra Ferrell performs on the first day of Lollapalooza.

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T-Pain performs on the Bud Light stage on day two of Lollapalooza.

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Luke Combs performs on the Bud Light Stage at Lollapalooza.

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Remi Wolf performs at the Bud Light stage during day four of Lollapalooza.

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Dua Saleh performs at the Grove stage during day three of Lollapalooza.

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Artist Faheem Majeed stands next to a an inflatable exhibit, which is celebrating Mecca Flats, at Siegel Field, behind Illinois Institute of Technology's Crown Hall.

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Buckingham Fountain is seen from the air at Grant Park on Tuesday.

Buckingham Fountain is seen from the air at Grant Park on Tuesday.

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