For a massive 3-day rock event of this size, there was a lot more going on than what you saw on those three stages.
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Music Photography
Bebe has been working on her vocals since she was 4 years old. She’s had success writing for Eminem (“Monster”), Gomez (“Like a Champion”), and recording with Cash Cash (“Take Me Home”) and David Guetta (“Yesterday” & “Hey Mama” also featuring Nicki Minaj). The success of those songs has lead to the start of her own solo career.
Photographing Angela Perley, Chris Connor, and Billy Zehnal 3 times in the last 2 years has created a sense of community and friendship with the artists and the fans. Before even arriving, Angela heard I was going to attend her show, and surprised me by added me to the guest list. The fans recognized me, and doled out the compliments.
Royal Blood was fantastic. It was a real challenge to get a good photo of the drummer who was wearing all black including a ball hat and gloves on a poorly lit stage, but other than that they were just perfect. A new first for me was that they came back after the encore, and AFTER the house lights had gone up. Sometimes there's more after the fat lady.
Ever watch an incredibly fun and lively band only to discover they're local? The Worn Flints were a great surprise. It was just as surprising to find out that their front man Kenny Stiegele is a mild mannered dayjobber like myself.
On all three nights of this festival, fireworks went off, right behind the main stage. The locals mentioned something about the Reds games going on in the stadium right outside the venue. No, I didn't get the shot. It was actually incredibly hard to do so from the pit. Instead, as so many people (Like Jack White) have suggested, I took put my camera down and enjoyed the moment. The event shouldn't be restrained to the tiny screen on your camera; rather it is the experience of being at the show of which we should take notice. It was fantastic. I was tired, hot, and wet from all the rain that had threatened to end the day early. I was not looking forward to the drive home so I could get back to my day job five hours later. Nice one, noob!
It was nice to take in those few moments that wouldn't be recreated at any of the other venues these artists would be performing later in the year. Almost as nice as it was to take refuge in the media trailer during the downpour on Sunday. It all reminded me why I love doing this so much. And that's what I'll be thinking about when I'm sitting with the grandchildren with no clue as to what they're saying. I'll reflect back on to these events in my youth, when I blew out my eardrums.
It's the third day of the 2014 Nelsonville Music Festival. I'm shooting for Flush magazine out of the UK, and my battery is dying. Whoops, I forgot to pack a backup. I ask around the media tent if anyone has an extra battery, but my camera is neither a professional grade camera, nor was it manufactured in the last eight years—no luck. So in an attempt to save my battery for the main acts later that day, I resort to my iPhone 5s.
I'm constantly amazed at how this camera performs. It is a stubborn 5-year-old. It's afraid of the dark, and needs a power nap every few hours. Given enough light, it can do great things though. Fellow photographer Meredith Underhill can attest to the grieve I took attempting to be creative, taking panos and selfies in the pit. After submitting my photos to Flush, it was a great surprise to see which photos made it to page one of Casey Bowers incredible writeup of the event. Way to go, little pano! I think I'll start using my phone more often … or actually get a professional grade SLR.