Concerts
September 1, 2009
Confetti canons, dancing gorillas, hundreds of balloons, a big plastic bubble...shooting The Flaming Lips is nothing short of sensory overload. The band has been doing the same show for a few years but far be it from me to let it come through the area without shooting it. I was actually very excited for this show, seeing as the Lips have only played festival sets in the greater-D.C. area since I moved here five years ago. Finally getting to see them do their own show was pretty much a must see.
As you can see from the photos, they didn't disappoint. And although I had heard about this big dancing gorilla, I was unprepared for just how awesome it would be. I decided to shoot with wide lenses on both my camera bodies for this show, thinking shooting telephoto wouldn't do the scene justice.
People (including me) might complain that the band haven't changed their show much in the last few years, but I will say this for the band - they are a photographers best friend. I can't think of many acts that pull out all the stops during the first three songs so the photogs in the pit can get all the good stuff before they have to put their cameras away. And for that, the band will always have my respect.
I almost didn't want to shoot the show from the photo pit. While I was dodging balloons and everything else the band were throwing out to the crowd, I kept thinking that maybe the shots would be better from the soundboard or some spot out in the seats. Maybe next time.
Continue reading "[Photos] The Flaming Lips @ Merriweather Post Pavilion"...
August 25, 2009
Arena shoots generally mean one of two things. A nice big photo pit and a very high stage, or a shoot from the soundboard requiring a very large (and long) lens. More and more I find soundboard shoots are the norm. Outside of the extra gear that's required to shoot them, I don't have anything against soundboard shoots, but it's always nice when it's clear the artist has thought about where the photographers will shoot from. Take Bruce Springsteen for example. The Boss set us photogs up with a platform all to ourselves directly beside the soundboard. We had a nice, elevated view of the show enabling us to get some hands in the bottom of the frame, but nothing obstructing our shots.
Continue reading "[Photos] Keith Urban @ Verizon Center"...
August 6, 2009
Last weekend I got to experience one of the biggest thrills of my photography career when I was given the chance to shoot Sir Paul McCartney during his show at FedEx Field in Landover, MD. This was also my first-ever stadium shoot, and predictably, it was pretty tough.
We were forced to shoot from the soundboard, which, obviously, was a LONG WAY from the stage. I rented a 400mm/2.8 and needed every bit of length from it on my Canon 40D. We were given two songs to shoot and although Sir Paul didn't move from behind the mic stand very much, I was still pleased with my results.
The show was my also my first-ever trip to FedEx Field (where the Redskins play), although I will be back there this weekend for the D.C. United v. Real Madrd match and hopefully in September when U2 comes to town.
For legal reasons I cannot post any of my McCartney pictures here, so head over to DCist to see them all and to also read my concert review.
And follow me on Twitter if you want to know what I am shooting next!
July 29, 2009
I distinctly remember the first time I heard Depeche Mode. I was watching MTV at Nikki Bovender's house in middle school and MTV played the video for "Enjoy The Silence." It was unlike anything I had seen or heard at the time and quite frankly blew my little teenage mind. (It was also my first exposure to Anton Corbijn, but that's a story for another time.) So it's hard to believe that in my 17+ years of concert-going I had never seen Depeche Mode until last night.
The show itself was wonderful. It doesn't appear that they've changed much from their mid-90's heyday, and the set list focused mostly on the latter part of the career, with enough hits sprinkled in there to keep everyone happy. "Policy of Truth" was the highlight for me, with "It's No Good" a close second. The band put on a great show and I would highly recommend going to see them if they are playing a town near you.
The shoot itself was very challenging. The band allowed us four songs (one more than the industry standard) but getting a good variety of shots proved difficult. The stage at Nissan Pavilion is about six feet high and the band had a row of monitors at the lip of the stage, adding another foot or so to the height. Because of the monitors, I knew 1) the band wouldn't be coming up to the edge of the stage and 2) I was only going to get photos from the waist up. The band also had three video cameras in the photo pit, and while they weren't difficult to shoot around, it made maneuvering in the pit a bit difficult. The lighting was great, save for some side lighting that produced a good bit of flare, preventing me from shooting across the stage as much as I would have liked. Their giant video screen washed out most of the background, so I tried to shoot more angles to get some darker background and smoke to frame the band members.
More photos after the jump. If you want to see what i am shooting next, just follow me on Twitter.
Continue reading "[Photos] Depeche Mode @ Nissan Pavilion"...
July 22, 2009
I was surprised at the lack of photographers in the pit for Sunday's Stone Temple Pilots show at Merriweather Post pavilion. I went just hoping to get some good shots of frontman Scott Weiland but ended up staying and enjoying the big rock show. You can read my review of the show over on DCist.
I quite enjoyed shooting this show, Weiland never really let loose but the DeLeo brothers were definitely mugging for the cameras. At one point Dean, the guitarist, stuck the neck of his guitar directly in my lens and held it there so I could take a few snaps. After he pulled away and did a turn, he made eye contact with me, cracked a smile and winked. I gave him a thumbs up and kept shooting.
More photos after the jump.
Continue reading "[Photos] Stone Temple Pilots @ Merriweather Post Pavilion"...
July 6, 2009
Last week I got the chance to see one of my favorite local bands play just a few minutes from my house. Middle Distance Runner (you might have heard them in commercials for HBO or Harley Davidson) were testing out some new material in advance of their upcoming record release this fall. I hadn't seen the band in a loooong time (too long really) so it was nice to get reacquainted with their live show, which has improved quite a bit since I saw them last. Keep an eye on these guys, big things are ahead of them.
More photos after the jump. A few more over on Flickr.
Continue reading "[Photos] Middle Distance Runner @ State Theater"...
June 15, 2009
Last night I had the pleasure of shooting the No Doubt reunion tour at Nissan pavilion in Bristow, VA. The stage was one of the sparsest I have ever seen. Not a single monitor on the front of the stage! The band are in fine form and extremely energetic. It was tough to keep up with them. I can't say I was ever a fan, but they impressed me last night. You can see more photos and read a short review of the show over at DCist.
June 12, 2009
Over 17,000 people packed every inch of Merriweather Post Pavilion to see Taylor Swift & Kellie Pickler last night. This was such a hot ticket that it sold out in under 30 minutes. Pretty impressive. There was no photo pit for this show, so I had to find a place to shoot somewhere in GA area at Merriweather, but this turned out to be a good thing. I was able to set up at the back of the area which gave me a better line of site of the stage. Instead of shooting up the artists noses, I was able to have a good field of vision and get some angles that aren't usually available.
You can read the review of the show in the Washington Post. More photos after the jump.
Continue reading "[Photos] Taylor Swift & Kellie Pickler @ Merriweather"...
June 9, 2009
Last weekend I made the trip uo to Philly with some friends to check out the 2nd Annual Roots Picnic featuring The Roots (playing two sets), TV on the Radio, Santigold, Public Enemy, Antibalas, Asher Roth and more. You can see a full set of photos over on Pitchfork. Yes, that's Donnie and Jordan of the New Kids on the Block above. They made a surprise appearance during The Roots early set.
Despite the main stage eventually running over an hour late, I thought the whole event was run really well. The second stage was in an air conditioned tent and the edia area was sponsored and run by the Philadelphia Tourism Board. The whole event, in addition to being a kick-ass concert, was a great advertisement for the city of Philadelphia. I can't wait to go back.
Continue reading "[Photos] Roots @ Roots Picnic in Philly"...
June 1, 2009
As shot for Washingtonpost.com. I am not a fan of Grizzly Bear at all, but I though the opener, Here We Go Magic, were awesome.
