11/15 Underoath @ The Bren Center Irvine,CA

This has got to be one of my favorite sets of pictures so far and I actually had to work for these. I didn't have the luxury during this set of just sharing the pit with one or two other photographers. No, this time it seemed like there were 10 of us in there, including a video guy. It made it a lot more interesting though, I can tell you that. And the waves of crowd surfers coming in added a little twist as well. Working my way around the pit and trying not to block other people's shots took a little work, but was was way worth it.



Underoath put on an amazing show and I'm glad I was able to shoot it. I am definitely looking forward to shooting one of their shows again soon. Thanks to The Famine and Libby (Underoath) for having my on their guest list for this one.

Check out the pics and let me know what you think.

Also, check out the band's pages for the rest of the tour dates and other cool stuff.

www.myspace.com/underoath
www.myspace.com/saosin
www.myspace.com/tdwp
www.myspace.com/thefaminedestroys

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11/15 Saosin @ the Bren Center Irvine, CA

I'm so glad I caught Saosin on this tour as well. I saw them perform @ Spare the Air Festival in Fullerton back in August, but was unable to shoot the show because of some confusion with my photo pass. Anyway, these guys rocked it!

Check out some of the pics from their set and let me know what you thought of the show.

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11/15 The Devil Wears Prada @ The Bren Center

Like all the other bands, this was my first time shooting The Devil Wears Prada. I was too late in submitting a photo pass request for Warped Tour this year where I could have seen them, but that's a whole different story. A few photographers told me what to look for during the set, but once TDWP took the stage, all that went right over my head, sorry guys! These guys were all over the place. It was great in a way, but it made my 3 songs in the pit go by way too fast.

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11/15 The Famine @ the Bren Event Center Irvine,Ca

This was probably the toughest set of the night to shoot. I should have used flash once again, but like I mentioned before, I'm just not comfortable with the way my pictures turn out when I use it. Plus, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking as many pics as I do with the flash firing off in the musicians face for 15 minutes. So instead, I just shot at ISO 3200 the whole set and was forced to shoot as slow as 1/80 to get some decent light without too much blur.

Anyway, what did you guys think of the Famine? Check out the pics and let me know!

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Divide The Day w/ Face To Face @ Anaheim House of Blues

Divide The Day (Click photo to view set)

I caught Divide The Day last night @ the Anaheim House of Blues and I have to say thanks again to Adam and Billy for taking time before their set to get all the photo paperwork straightened out. It was unnecessary time wasted that other bands probably wouldn't have dealt with, but these guys were cool as hell about it.



DTD, as I expected, was great. It was the second time I've seen them play and I wanted to shoot this show for a reason. The lighting for their set, however, was a little tougher than I'd hoped for. There was a combo of green, red, and blue lights used throughout the whole set, which I'm used to, but there were barely any fill lights to work with. I gave in to the temptation to use flash for this set after seeing the photographer next to me using his, but after about half a song, I got over it. I realized it just wasn't my style, not yet, until I learn to use it right. When I shoot shows, I try to capture the essence of the show, and flash, in my opinion, can take away from it.

Anyway, check out the pics from the set by clicking the photo above and keep in mind that I don't do much post processing on the pics. It's more important to me to post them up as soon as possible than to spend a whole day trying to fix one photo.

Check out Divide The Day @ www.myspace.com/dividetheday to check out upcoming shows and ask them how you can get their new album. Take the time to see them live...you will not be disappointed!

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INTERVIEW: The Famine (on tour with Underoath, Saosin, and The Devil Wears Prada)

With their November tour kicking off tonight in Seattle, Washington and the acquisition of thousands of new fans shortly approaching, I caught up with Texas metal band, The Famine (Solid State Records), to give us all a little insight as to what they're all about.

Who am I speaking to?

Nick Nowell, bassist and roustabout.

First off, your new album, the Raven and the Reaping, is intense. I like it. It has an in your face, kick ass attitude that reflects onto your image, but tell me, what are you and the rest of the guys like off the stage?

We are all pretty laid back and nerdy. We listen to lots of journey, play scrabble, and have in depth discussions about Carcass being better than Suffocation. Everyone in the band except for me is married, and Mark and Andy both have two kids apiece, so they regularly check in with their families to make sure everything is in order back home.

Do you have jobs/careers outside the band?

Andy and Mark both own residential and commercial remodeling companies, I'm a full-time substitute teacher and English tutor, and Chris is engaged in freelance media design work.

What are you looking forward to most on this tour with Underoath? Is there a particular city you guys are looking forward to shred? Or does it all feel the same?

Dallas is always our favorite, for obvious reasons. Seattle and the Irvine area both treated us exceptionally well on the last tour, and we have friends in both of those places, so I'm excited about those as well. We've never played San Fransisco before, and I'm pumped to check it out. Several of my favorite bands were from the bay area, and I hear the city itself is breathtaking.

Are you pretty tight with the guys in Underoath, Saosin, and The Devil Wears Prada?

