Music Photographer Luke Bateman Tests Out the DigitaLIZA Max

Brighton-based music photographer Luke Bateman has a wealth of knowledge for shooting film at gigs and has experimented with a wide range of 35 mm and 120 cameras as part of their trade. With an ever-growing archive of negatives to their name and a keen eye for a good photo, we asked Luke to test out the DigitaLIZA Max scanning kit and tell us about the process.

Hi Luke, please tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi, I’m Luke, I am a music photographer and filmmaker based in Brighton. I started shooting back in 2008 and shot my first music gig in 2014. Since then I’ve shot hundreds of bands all over the country. I’ve been working in film labs for the last seven years, currently working at a lovely independent lab in Brighton (Big up Coloursteam!) This has re-awoken my love for all things analogue. I picked up a Pentax 6x7 a few years back and I honestly think it’s the best camera ever made. I’ve put over 80 rolls through it, best not to think about the cost there. I use it mainly for Band Press shots as it’s a bit of a slog to use it at gigs.

What got you into shooting live music with film?

So I shoot digital at gigs 95% of the time but more and more bands have been asking for film photos from shows. So it’s something I’ve been dabbling in more and more. There is a different look you get with film, especially Cinestill 800T and Kodak Tri-X, which are my go to stocks for gigs. I’ve tried to get my digital photos to look more film like but I don’t think it comes close to the real thing.

What are the challenges you face with doing this?

Light. I mostly shoot in small, less than 200 capacity rooms. Even pushed to 3200 f/1.8 it’s always a struggle to get a usable shutter speeds. I’m not a huge fan of using flash at shows as I do my best not to bother the people who have paid to be there.

Also turn around time. I do my best to get the photos back to the bands by at least 1am the night of the show. With film it obviously takes a bit longer.

How did you get on testing the DigitaLIZA Max? How did you set it up?

For 35 mm it’s great, really nice and easy to adjust, with the holder being able to get through a 36 exposure roll in 5 mins is fab. 120 is a bit slower and more of a process to advance the frames so it can take a little longer.

What are the benefits of scanning your own film at home?

So the lab I work at has a Fujifilm SP3000, which is one of the best scanners I’ve worked with. Great output and amazing colors. But after a nine hour shift at work spending another three hours scanning my own work isn’t very appealing, so being able to smash out scans in my own time at home is great. I scan with a fujifilm X-t3 and Nikon 55 mm macro lens, the results are on par with the Sp300 as far as resolution goes but getting the color right takes a bit more time at home.

To see more of Luke's work, visit their Instagram page

2023-07-13 #gear #people #band #music #digitaliza #live-gig