When Opportunity Responds to Your Instagram Story

There you were. Just minding your own business, trying to get some work done or maybe trying to wind down after a long day, and it happens. 

*DING* A new instagram notification! 

More often than not, someone you follow just posted a new reel or story and what starts as a quick check to see what’s going on becomes an endless scroll through reels, stories, and posts. We all do it. And let's be honest, we probably spend more time scrolling than we should.

It was on one of these scrolling adventures that I came across a post about tour dates for a music artist by the name of NEFFEX. Dates that included a location in Dallas, Texas. 

I originally discovered NEFFEX a couple years ago while I was working on a video editing project. Lofi and electronic rock used to be my go to for background music when I work, but that day I decided to go in search of something with just a little more energy.

And boy, does this music have energy.

For those who aren’t familiar with his music, NEFFEX is a music project headed by Bryce Savage.  He has released over 200 songs over the past few years, many of which have been made available copyright free and downloadable for use by other content creators. 

With song titles like “Conviction,” “Fight Back,” and “Best of Me,” his lyrics are crazy inspirational and have a way of motivating me and many others like nothing else can. I only had to listen to a couple songs and I was completely hooked. Whether I’m heading out on a ride, shooting an event, or editing photos, I typically turn to NEFFEX to get myself pumped up and inspired. 

So when I saw that post about a show in Dallas, I knew there was no way I was going to miss it. For one thing, I love to see bands and artists live. The atmosphere of the lighting and cheering fans all rocking out to the same song just cannot compare to listening to a recording, no matter how badass the music. 

So I decided to go out on a limb and shared the post on my story, tagging the NEFFEX account and asking if they needed another photographer for the show. 

This is actually something I’ve done countless times with other creators and artists. After all, the whole point of social media is to connect with other people, right? Plus, you never know what could happen if you don’t try.

Most of the time, I don't get any kind of response, but they occasionally do lead to some really cool conversations with people I might never have connected with otherwise. 

This time, it turned out to be so much more than a cool conversation. A few hours and a couple of emails later and I was set to not only attend the show in Dallas but shoot some photos as well. 

You know the gif of Jonah Hill screaming like a fangirl? Yeah, that was me for the rest of the day after that was set.

There was just one little problem.

I'm used to natural lighting out in the woods, which sometimes involves low light environments, but the complete darkness of a concert venue mixed with harsh, vibrant spot lights? Long story short, concert photography is not something I would have classified myself as ready for.

Thankfully, this exchange took place in March 2023 and the show wasn’t until December, so I had plenty of time to study up. I spent the next few months watching videos and listening to podcasts on concert photography as well as low light and flash photography. And of course, I practiced some of what I was learning whenever I had the chance.

This meant taking a few hundred pictures of my dogs while learning these new skills. The dogs are slightly more willing than my wife to have their picture taken, but far more likely to try sticking their noses on my lens. 

A couple of months go by of this researching and practicing, researching and practicing (and wiping dog nose off my lenses). To be honest, the most notable thing that happened was I got a couple more gray hairs and a little better looking. I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure how that last part happened either - I’m just as shocked as you are.

Eventually, the day of the show arrives. The venue? Ruin in Dallas, Texas. Ruin is a small venue decorated entirely in street art style and is only able to hold a few hundred at max. In fact, when tickets went on sale it sold out almost immediately, prompting the addition of a second show the next night.

While I had never shot a concert before, I have been to my fair show of shows in the past and I personally love small venues like this.  You always have a great view of whoever is performing, the acoustics generally sound great, and the crowds are always incredibly passionate. 

When I got to the venue, the first order of business was to find my point of contact and compare lenses and camera gear with the NEFFEX media team. Anyone who is a camera junkie knows exactly what I mean. Asking about another photographer’s lens and gear setup is basically a ritualistic greeting ceremony. It’s also not optional.

