[Photos] The Flaming Lips @ Merriweather Post Pavilion

• By Kyle
• No Comments
• Permalink

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.

[Photos] Stone Temple Pilots @ Merriweather Post Pavilion

• By Kyle
• No Comments
• Permalink

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.

[Photos] Rock The Bells Photos w/ Nas, The Roots & Talib Kweli

• By Kyle
• No Comments
• Permalink

For the second straight year I had the opportunity to shoot the biggest hip-hop tour of the year, Rock The Bells, featuring artists like Nas, The Roots, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi from OutKast, RZA & Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan and many more. And for the second straight year, the lighting for the show was absolutely horrible. I'm not sure why the lighting people inisisted that the artists play in the dark (especially in the middle of the day) but they certainly weren't doing us photographers any favors.

The shots you see here are processed much more than normal (at least for my general workflow) but I think they still work. There are more photos after the jump.

Click here for the photos that ran on washingtonpost.com along with Sarah Godfrey's review.

[Photos] Taylor Swift & Kellie Pickler @ Merriweather

• By Kyle
• No Comments
• Permalink

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.