Izzy Escobar
Experiencing an Emerging Artist
If you haven’t already, meet Izzy Escobar. People may hate Spotify for their business terms, but the platform can still help artists in the long run. I discovered her music there early last year - probably much earlier than I would have without it. In any case, I found her. So when she came to my area I was ready to make arrangements.
Izzy has been compared with the late Amy Winehouse, among others. A friend suggested she’s a cross between ZZ Ward and Adele. The Cuban-Italian Escobar is jazzy and emotive, with a mix of upbeat and jilted-lover themes in her music. There’s a chance she’ll become a Very Big Deal. There was a story last year in Forbes that predicted as much, if you like a good interview.1 For now she plays in smaller clubs, which I adore.
The other day I photographed her at a place called Cafe du Nord, which can hold about 300 max, standing room only. My kind of place, its very narrow stage notwithstanding. Whether I’m seeing a potential star or not, small and intimate is hard to beat.
Regarding the shoot itself: I had arranged for a press pass with the venue, with the caveat that they asked me to be up front for only the first three songs. That was fine with me, based on how I prefer to photograph performances.
That preference may seem counter-intuitive. But while it’s plenty fun being just 5 feet away from a performer, and can be great for capturing certain subjects2, shooting from below is not the most flattering way to photograph singers. You want a big body and a small head? How about a great view up their nose? I’m not saying to never, but in general the front row on a small stage is not my favorite spot for photographing singers. Not unless I’m elevated myself, or unless the performer gets down low. This next shot was actually photographed from a spot on a stairwell near the back of the room, for example.
I try to get several things from any shoot. A mix of angles if possible. For this next image I was in a VIP box to one side of the stage, at her level. I prefer variety. Angles, compositions, and emotions.
The next shot was taken from an uncomfortable spot, standing on a bench and leaning out from a wall. There was a little ledge I could grab with my left hand to keep me from falling over while I leaned, while holding the camera in my right.
And yes, she’s the star, but she had a tight supporting band. I would have included a group shot if that were possible, but the very narrow stage-and-curtain setup prevented it, no matter where I was located. You can’t always get what you want. So, here’s a teamwork image. This was from about 4 rows back, during those first few songs.
Anyway, a shot can come from anywhere. But unless you’re learning how to shoot music yourself, you may not care about location details, or any of the how and why an image gets made. And that’s perfectly fine.
So long as you can feel the music. A soulful ballad.
Sultry jazz.
And the joy of being there and doing your thing. That’s what we came for in the first place.
Music and photography, yay. However we experience it, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of joy.
Until next time,
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When artists are at this stage of their careers, they are especially endearing to me. For instance, at the time of the interview (and maybe now) she was still teaching music to young girls and middle-aged women a couple of times per week. I love it.
Shooting up at a guitar or saxophone can lead to a variety of nice shots.
Nice work! Nathan (my oldest) has shot several concerts. I forwarded your post to him; I'm sure he can learn some things from it! Also, I'm always looking for new music to listen to, and I like what I've heard from her so far.
Great shots. Agreed, nothing like a small venue!