Portugal. The Man: A Tale From The Photo Pit

PORTUGAL. THE MAN

PORTUGAL. THE MAN; photo Lauren Ratkowski

Jump in the car. Battle through traffic. Find a parking space. Dash to the venue. Get in line. Go to the box office. Everything was a rush, but nothing could stop my excitement to get back into the photo pit. After receiving my photo pass, I had only two minutes to make it inside and catch the first act. Usually I leave myself more time, but sometimes a rush can keep you on your toes!

PORTUGAL. THE MAN; photo Lauren Ratkowski

PORTUGAL. THE MAN; photo Lauren Ratkowski

When Portugal. The Man stepped on stage, the audience was wowed with a beautiful visual show. A massive projector sat at the edge of the stage, pointed toward a plain white backdrop. Each song had its own look, showing melting faces, lyrics, and psychedelic patterns. Did I mention there were lasers? Because there were LASERS.

As the set unfolded, I was wowed by the bands lighting display. As a photographer, I always appreciate good lighting because it makes my job easier. However, Portugal. The Man took things one step further.

PORTUGAL. THE MAN; photo Lauren Ratkowski

PORTUGAL. THE MAN; photo Lauren Ratkowski

The use of the projector complimented the stage lighting perfectly. There was very little of the dreaded solid red or blue light. Instead, the lighting was very mixed in terms of colors, which contributed to great variation in the photographs. This mixture allowed me to create everything from silhouettes to almost tie-dyed looking photographs. The previously mentioned lasers served as the cherry on top! Their sharp colors contrasted against the projections and stage lighting, making the band look like they had super powers. Perhaps this was their plan all along?

Portugal. The Man put on a crowd-wowing show for a full house. I was grateful I could experience such an incredible visual band perform!