Here, I have to give a special shoutout to the media team for giving me the opportunity to shadow them before and during the show. Their expertise turned out to be the key to some of the best photos that I got over the course of the night. As a newbie to concert photography, I was clueless about the rules of the game - where I could wander, the best spots for taking shots, or even if there were areas that were a complete no-go. Having a seasoned pro to answer these logistical questions was a massive help.

They also had advice about the unique challenges I would face and even signaled to me when Bryce was about to make a stage dive so I could get myself in position.

Being a photographer isn’t just about understanding camera settings - although that is an important part of it. It’s also about being in the right place at the right time, ready to capture that magic moment before it’s gone. And thanks to the media team, I was fully equipped to do just that. 

But before the show got officially started and I was able to put their advice to work, I got the chance to spend some time at the VIP meet and greet. Spoilers: this may have been my favorite part of the night.

The meet and greet was more than a chance to meet Bryce and the NEFFEX team before the performance - it was more like a family reunion. Every single fan was met with a hug and open ears ready to hear about not only their favorite songs but how it has affected their lives. More than one tear was shed in these encounters.

Among these fans were several young boys, most of them around 8 or 10 years old. All of them were huge NEFFEX fans excited to not only experience their first ever concert, but also to meet the man himself. 

During his conversations with each of these boys, Bryce did one simple thing to show how much he cares for and respects his fans: he knelt down to talk to them at eye level. That may not sound like much, but to me it is a huge sign of respect. It was a signal that he was ready to talk to them as equals and take what they had to say just as seriously as he would with an adult. 

To top it off, during the show he invited all four boys up onstage to rock out and do a little head banging!

As for the show itself, it was nothing short of mind-blowing, starting with Champagne B, the resident DJ for all NEFFEX shows. He got the night started with some 90s throwbacks before diving straight into the NEFFEX setlist - and I was half convinced they’d raided my Spotify account and played all of my favorite songs. And I think everyone else felt the same way because the energy of the room from start to finish was nothing short of an electric collision of sound and spirit.

The golden rule of the night? If you knew the lyrics, you had to sing along. And let me tell you, I more than did my part as I weaved in and out of the crowd from the stage to every part of the room I could get to trying to get as many snapshots as I could of what I was seeing all around me.

I also think the time spent practicing low light and high ISO techniques on my doggos gave me the confidence to get exposures right and embrace the contrast of the shadows and the harsh lighting, as well as teaching me a lot about using whatever light is available in whatever way  I could. 

Hear me now fellow photographers! High ISO can be your friend! Many of the images you see here were at 12800!

One of the photos that I am most proud of is a straight-on shot of Bryce looking out into the crowd. For one thing, it’s just a cool freaking shot. But what I really like about it is the awkward way that I managed to capture it.

If you've ever spotted me during a mountain bike race, you'd know I'm no stranger to getting down and dirty (literally!) to capture the perfect shot. This time, though, I swapped the dirt for an empty chair at the back of the crowd. Holding my camera up as high as I could with a hefty 70-200 lens attached, I zoomed all the way in and squinted up at the screen above me to try and get a glimpse of what the viewfinder was looking at. To be honest with you, it was kind of a shot in the dark (pun intended), hoping against hope that I'd capture something worth looking at when it was all said and done.

The results? I'll let you all decide for yourself. 

As for me, from on stage to in the crowd, the images in this blog post are for sure some of my new personal favorites out of the work I have done. One effect of the lighting and the camera settings that I used is a grainy, grungy sort of veneer a lot of the photos, but I feel like that goes a long way to capturing the essence of the venue and the show itself. 

I'm willing to admit that I’m a little biased in that opinion. But other than just sharing these images and this story with you, I hope the takeaway is that you try something new, even if you don’t have a clue how it will turn out. 

I never would have had an opportunity like this if I wasn’t willing to just make that one Instagram story. It’s a saying we have all heard plenty of times, but it stands true: that next amazing opportunity to add to your personal collection of stories could be just a simple question away. 

In MTB terms, what I'm trying to say is…

Let go of the coward levers and just send it!