We know several of the guys in Underoath, and they are nothing but rad. Honestly, none of us know any of the guys in Saosin or TDWP. That's actually a cool thing, though, because it gives us a chance to meet new people and make new friends. We didn't know any of the guys in Advent before the last tour, and now I'd give my kidney to any of them. Tour is generally a lovefest for us, so I see it working out well.

What do you guys do to get pumped up before a show? Do you play marbles? Pogs? Duck duck goose? Lol, sorry, what gets you guys going?

Since we don't get much sleep on tour, we generally try to relax between the time we load in and the time we play. We all have a pretty set routine beginning when we arrive at the venue. Our tour manager scopes out the sound system, Andy and I unload the trailer, Mark sets up his drums, and Chris sets up our merch. Chris has a full vocal warmup he does in the van before each of our sets. Outside of that, this is the time we use to hang out with the other bands.

I have to know what has been the craziest or most embarrassing thing that has happened to you guys on stage?

We have been pretty lucky so far in regards to disgracing the stage. Outside of a few small shocks from ungrounded outlets and mysterious ground hum noises, nothing too crazy has happened. On the last show of the Demon Hunter tour in Myrtle Beach, the guys from the other bands got together and closed the curtain on us during our first song, but that was more funny than it was embarrassing. We also pranked all of the other bands back tenfold that night.

When this tour is up and gone, what message do you wish to leave behind with all your fans?

In the broader sense, we'd like everyone to know that we are intensely sincere about what we do, and that we are happy to make the sacrifices we make because we are the luckiest guys in the world. We will be here for a while. On a more personal level, we are always excited to meet new people and make new friends. Making those personal connections is definitely what fuels our fire.

Finally, what do you guys like to do when you're not writing or playing music?

Well, Chris and I are both vegans and we really enjoy cooking. I'm also into video games, horror movies, and classic literature. Mark and I are also political junkies. Mark is very involved in his church, and he and Andy both have kids to raise, which is definitely a full time job. Chris and his wife live in New York City, so they run around the city and live it up in their free time.

Thanks so much for your time and best of luck to you guys on the tour, any last comments?

Thanks for the questions. We'd love everyone to check out our record, come out to the shows, and say hello!

The Raven and The Reaping is available now on itunes and Amazon.

Check out www.myspace.com/thefaminedestroys or http://www.the-famine.com/ for more band info and upcoming tour dates.

*Also, Check back for live pics of The Famine from The Bren Center in Irvine, CA.

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Hawthorne Heights, Emery, Tickle Me Pink & More @ The Glasshouse

Hawthorne Heights

Emery

Tickle Me Pink

So luckily I was able to get a last minute photo pass to the Nov. 7 show @ the Glasshouse. Huge thanks to those that made it happen. I have to add, I have had some good experiences so far shooting at the Glasshouse. Even the parking situation is not all that bad. The only thing that sucks for me on my way up from Costa Mesa is the traffic. So for those of you heading out to the Glasshouse soon, it's way chill, just be sure to leave early and hang out before the show. A lot of the bands hang out next door @ The Glasshouse Reocords store anyways so it'll be chill...Anyways,Check out the pics of Hawthorne Heights, Emery, Tickle Me Pink, The Mile After, and The Malheruex (by clicking one of the pics above) and let me know what YOU thought of the show...

(Don't forget to click the photo above to see shots of the show!!)

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Band Photo Archive

--A--

THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT: May 16,'09

ALL TIME LOW: Nov.2,'08

ANBERLIN: Oct.17,'08   May 16,'09

ASHER ROTH: May 16,'09

AVENGED SEVENFOLD Apr.16,'09

--B--

BLEEDING THROUGH: Oct.11,'08

BUCKCHERRY Apr.16,'09

BULLETS AND OCTANE: May 2,'09

--C--
--D--

DEAD SARA: Oct.11,'08

DEAR HEARTS: Oct.11,'08

DEATH BY STEREO: Oct.11,'08

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: Nov.15,'08

DIVIDE THE DAY: Nov.14,'08

--E--

EMERY: Nov.7,'08

ESCAPE THE FATE: May 2,'09

EVERY AVENUE:Nov.2,'08

EVERY TIME I DIE: Oct.11,'08

--F--

FACE TO FACE: Nov.14,'08

THE FAMINE: Nov.15,'08

--G--
--H --

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS: Nov.7,'08

--I --

IGNITE: Oct.11,'08

--J--

JIMMY EAT WORLD: May 16,'09

--K--

KINGS OF LEON: May 16,'09

--L--

LIVING SACRIFICE: Oct.11,'08

--M--

THE MAINE: Nov.2,'08

THE MALHERUEX: Nov.7,'08

MAYDAY PARADE: Nov.2,'08

THE MILE AFTER: Nov.2,'08

--N--
--O--
--P--

PERFECT LIKE ME: May 2,'09

Project 1
--Q--
--R--

RANCID: May 16,'09

RATTLEFACE: Oct.5,'08

REVOLUTION MOTHER: Oct.11,'08

RIVAL SCHOOLS: Oct.11,'08

--S--

SAOSIN: Nov.15,'08

SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS: Oct.17,'08

SET YOUR GOALS: Oct.11,'08

SILVERSUN PICKUPS: May 16,'09

SKY DIAMOND CITY: May 2,'09

STRAYLIGHT RUN: Oct.17,'08

--T--

THERE FOR TOMORROWOct.17,'08

TICKLE ME PINK: Nov.7,'08

TRV$DJ-AM: May 16,'09

--U--

UNDEROATH: Nov.15,'08

UNWRITTEN LEGACY: Oct.5,'08

--V--

THE VANDALS: Oct.11,'08

--W--

WEEZER: May 16,'09

WHITE LIES: May 16,'09

--X--
--Y--

YEAH YEAH YEAHS: May 16,'09

--Z--

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All Time Low, Mayday Parade, The Maine, Every Avenue @ The Anaheim House of Blues

