My Favorite Images: Amy Gore

 

Amy Gore of Gorevette

Gore is one of those cool rock chicks.  She just has that look.  While I don't dislike color concert photos, I don't generally get all giddy over them in the same way I do b&w images.  This shot however, is one of the exceptions.  The lights, the way the shadows fall across her upper body, her stance ... it all just works for me.

My Favorite Images: Allison Robertson

Some of "My Favorite Images" will be included on the "My Personal Favorites" page.

Allison Robertson of The Donnas

Robertson was hard to capture.  It was her hair that gave me a hard time when trying to capture her.  It was either in her face or a whirling blur, total rock 'n' roll.  Upon first glance at this photo, I thought it was going to land in the "don't use" folder.  But, much to my delight, it turned out well.  Even better, it works perfectly in b&w which is generally my concert photo preference.

Before And After The Show

Anyone who knows me and knows my "taste" in photography knows that I like concert photography.  I've liked it since I was a wee girl.  Like most young girls, I hung up posters and tore out magazine pages of cute rock 'n' roll guys to put on my wall.  As I was doing so, one of the first things I'd do was see who took the photo.  While I haven't reached the level of those guys and gals whose work adorned my wall as a kid (yet ... positive thinking!), I'm the one behind the lens now.  I don't rip pages from magazines or hang up posters any longer; I do have some of my own work framed.  It's an inexpensive and fun way to cover the wall space over my desk.

There was one thing that was missing in magazine photos of "rock stars."  Because most of the people in those magazine photos were of musicians who had achieved some level of success, you didn't get a glimpse of them setting up.  They most likely had crew to set up their gear before the show and clear it away afterwards.  When you go to your local bar or club, chances are, at some point during the night, you're going to see a band setting up or clearing away their equipment.  That side of a show was rarely seen in the pages of the magazines I would browse though.  It's those moments that I enjoy capturing. 

The images you capture often gives you a different look at the artists.  Sometimes you'll catch a performer alone on a stage, lost in thought.  Other times you can catch a couple of band members sharing a laugh.  Sometimes it's just fun to capture a non-performance shot of musicians. 

Andrew Samaha of A Million Years

I generally try to go unnoticed when taking photos before and after a show.  I like to capture a natural body language.  But, occasionally, you're noticed!  You know you've been caught when you get a wave.  Sometimes being noticed makes for a fun photo.

Jaren Johnston of American Bang

Johnston is a balls out rocker when he's performing.  So, I found it fascinating when he sat peacefully with his legs folded, in his own little world, setting up his gear.  Notice the roll of duct tape in his lap.  Duct tape is the most useful thing in rock 'n' roll.  It fixes everything from equipment to wardrobes.  

James Love of Hot Seconds

Love looked tranquil sitting off to the side strumming on his guitar.  The show, one part birthday party (his), would be their last.  Interestingly enough, the photo reflects neither.

Louis Epstein of Jump Into The Gospel

I seem to have a collection of Epstein before and after shots.  I find him easy to capture until he starts performing.  Once he's performing I often wonder how someone so visible onstage can be such an elusive subject.  Above, he's getting things ready before the show.  Below, packing up gear with bandmate Ben Vescovi and sharing a laugh with bassist Lakis Pavlou.  In the photo with Pavlou, I was finally able to work the light leak effect into a photo.  Each time I've tried to use the technique, it just didn't look right.  This time it worked and I'm well pleased with the results.

Ben Vescovi and Louis Epstein of Jump Into The Gospel

Louis Epstein and Lakis Pavlou of Jump Into The Gospel

Kate Young

Young is partner-in-crime to singer/songwriter Adam Taylor.  The pair travel light ... a beat up old suitcase, which you can see a bit of in the bottom left of the photo, and a few other things.  Young always packs the suitcase.  Through the years, rock 'n' roll has been considered sexist and sometimes misogynistic.  But, hauling gear is an equal opportunity job.

Kyle Wilson of Milagres

For some reason, I just like this photo of Wilson putting his gear away.  I'm not sure why but, it really appeals to me.  Perhaps it's the whole beard thing.  I've been fascinated by bearded men lately.  I also like the antique black and white processing.  I've found myself drawn to Lightroom and its addictive presets.  It's possible I may need a processing intervention! 

Rich Koehler of Nico Vega

Koehler is always fun to watch perform.  So, I guess it's fitting that his pre-show set up is fun to watch as well.  I don't recall, snapping this shot.  I just remember seeing him stoop down to fiddle with his guitar and pedals and knowing I wanted to try to capture the moment.  Him sticking out his tongue and me actually catching it was unexpected.

