Yup.
I have entered these photos in the NME annual photography competition. If you would like to vote then that would be lovely. Just click on the main image when you get to the NME site and it’ll take you to the next image.
I don’t know if they are my strongest 5 images from the past 12 months but they all all from gigs that I absolutely loved (and a photoshoot that was a tremendous amount of fun).
Many thanks if you do vote.
Bear Bones - Wickerman 2011
When you don’t have an overly wide angle lens you sometimes have to get inventive if you want an entire band in a shot.
Wickerman 2011
Clash Magazine August 2011
Not too shabby for my first ever printed images.
2 teeny shots is not a huge step, but it’s another little step in the right direction for me.
Kerr concentrates on getting the Night Fever dance just right.
Ok, maybe not, but that’s what it looks like :) It’s taken me a while to editing photos from this set. Quite simply I forgot. I edited the headline act (Twin Atlantic) photos pretty much straight away but then these simply got forgotton about. I decided to revisit them today and found 4 shots that I felt were worth uploading.
Prior to the gig I wasn’t looking forward to seeing the band. I’ve seen them many times before and their brand of slightly arrogant, Scottish rap did nothing for me. However take the band out of Glasgow and put them in Manchester and it’s all far more entertaining. Kudos to the band for getting the audience to circle pit and generally have a great time. They did exactly what a support should do, and that’s warm up the crowd. Their humour and Kerr taking the piss out of himself and their accents went down a storm and I for one was one was almost crying with laughter.
Drum faces
Photographing drummers at gigs can be difficult. Not only do the lighting guys often seem to forget that these guys exist but then there is the “drum face”.
Drumming clearly requires a lot of energy and the resulting expressions can be… interesting to say the least.
There is the “angry face”. The best face to have to shoot. It can make for dramatic looking images… and never wanting to meet the musician on a dark night.
The “weird face”. Some people just create the most obscure faces that quite frankly look like they’re taking part in a gurning contest.
The “bored face”. How some drummers can create zero expression is beyond me. Probably the worst to shoot as it essentially makes the photo as boring as their face.
The “Unflattering face”. Puffing and panting and double chins. It doesn’t matter how you shoot some musicians you just always get them as if they’ve just been hit with an ugly stick.
And people wonder why some photographers stick to shooting the front man…
I’ve spent the last 3 nights watching Twin Atlantic play gigs in Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds. Each one was a very different experience, but all a great experience.
I got to shoot their gig in Manchester and it was only my second time trying to shoot through strobes. Not the easiest thing to do and I did struggle, but I got a few shots that are useable at least.
Last week I travelled the 350 miles (or thereabouts) up to Aberdeen to see The Xcerts play a hometown show. It was well worth the journey up and of course I took a fair few shots, inbetween attempting to keep upright as the crowd went mental.
My set is full of imperfections. I momentaraly considered editing some of these out, but decided against it. I love these shots, imperfections included. I have to remember I’m not at college now. I have only my eyes to please.
If you like the shots feel free to reblog, just always remember to include a link back to the flickr page the shot is from.
Thank you if you had a look at these photos.
