The band Five Way Street. © 2020 by Gayle Martin. All Rights Reserved.
Once upon a time, before Covid came along, I was a regular at The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley, Arizona. It was a fun place. Several of my friends performed there, and I made a number of new friends there too; performers, as well as other regulars. What I loved about the Gaslight, along with their awesome shows, was that they not only allowed photography, they encouraged it. Well in that case, count me in.
I soon found the perfect spot for taking photos; an aisle seat in the second to last row. This seat was almost like a cubbyhole, as there was a divider directly behind it, so I could stand and shoot photos without disturbing anyone behind me. Staff soon started referring to it as, “Gayle’s Table.” At least whenever I was there.
My favorite camera was my Canon Rebel 6ti with a Tamron 2.8 70-200mm lens. It wasn’t exactly lightweight. The entire rig weighed about 5 pounds, but I could shoot a clear enough close up of performer’s faces that you could see their eye color. The real challenge was the lighting. It was a show, after all, and the lights were constantly changing, oftentimes faster than I could keep up with it, but I dealt with it. Then, after the show, I posted the best of the best photos on Facebook. The Gaslight management loved it. So much so that a number of my photos are now hanging in the theater auditorium.
Here is a small sample of my Gaslight photography. I sure miss those days. Good times.
Gayle Martin
Carlos “Charlie” Hall. @2020 by Gayle Martin. All Rights Reserved.
Not Fade Away Show.
Class of 1970 Show.