Anonymous asked: Hey there. First off, I'm a huge fan of your photos. you've got a great eye! I was wondering if you could give any tips to someone just starting concert photography for a music blog? (I've never had a gig before). Also, how/when did you really delve into photography? Thanks so much!
Hi Anon! Good to hear you’re a fan, pity I don’t know who you are!
When you’re shooting for blogs they really want to see some diversity in the shot. They will want one picture they can use to attract attention, usually a wider shot with nice lighting and what not. Make sure you shoot close ups of the front man, in particular. Get yourself a good shot of each member. Get crowd shots, and shots in between music. Don’t stop shooting, ever. Usually, you only have 3 songs to do all of that.
I generally shoot around 1 every 3 seconds or so.
Also, try and get hold of some fast lenses. Anything from f/2.8-f/1.4 will be a super help as concerts are generally dark.
I first started taking pictures March 26th 2010. I know that because I’m crazy obsessed and I looked in my bank statement for when I bought my first camera - a Pentax kx.
Good times.
Jack Black - the way he smiles makes you think he’s always plotting something. What a legend.
katemaggie asked: Brian! I loved your photos from Tenacious D! The black and white one with the three rock star fans made me jealous. I kept staring at it wondering 'how can I look at cool as these guys, and why don't I look that cool when I hold Brutal Legend' your pictures are my favorite!
Thanks Kate! It’s really the greatest feeling knowing that there are people out there viewing my work. Shooting for myself is worthwhile, but having an audience makes it that much greater!
Those guys are fantastic! I love how each of them have a different expression. It shows you how different people experience a concert simultaneously. They all look quite classic, timeless, even, in the history of Rock&Roll.
^^
vancouverislandtime asked: Hi Brian! My friends and I are big fans of you work. I was wondering if you use VSCO film? And if you do, would you recommend it?
Hey Liam!
It makes me feel so great to hear that. ^^ I do use VSCO film, but I’ve heavily altered the presets. It took me a few weeks to gather up the courage to get the presets, in fear of looking like everyone else. In the end, you can use them to create a more unique look and increase your work flow ten fold. I’m at a point where I spend a lot of time editing, and what I really love to do is shoot. VSCO helps you manage that work flow a little better.
Their B&W presets are great, but I still use my own for that. In the end, my editing style is very similar to VSCO. It took me a long time to learn how to achieve the film look, but I definitely think it was well worth the hard work. I taught me so much about lightroom and gave me the knowledge to really understand how the VSCO presets work. With that, I’ve been able to really make them my own.
I’d definitely recommend buying them. I’d also recommend brushing up on your knowledge of LR too, as it will help you to take full advantage of the presets. After all, they’re just a starting point.
Anonymous asked: How did you learn to edit your own pictures?
Trial and error with. I’ve taken about 200 000 images to date. About 140 000 of them have gone through Lightroom. I obviously did not edit all of those, but I have edited a good amount of images. This year alone I’ve edited and delivered about… 7 000 images.
That, and the internet.
This is how I learned to shoot.
stefanocatalano asked: Hey man, just thought I'd let you know I love the pics of Tenacisou D. My favourite has got to be the black and white one of the fans. I'm glad you took a picture of them. I enjoy pictures of fans, end their expressions. :P Also, I'm jealous that you get to go to all these concerts! What's your favorite artist anyways? And did you get a chance to take pictures of them?
Hey Stef! Thanks, I’m really glad you liked them. They were bananas, obviously. I’ve been a fan as long as I can remember, so it was a real dream to come so close to him. I’ve always wanted his “Pick of Destiny,” and I managed to catch it. Kyle also made direct contact with me for about 5 seconds.
Ha! Use that jealousy to get yourself started on it too. Shoot a lot of local gigs and once you have some good work, apply to shoot for blogs and media outlets. They’ll get you in. ^^
Oh gosh, my favourite artist. I’m torn between so many things. Death Cab for Cutie, Jack White, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, Bright Eyes (or any Connor Oberst music), The Decemberists, Mother Mother, We Are The City, Said The Whale, Fleet foxes, Grizzly Bear, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, Los Campesinos!, Muse (their older stuff), Radiohead, mmm… The Black Keys and Blonde Redhead are a new favourite. So far I’ve shot WATC (1 time), Said The Whale (2 times), Mother Mother (3 times), and Los Campesinos! . Hopefully I’ll get to shoot more of my favourites.
Coldplay was unreal to shoot, even though not one of my favourites.
Anonymous asked: Every time I venture downtown I hope and I pray I will run into you. I really can't get enough!
Ha! I’m downtown a lot. Like, a lot a lot. This summer I should be there even more as I’m likely getting some studio/office space there. Just say hi next time. :)
Wedding couple at my favourite “secret” spot on Dallas Rd.
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