All Time Low

Mayday Parade

The Maine

Every Avenue

The sold out crowd at the Anaheim House of Blues definitely seemed pleased Sunday Nov. 2 after great performances by Every Avenue, The Maine, Mayday Parade, And All Time Low...It was my first time shooting at the House of Blues and I have to admit Mayday Parade's set lighting was more than ideal using a lot of white fill lights and making it my favorite set of the night..Check out the pics by clicking the one above.

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Oct. 17 Anberlin, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, There For Tomorrow and Straylight Run @ the Glasshouse

Anberlin

Scary Kids Scaring Kids

There For Tomorrow

Straylight Run

I got the opportunity to shoot Anberlin, SKSK, There For Tomorrow, and Straylight run @ the Glasshouse in Pomona and have to say it was nothing short of Amazing. It was my first time @ the Glasshouse and the lighting was amazing. I'm definitely looking forward to shooting there again soon. Check out some pics of the show by clicking on one of the pics.

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MY CONCERT CALENDAR

***shows that I'm shooting are in bold
___________________________________________________________________


June 7, 2009 : Gavin Rossdale @ Anaheim House of Blues

June 16, 2009: The Wallflowers @ Anaheim House of Blues

June 24, 2009: Third Eye Blind @ Anaheim House of Blues

July 1, 2009 : Boys Like Girls w/ Never Shout Never @ Anaheim House of Blues

July 19, 2009: Coldplay @ Irvine Verizon Wireless

July 29, 2009: Jack's Mannequin w/ The Fray @ Irvine Verizon Wireless

August 2, 2009: No Doubt w/ Paramore @ Irvine Verizon Wireless

August 4, 2009: No Doubt w/ Katy Perry @ Irvine Verizon Wireless

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Frequently Asked Questions...

These are some of the questions I had when I first got interested in shooting shows. And now, after shooting for almost 2 years now, I partially know the answers to well, some of them.

HOW DO I GET A PHOTO PASS/CREDENTIALS?

The best thing to do when you're starting out is to go to some small local venues like clubs or bars in your area. A lot of the time you can get your camera in to these shows and just to be cool, you could also try to contact the band and let them know that you're trying to start a portfolio and so on. You'll be able to shoot the whole set and get a lot of cool shots for your portfolio... Once you get some cool shots, you might be ready to move on up to bigger bands. You're best best is to look for a local magazine, webzine, newspaper, etc to shoot for. It may be possible to get a photopass on your own without any ties to a large media outlet (I have), but it can be tough most of the time. The next step is to contact the band's publicist. It may be tough to find this information, but I've had a lot of luck so far with myspace band sites in finding that information. Once you get in touch with the right person, good luck! Remember, it doesn't hurt to ask. I've been surprised a few times to.Good luck

WHAT DO I DO WHEN I GET TO THE VENUE?

Well, if you're me...you cross your fingers. I don't know what it is, but I've had my share of shows where I wasn't on the list. Not too surprising because I know that can happen, its just frustrating. Anyway, you'll usually just go to will call and ask for the photo/guest list and present them with your I.D. They'll let you know then what else you need to do. Once you find out you are on the list, you're golden from there.

DO I GET TO WATCH THE WHOLE SHOW?

When I first thought about shooting shows I thought I would get to shoot and enjoy the entire show. Very soon did I find out that thats not always the case. It really depends on the venue. I like shooting at venues like the House Of Blues because even after I shoot my 3 (allowable) songs in the pit, I can still enjoy the rest of the show if I choose. Now thats not the case at other venues. I've been escorted out of the showroom after my 3 songs and had to wait out there for the next band to go on only to do the same thing... Not so fun. So as you can see, it may vary from venue to venue, at least from my experience.

CAN I USE A FLASH AT SHOWS?

This is pretty surprising to me. I've shot at the same venue a few times and sometimes they allow flash and other times they don't. I don't get it, but it may be a request from the bands or just might depend on who is working that night. Whatever the case may be, I try to stay away from flash most of the time. I think I've used flash once and I personally wasn't pleased with how my shots came out. However, you can do some cool stuff with an off camera flash, pretty amazing stuff.

HOW DO I MAKE MONEY WITH CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY?

This is the question of the century and I sure as heck do not have the answer to this one. I know you can a get a few bucks from contributing to magazines or whatever, but if anyone has a real way to make money with shooting shows, please...let me know.. :)

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