Paul Thornley of U. S. Royalty

Thornley (and his frontman brother) proved challenging to photograph.  When I first pulled this photo up, I nearly tossed it in my "don't use" folder.  But, I decided to fiddle around with it some and it is now possibly my favorite photo of him that I took that night.

Springtime Love

Springtime is here!  The weather is warm.  Flowers and trees are blooming. Couples are saying, "I do!"  What better time than to visit Central Park and take some photos.  That's just what I did a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not big on taking photos of people.  Well, I should say, I'm not big on taking photos of people who aren't on a stage performing.  It's just not my thing and I frankly think my portrait photography skills need some work.  

Living in New York and roaming around with your camera in the parks and on streets, you of course end up with people photos.  This particular day, I happened upon three sets of newly married couples.  Surprisingly, I took some people photos that I don't hate!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Of all the couples I saw that day, this couple was by far my favorite.  The photos below depict the couple going and coming on the lawn near the entrance gates of the Conservatory Garden. With people photos it's rare for me to want something specific.  With non-performing people, I tend to take my time deciding what I want.  This time I knew exactly what I wanted the minute I saw them preparing. The first two photos I saw in my head as black and white images even though I was shooting in color.  Also, I knew that I wanted the couple off center with a big dollop of space on the right.

 

Uh-oh!  The groom spotted me taking a photo of him and his beautiful bride as she adjusted her tiara.  Her gown was beautiful.  I love the casual happy expression on the grooms face.

In the first photo, the lovely bride talking on her mobile phone while her groom (who saw me taking the photo) held the dog whose collar was adorned with flowers.  In the second photo, the couple walking down one of the many paths of the Conservatory Garden in Central Park.

This anti-focus shot I grabbed spur of the moment as yet another happy couple walked past me. This time, near Bethesda Fountain.  I wasn't sure how this one was going to turn out.  I desaturated the color and darkened the edges and found that I like the dreamy, romantic vibe of this photo. 

Welcome

Welcome!  

As some of you may know, I run a music blog and I have a lot of fun with it. One of the perks of being a music blogger is I get to take concert photos.  Over the last couple of years I've started to focus on my photography.  I'm learning and growing all the while aiming towards finding my own personal style.

Everywhere you look, there's a photo waiting to be taken.  So, I've created this blog for my photography.  Here I'll share my work, past and present.  Some of the photos you may have already seen either on my music blog or my Flickr page.  That may change once I've found my rhythm.  I don't want this to be a "slide show" of photos.  My hope is to be able to share little bits about what I was thinking or how a photo came to be ... something more than "hey, look at my pretty picture."  My photos are a part of me.  They're my photographic version of the world.

So, while QuirkyNYChick.com focuses on music and entertainment, this site will focus on photography.

The Frog and the Hair

This post has nothing to do with photography. I was filling out my profile when I came to the random question and ran into a stumbling block. They only allow you to write 400 characters. Well, I'm long-winded and my answer didn't fit. So, I decided to make that question my first post.

The children are waiting! Please tell them the story about the bald frog with the wig:

The Frog and the Hair

By: LaNita Adams

There once was a frog, a handsome frog that everyone adored. But, he had no hair on his nog. This made the frog sad because he suffered from insecurity and self-love issues. All of his friends said, "Frogs don't have hair." But, the frog didn't care. 

One day he was hopping along and saw a shop with a sign that said, "Change your look, re-vamp your style, be a whole new you!" The frog hopped inside and said, "Sir, I'd like some hair." The man looked at the frog and replied, "But sir, frogs don't have hair." The frog looked at him with sad eyes and turned to hop away when the man in the shop said, "But, you've come to the right place, hop right over to our fine selection of wigs." The frog hopped to the wig counter. He tried on long hair, short hair, blonde hair, brown hair and red hair. He tried them all on giggling happily with each selection. What to choose, what to choose the frog thought to himself when the man came from the back of the shop with one last wig. "Sir, I think this might be just the wig for you." The frog tried on the wig and smiled real big. "Oh thank you, this is the one!" The frog paid for his wig and hopped out of the store and waved goodbye to the shopkeeper. 

As he hopped along, people stopped to look at the smiling frog with the auburn afro. What a curious site he was. When he arrived back at the pond, his friends all gathered 'round asking where he got such lovely hair. The frog told them about the kind shopkeeper. The next morning, the shopkeeper arrived at his store to open for the day and to his surprise, he was greeted by a line that went around the block. He asked the first in line, "Dear frog, what may I do for you and all your friends?" "We've come to get hair, I'd like some way down to there," replied the frog. "Well, then by all means, hop right in, we'll get you some hair, some hair down to there. We'll get you all hair for no need to be bare. I suppose that fellow yesterday really wasn't so rare."

© 2011 LaNita Adams. All Rights Reserved.