Photographing A Lot Like Birds: My Experience Behind the Lens

There’s something electric about watching a band like A Lot Like Birds. They are unpredictable, passionate, and impossible to look away from. HQ in Denver was buzzing from wall to wall, and every frame I shot felt like trying to bottle that intensity just before it spilled over.

The vibe in HQ Denver was electric, on edge, and alive long before A Lot Like Birds hit the stage. You could hear chatter bouncing around the room. Fans comparing shows they’d seen, swapping stories about other bands the members had played in, marveling over moments like, “Wait… you saw that band before they broke up?!” Strangers were connecting over old band t-shirts and tattoos, and you could feel the collective excitement vibrating through the air. People swayed to the radio songs played before the band appeared, warmed up their headbanging on the opening acts, and just felt themselves. This was the first tour for A Lot Like Birds in seven years, and with Andy Cizek joining as a permanent member a few weeks before the tour, so the anticipation was noticeable. Every fan in the room had been waiting a long time for this, and the energy proved it. It was part reunion, part celebration.

Mella, Amarionette, and Dwellings opened the night in Denver, and boy, did they set the tone. By the time A Lot Like Birds finally took the stage, the crowd was sweaty, hoarse, and shaking with excitement. Amazing openers make the room come alive, and that night, they did exactly that.

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Behind the Lens

Shooting at HQ Denver was AMAZING. I had access to everything and more: stage, pit, back of house, front of house, lighting booth. The kind of freedom most venues don’t allow. It was liberating to move freely, capture exactly what I wanted, and not have to navigate (too much) around fans or strict venue restrictions. Security was relaxed, and the policies made me feel calm and in control, like I could truly work and focus on getting the shots I wanted. But with that freedom came responsibility: I had to keep track of gear, navigate a crowd full of sweaty, screaming fans, and make split-second decisions in a pit that was absolutely wild. This kind of environment is rare, but HQ made it feel effortless. 10/10.

For gear, I ran my Canon R5 with three lenses: 35mm, 85mm, and 100mm, though I only really used the first two. The 35mm was perfect for pit shots and close-ups, the 85mm for side stage and medium-range portraits, and the 100mm for shots from the back of the pit. The 100mm saw very little use as the venue was compact and the band practically bouncing off the walls was hard to frame. I ran Black Mist Diffusion on the 35mm and 100mm, and White Mist Diffusion on the 85mm. These just feel essential to my style; I don’t shoot without them.

I started the A Lot Like Birds set in the pit, second row, and wow… it was intense. Right in the middle of the action, camera in hand, dodging elbows and flailing arms, I was exactly where I wanted to be. The pit was wild. I was right there in the action. If I wasn’t shooting, I would’ve most definitely been moshing in the pit myself.

After a few songs, I rotated through the pit, side stage, and back of house trying to get shots from every angle while wondering if my backpack was about to bulldoze someone. Tonight, I decided to bring a small backpack with three lenses. A decision I’ll probably never repeat in a crowded pit again. It felt like I was carrying a small elephant on my back.

The lighting was simple and straightforward but perfect for my style: mostly red with pops of blue, giving me a consistent palette for editing and letting me focus entirely on composition. While this meant less variety across all of the photos, it helped me maintain a cohesive look across the gallery, which I’m really proud of.

[View my full A Lot Like Birds gallery, here!]

I experimented with shutter drag for the first time in a live concert setting. It didn’t always turn out the best, but it produced some really cool, experimental “vibe” shots. Funny enough, every time I switched to the slower shutter speed, a band member seemed to play directly to me. AHHHH. Not every photo came out perfect, but they turned out… something, and that’s all that matters. Right? I learned a lot, and the results added a new layer to the gallery. *thumbs up*

One of the highlights of the show was the guitarist, Greg Almeida, jumping into the crowd on his knees to shred with the fans. He and everyone around him was GLOWING. Greg Almeida, originally from band “Secret Gardens”, was the touring guitarist on this A Lot Like Birds Tour, and it was very cool to get to see him shreddin’ with the bois. He brought the vibes, that’s for sure.

