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I took a trip to Colorado back in April of this year in order to get one more last trip in before all of the snow went away for spring/summer. I flew into Denver and made the short drive up to Estes Park which is right near the entrance of the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). This area of Colorado is amazing! I’ve been up to that area 4 or 5 times over the past several years and I simply never get tired of it!

I went to Colorado wanting to catch some snow and snow is exactly what I got! I think Estes Park had about 36″-38″ of snowfall over the 2-3 days I was there. Score! The snow was definitely better than the 90+ degree weather back home in Houston. After my 3 day stay in Estes Park I made my way back to Denver in order to catch my flight home and decided to take a scenic route back instead.

The first stop on my alternate route home was at Lily Lake just south of Estes Park (Location HERE). Having just spent the day before out snow shoeing in RMNP I was so jealous to see this pair just getting their day on the trail started. Ugh.. and here I was knowing I would be back in the Texas heat only hours later. FAIL.

Canon EOS-5D Mark II : Canon EF 17-40 f/4L : 1/100th : f/11 : 100 ISO : 17mm : Aperture Priority : 0 Bias : No Flash

My main point of interest in taking this route back to Denver was so that I could stop by St. Malo Church in Allenspark, Colorado (Location HERE). I had stumbled across this church about 5 years ago on my drive up to Estes Park and haven’t been back there since. With the clear skies and fresh snow on the ground this was a place I definitely wanted to visit before I came home.

The stone chapel is built upon a large natural rock formation which made it seem like the chapel rose right out of the ground itself. The chapel was built in 1934 which makes it some 75 years old and it was a treat to spend some time walking around and looking at this magnificent structure.

Canon EOS-5D Mark II : Canon EF 17-40 f/4L : 1/100th : f/11 : 100 ISO : 26mm : Aperture Priority : 0 Bias : No Flash

Looking back through my photos from this trip has really gotten me excited about the upcoming winter months. I do plan to head back up north someplace to see some more snow and take more photographs but this time I will have my snowboard in tow! I’ve been feigning to get back on the slopes for a couple of years so this winter I’ll be sure to get my fix! =]

As I was going back through my concert work from this past summer I found a photo that I realized wasn’t posted on the site yet. I have about 3 true favorites from the No Doubt show this past May and this one somehow got left out. Ugh. My other two favorites from this concert are located HERE.

The No Doubt show was my first show to show in nearly two years so I had a lot of rust to shake off. Since this No Doubt show in May I’ve totaled about 25 different bands that I’ve photographed since then so I think the rust thing is now a non issue. Hehee. It really felt good to get back in the pit and combine the two things I love most… Photography and Live Music.

One of the angles/perspectives I often look for when shooting shows is back lighting. I love having an overhead spotlight directly behind the artist in order to give them a nice hair light and cool overall glow. This is a technique and composition I have in mind at every show I attend. I’ve seen some photographers that just shoot from a standing up position and remain that way the entire 2-3 songs we’re allowed. That’s just not my style. I move around and I move around a lot! In most cases the “cool shots” just don’t happen automatically, often times you have to make them happen!

In this shot for instance Gwen came over to center stage and stood right in front of me, I recognized the opportunity and I immediately tried to get her head directly in between me and the spotlight behind her. In order for me to get the shot I wanted I had to drop to my knees and shuffle around a bit in order to line myself up with her and the stage light behind her head. Once in the correct position then I had to also follow her side by side dancing in order to keep her in front of that spot light along with making the correct in camera adjustments to produce a properly exposed image. When she swayed to my right, I moved to my right and vice versa in order to keep us all lined up. I’m sure the concertgoers right behind me got a kick out of seeing this all go down but I gotta do what I gotta do to get the shot I want! =]

You never know how long an artist will stay in such a great position so time is really NOT on your side. Everything that I have explained above has to all come together VERY quickly. When I say quickly.. I mean QUICKLY. From the time she stood right in front of me til the time she danced off to another location clocked in at about 12 Seconds! So all of what I explained from recognizing a great opportunity, getting down on the floor to get the right angle, following her movements in order to keep the light behind her, making my in camera adjusts in order to properly expose the shot as well as making sure I got the best shot composition in my viewfinder in order to produce the image below all took place within 12 SECONDS!

Canon EOS-5D Mark II : Canon EF 35 f/1.4L : 1/160th : f/2.8 : 800 ISO : 35mm : Shutter Priority : +2/3 Bias : No Flash

I do not claim to be the best concert photographer out there by any means. There are a ton of great photographers out there who have a ton of talent. As for myself, I am just never satisfied with my level of work which is the main reason I push the envelope every time I set foot into the photo pit. I am my own worst critic which I feel is very beneficial because I never let myself settle in regards to my photography work. If I ever get to the point where I am content with my level of work then it might be time to find another hobby.

