On Wings of Song at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall
Weill Recital Hall is one of my favorite spaces to shoot in New York. The room holds just 268 people, which means it's intimate enough that the audience feels connected to the performers, but it's still got all the elegance you'd expect from Carnegie Hall. That chandelier doesn't hurt either. It adds this gorgeous ambient light that makes every frame feel elevated.
The architecture gives you natural framing opportunities. Those arches, the cream-colored walls, the stage lighting. They all work together to create images that feel both grand and personal at the same time.
The evening featured soprano Fang Tao Jiang and bass-baritone Le Bu, along with several guest artists and even a children's chorus. This kind of variety is both a challenge and a gift for a photographer. You're constantly adjusting, from intimate solo moments to full ensemble shots, from dramatic operatic gestures to the focused concentration of young singers.
The solo performances give you those powerful close-up moments. When a singer is fully committed to a piece, their face tells the story as much as their voice does.
The ensemble work requires a different approach. You're looking for connections between performers, the way they listen to each other, how they move as a unit. The children's chorus was particularly special to photograph. Their concentration and seriousness about the music created some really moving images.
My philosophy has always been to stay out of the way. The best images come from letting the performance unfold naturally and being ready to capture those authentic moments as they happen.
That means I'm constantly moving (quietly), anticipating the next moment, watching for when the lighting shifts or when a performer is about to hit an emotional peak. It's part technical skill, part intuition built from shooting hundreds of performances.
For performers and arts organizations, having professional documentation of a concert like this isn't just about memories (though that's important too). These images get used for grant applications, season announcements, promotional materials, and building an artist's portfolio. A strong image from Carnegie Hall carries weight. It tells funders and future presenters that an artist or organization is operating at a high level.
That's why I focus on capturing not just the performance itself, but the context. The venue, the audience connection, the professional production values. These details matter when you're trying to communicate the quality and impact of your work.
If you're producing concerts in New York and thinking about professional photography, the best time to plan is before the performance. We can discuss the flow of the program, which moments are most important to capture, and how to minimize any disruption to your artists and audience.
Reach out here if you'd like to discuss documentation for an upcoming performance.