That night was pure joy. And it reminded me of everything that’s thrilling and exhausting about concert photography. I was sweaty, cramped, elbowed, deafened, and exhilarated all at once. I love being in the middle of it all, capturing the intensity of the night through my lens, and walking away with memories that will last me a lifetime. HQ Denver, the band, and the crowd made that night feel alive. The gallery captures the chaos and the emotion of that one night where we all screamed out the lyrics together in a small room in Colorado. And I wouldn’t change a thing. From start to finish, it was an incredible experience, and one of the best nights I’ve ever photographed. I couldn’t be prouder of the photos I took at this show and if you’d like to check out my full gallery, you can view them, here.

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The Emotion of the Performance

HQ Denver was living that night, pulsing with anticipation the moment the lights dropped. The air felt electric and thick with years of waiting and excitement finally ready to explode. Every person in the room was moving to the music. Some headbanging, some swaying, some just shouting the lyrics at the top of their lungs, completely lost in the moment. You could see it on every face: joy, relief, exhilaration, connection. It was loud, messy, beautiful, and human.

Watching the band, you could feel the intensity of their history and passion pouring through every strum, every note, every scream. When Kurt Travis and Andy Cizek shared a moment on stage, or when the touring guitarist dove into the crowd to shred, it wasn’t just a performance, it was a conversation, an invitation for the fans to be part of something larger than themselves.

Being in the pit, camera in hand, was overwhelming and comforting in the best way. The chaos surrounded me, but it didn’t drown out the intimacy of the connection. Each person singing every word, every fan reacting to a note as if it were written just for them, made it clear that this night was more than a concert. It was a celebration and a memory etched into all of us who were there.

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KRX Concert Scorecard

Mosh Meter: 9/10 – Punches and elbows were definitely being thrown
Sing-Along Energy: 8/10 – Most everyone was screaming along to every note
Stage Chaos: 12/10 – Intense, amazing, beautiful – They definitely knew how to put on a show
Lighting Luck: 10/10 – I loved the lighting of the show, made for easy photography
Photo-Worthy Moments: 10/10 – With so much energy, the photos came naturally
Energy Level: 12/10 – Between the band and the crowd, the place was practically ready to explode

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By the time the last note rang out, the room was buzzing with that quiet, lingering chaos that only a show like this can leave behind. Sweat, adrenaline, and uncontained excitement hung in the air as fans began trailing over to the merch booths. It wasn’t just a performance, it was a culmination of years spent excitedly waiting.

A Lot Like Birds delivered a performance that will stick with me for a long time. Their energy was chaotic, raw, and completely captivating, blending years of history, emotion, and talent into one unforgettable night.

Photographing live music isn’t just about images; it’s about chasing the feelings that make a show unforgettable. A Lot Like Birds gave us that in hand-fulls, and I am so grateful to have been there to witness it, camera ready, in the middle of it all.

Huge thank you to A Lot Like Birds and their team for having me out and trusting me to capture such an incredible night. And Thanks to the Band for putting on such a KILLER performance.

Until next time.

See the full gallery from the A Lot Like Birds show →

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Shot on Canon R5 with the RF 35mm f/1.8, RF 85mm f/2.0, and RF 100mm f/2.8L.
Venue: HQ, Denver, CO.
For licensing or tour photography inquiries, contact me here.
Written and photographed by Kenedy Rae.
View A Lot Like Birds work, here.

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Want to view my full gallery for this concert?
-> View my concert gallery from this show here.

For more live concert photography, gear reviews, and behind-the-scenes stories, visit KRX Media.

Like this behind-the-scenes concert blog post? Check out my write-up on Bad Suns live in Denver here.

For more of my concert work, visit KRX Media | Music.

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