As a concert photographer one of most sought after positions would have to be (for me anyways) a chance to go on tour with one of my favorite bands as their own dedicated tour photographer.

I met a tour photographer some years ago and got to sit and pick his brain a bit about his life on the road. I’m sure its not all glitz and glam but I think it would be an amazing opportunity to be able to document a band’s tour from every aspect and not just the first 2-3 songs of every performance. Being limited to shoot the first 2-3 songs of the set is very restricting, having full access would be a major benefit because you would be able to shoot the ENTIRE show from ANYWHERE you’d like, the pit, the side stage, the seats, the soundboard, the lawn, where ever. Everyone knows not all of the cool things in a concert only happen within the first 2-3 songs of the set. Heck most bands aren’t even really warmed up and into the show by then.

Canon EOS-20D : Canon EF 50 f/1.4 : 1/30th : f/2 : 800 ISO : 50mm : Aperture Priority : 0 Bias : No Flash

In this day and age with the interwebz, twitter, facebook, photoblogs, fan communities I think a tour photographer can be a MAJOR promotional tool if utilized correctly. I mean imagine the traffic and interest that could be generated from having a tour photographer edit and post photos on a daily basis regardless if it were the day of the show or an off day traveling on the bus. I truly think, well ok maybe its just the photographer (and fan) in me that feels there could be a real positive outcome by having a person to do that.

Not only can a band generate and promote buzz and traffic by such a blog but extra revenue can also be brought in through this new feature in order to offset the costs of having a hired tour photographer. Imagine you go to see one of your favorite bands and buy a t-shirt and cap at the merch table. Would you also be willing to purchase prints from the exact show? No band I know of currently does that but with as many online ordering print houses available it would be an easy task to submit say 5-10 print worthy images from each show online for concertgoers to purchase. These print sizes can be available in no less than an 8×10 print with say a 20×30 being the largest. Heck I know I would purchase prints from the concerts I attended as a fan since the most of my photos back then were crappy point and shoot pics. blah! And just how would you get this word out about this ordering being available.. one easy way is by the blog I mentioned earlier. See how it all comes together. Also, at tour’s end, the edited posted images could be compiled into a photo book to be printed, bound and sold for additional revenue for the band (and photographer =]). This would make an ideal keepsake for any fan out there in my opinion.

I’ve only shared a few ideas here as to how a tour photographer can be a great benefit to a tour so you can get the idea. I have a bunch more great unique ideas as well but I can’t show all my cards just yet! =] Let’s just say that the possibilities are endless with how a good tour photographer could be utilized in order to help promote the band’s tour and that hiring a great tour photographer would more than pay for itself very quickly…

So if anyone out there knows of a band that just might be interested in taking on such new way of on-tour marketing… I know just the guy! Drop a brotha an email! =]

“I’m tired of all these mutha f*cking snakes on this mutha f*cking plane!” Sorry.. The Samuel L. Jackson skit just popped into my while thinking of a blog title. Ha!

This shot as taken at the Houston Zoo in the reptile center where most of the glass is all dirty and dingy. A tip for photogs out there, I found that shooting at the longest focal length you can get away with AND of course shooting wide open will help make those dingy glass panels go away. Another great tip (in my mind anyways) is to shoot with your lens hood on and place is square against the glass getting those dingy scuff marks and spots as close to the front of the lens as possible. This will aide in making them disappear in your shot.

As a great added bonus, placing your lens hood square against the glass panel will now allow you to shoot at a much slower shutter speed because your camera will be very still with no camera shake. Just before snapping a photo take a deep breath and press the shutter release button softly. These slower shutter speeds will help keep your ISO low, which means a nice clean, low noise image which is always a great thing! Of course this won’t work with some reptiles that are moving and running around etc but it works great for snakes since they’re usually just sitting there… nice and still.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IIN : Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L : 1/30th : f/2.8 : 400 ISO : 70mm : Aperture Priority : -2/3 Bias : No Flash

Since the Houston Astros are down to their last 6 home games of the season I figured it would be appropriate to post a photo from one of their games I shot way back when. Much like I explained in an earlier post It’s All About The Details, I’m always looking for detail shots of whatever concert, sporting event or any event for that matter.

Detail shots can have a much longer shelf life in my opinion than a photo that actually has a player in the frame. Take this shot for instance. I shot this photo back in 2007 when the Astros played the Rangers in Arlington, Texas. You would not be able to distinguish what year this photo was actually taken since there are no real visible players in the photo in order to piece together an estimated season. Now had their team logo changed since the day I took this photo then it would be obvious. hehe.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IIN : Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L : 1/400th : f/3.5 : 100 ISO : 70mm : Aperture Priority : 0 Bias : No Flash

So this is just another example of a detail photo that can (and has) outlived many of the other photos I shot this particular game since most of the players photographed that day in 2007 are no longer with the Houston Astros. Maybe I should try to get in and shoot one game this week just for old time’s sake! =]