It’s 2020, a new decade! We’re feeling good, we’re trying new things! This blog series being one of them. I’m going to be sharing recap’s of my work each month for YOU the viewer, because I feel like I owe it to ya, and to help you get a little insight on what I’m up to behind the scenes. So, two things moving forward. One: Be prepared to read a little bit, or don’t. Two: Be prepared to see a bunch of my personal favorite shots that I’ll be taking of all kinds of events and artists each month. So, without further ado, I give you my take on January 2020:
Getting a kick start on the new year is always a hit or miss in the industry of concert photography. You either hit the ground running from the previous year, or you simply just… hit the ground. What I mean by that is, your year starts off at light speed or it’s slow as hell, and it differs for everybody. For me, personally, January started off so painfully slow, but I can’t tell you how happy I am to have finished the month off on the right track.
The first gig of the year took place at Rogers Place, with the likes of fellow Canadian’s in ALEXISONFIRE in front of the lens. This wasn’t the first time I’ve photographed these kats, so my 6D’s and I knew what to expect walking into the pit for this one; dark, strobey lights with a TON of movement on stage. Because of this, ALEXISONFIRE can a bit of a challenge to capture, but I always walk away with something that I’m satisfied with whenever I have the chance to shoot them.
Following ALEXISONFIRE, I was able to get together for a brief photo session with Illyrian, my pals from Calgary, just hours before shooting Hyperia, another group of Calgary pals, during their Edmonton CD release show at the Rendezvous Pub. Hyperia just released their debut full length album entitled “Insanitorium” and it’s everything the thrash-metal enthusiast needs. You can check it out and grip your copy of that record HERE. Shooting a band like them in a venue like the Rendezvous is bittersweet. I mean no disrespect when I say that, after all, the Rendezvous is one of the many places where I cut my teeth when I first started photographing bands when I was a young pup. By bittersweet, I simply mean that the venue itself is cool, and is a friendly, comfortable and great place to catch local talent, but the lighting on stage is… Dark. Not super ideal for photos, but hey. I’m always up for a challenge. With a fast lens on my camera, I was able to catch some key moments of Hyperia ripping apart the room. Luckily, I walked away from the gig feeling satisfied with my shots, and Hyperia loves the gallery I turned over, so it turned out to be a win-win for everyone
With Illyrian, we were pretty crunched for time, and didn’t have much of a plan in place for our photo shoot, so we decided to kick it old-school, and shoot in the back alley behind the venue. Living in Canada, there’s really no way to avoid having some amount of snow to work in and/or around for about 9 months of the year, so making an urban, snowy environment look cool can be a real pain in the ass. So in order to get that moody, don’t-fuck-with-us vibe, I approached this shoot with the most simple light set up; One light and an umbrella on a light stand, and I’m quite happy with the results. The shoot for Illyrian was a little over due; Since our last shoot, they’ve welcomed a new guitarist into the band, and have announced some pretty wicked shows, one of which is coming up in April. But I digress, I’m glad we were able to make the time to kick it while they played Edmonton, and get some sweet photos in the process. The event page for their next show in Edmonton is linked HERE. The band fucking rips, so I recommend checking them out.
Switching gears to my first show of the year working at my house gig at Station on Jasper, pop artist Coleman Hell took to the stage for an afternoon performance during Edmonton’s newest multi-venue music festival Winterruption YEG. Hitting the stage at 4pm to a relatively full house, the show went off without a hitch. This was the first time I’ve had Coleman Hell in front of my lens, but I can assure you, that it will not be the last. Being a house photographer at Station, I’ve got the place mapped out for just about any performance to ensure that I can get optimal shots of the artists that I’m called in to shoot. This place has some of the best lighting in the city, and it’s truly a pleasure to take in so many wicked artists who hit the stage, Coleman Hell being one of them. Between his funky dance moves and the vibrant lighting colors on stage, it was a treat to shoot this fellow Canadian for an afternoon.
Lastly, but certainly not least, I closed January with yet ANOTHER Calgary band. My pals in Hazzerd graced the stage in Edmonton at Temple (Starlite Room) for their CD release show, celebrating their second full length album “Delirium” with their Edmonton fans. Hazzerd always brings the heat and exactly what you would expect out of a balls-to-the-wall thrash metal band whenever they play Edmonton, and going on stage to a hot and rowdy Friday night crowd was truly fitting for this band’s set. Their new record is absolutely killer, you can check it out and buy your copy of it HERE. Despite having to dodge the rowdies from time to time, I absolutely love shooting at Temple. The stage is a nice height for that band-audience intimacy, it’s spacious enough for lots of action, there are a bunch of great vantage points to get optimal shots of the band, and it’s generally always lit evenly; Pair this with a fast, wide angle lens, and you’ve got yourself a recipe fit for stellar shots. The guys were stoked to see the gallery I turned over, and I know this is so cliche, but that was the most rewarding part of the whole show.
Thank YOU for making it this far with this first recap blog. It’s refreshing for me to be able to connect with you, the reader and viewer, on the behind-the-scenes aspects an perspectives of what I shoot. Got questions regarding what I shot throughout the month of January? Send me an email with your concert photo questions, let’s nerd-out! But until then, stick around to get the scoop on February’s recap!