Behind the Lens-A Night Working with Lionel Richie
When I got the message to cover Lionel Richie's stop in San Antonio, I knew it was going to be a special one, not just because of who was on stage, but who I'd be sharing the pit with. Working alongside fellow local photographers Aaron Quintanilla and Jaime Monzon made the night feel like a reunion, the three of us have crossed paths in photo pits around the city for years, and it was great to finally be working the same gig together instead of just seeing each other in passing at other shows. Richie's team gave us a level of access I wasn't expecting: coverage started with his arrival from the airport, continued into the dressing room where the mayor presented him with a city proclamation, and included a moment with Frost Bank Center staff gifting him a San Antonio Spurs jersey. Add in the fact that growing up, he was one of the few celebrities I shared a birthday with, and the whole night had a surreal, full-circle quality to it. This wasn't my first time covering Richie either, I shot his 2024 Frost Bank Center show for MySA, so getting to come back around for this one felt like a nice continuation.
What really made the experience stand out was how much room his team gave us to actually do our jobs. We had access to the entire venue at Frost Bank Center, from the nosebleeds all the way down to onstage and backstage, which is rare for a show at this level. That kind of freedom let us tell the full story of the night instead of just grabbing the standard three-songs-no-flash shots from the pit. Between the arrival, the proclamation, the jersey presentation, and the performance itself, it was one of those experiences that reminded me why I got into music photography in the first place. Below is a gallery from the night.
