The Time Eric Raith Pissed off Robert Plant

Let me preface this story with- “I didn’t do it on purpose.” So, Mr. Plant, I want you to know it was an accident.

A Flash of Regret: at Okeechobee Fest…

I, Eric Raith was invited to cover Okeechobee Fest, at Sunshine Grove. This was Okeechobee Fest’s first year, and it was very exciting to be involved in covering a new music festival. Being a music enthusiast and having experience shooting other performances for my magazines and real estate, I was eager to document this up close and personal live performance of Robert Plant at Okeechobee Fest. Armed with my pro camera, I got there early enough to be way in the front of the crowd, hoping to snap some incredible photos to share with readers of RAITH MEDIA‘s online magazines: PalmBeachLink.com, BrowardLink.com, and MiamiDadeLink.com. However, before Robert Plant’s performance began, one important piece of instruction was given to all media photographers: keep the flash off during Mr. Plant’s performance. I was told that he didn’t like it, and that flashing lights can interfere with the experience for both performers and audience members, and in a dimly lit venue, they can disrupt the atmosphere that makes live music so special.

Robert Plant’s performance was scheduled for early evening, and when I got into position, it was light out, but it was late enough that it was starting to dim. Waiting there, I got bored, and so I figured I would fill the time by taking random photos of the crowd. It started to get dark, and on the back of the camera screen, I could see that all of my photos of the crowd were coming out too dark, as I had turned the flash off. So… I turned it on. I continued to take my shots of the crowd. Then it was show time. Now it was dark, and Robert Plant came out. The atmosphere of the stage show was purple lights and a lot of smoke, and it was dark.

I waited for the perfect moment when Robert Plant began to move and to sing. That’s when it happened. I started taking my shots and when I took the camera down from my face, I could see Robert Plant looking right at me… and he looked pissed. That’s when I immediately realized that I had forgotten to turn the flash off after taking shots of the crowd. That stare was quick, and I did get the message, as he looked right at me, which I documented in the very lit-up photo above. I fumbled around in the dark and turned the flash off. It was that quick, and he continued, and I continued without incident. The photographer next to me said, “Robert Plant just looked at you,” confirming that he saw it too. It was an accident.

Anyway, I had not intended to disrupt Robert Plant’s performance, and the last thing I wanted was to overshadow the music. The rest of the time I continued to capture the essence of the festival, focusing on the emotional energy of the crowd and the breathtaking art that surrounded me. This experience was a good reminder of the importance of mindfulness in photography, especially in live settings. Please look for what happened when I covered the B-52’s at a music festival… coming soon here on EricRaith.com.