*Straight Shooter*
Fuji xpro2
Erik Della Penna is the lead guitarist in the latest line-up of Hazmat Modine (@hazmatmodine), and while (obviously) his guitar and banjo stylings were awesome when I saw them live last year, the other thing that struck me about him were his clear blue eyes. The kind of stare that pierces the soul, as the poets would say. I hopefully captured that, at least as much as you can from a half-length portrait.
*Red Tenor*
Fuji xpro2
I normally try to take neat or well detached concert photographies. Not that there aren’t fantastic live photos that are more grungy or cluttered, but I don’t have a knack for them. Once in a while though, I’ll shoot a photo that isn’t neat, where you can’t quite distinguish the details. Often, when I’m lucky, these convey something different, a bit more of the atmosphere of the venue maybe. Such is this photo of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s Kevin Harris, a quasi black and red.
*Wide ‘Bone*
Fuji xpro2
There’s a lot of fun to be had when taking photos of trombone players. First of all, the shape of the instrument varies based on how extended it is. It can allow for amazing diagonals or, from up close, the bell can be the center of attention. I tried different things with TJ Norris at a DDBB gig in Paris, and I quite like this one. The trombone is all slid in but the 35mm lens (30mm equivalent) makes it look super long already.
*Thomas’ Blue Outline*
Fuji xpro2
The double bass is one of the most graphic instruments to shoot, a delight for concert photographers (or at least for this one.) I’m always looking for interesting lighting, with such a large surface to play with. This was shot at a Cory Seznec gig in Paris and I think it works.
*Wild Wade*
Fuji xpro2
Wade Schuman is the energetic frontman of the band Hazmat Modine. Quite the Renaissance man, Wade is a painter, a college professor, a singer, harmonica and various string instruments player. On stage, he’s an absolute powerhouse and Hazmat Modine is a blast!
*Paris Ossuary*
Fuji X-Pro 2
A couple of years back we decided to visit the Paris Catacombs (the public parts that can be anyway). We were a little worried doing it with a 5 year old, but strangely enough it felt respectful and not macabre. I took few photos because the lighting was really limited, but this one is probably the most interesting one both graphically and in terms of expressing what we saw.
*Roufi in the Spotlight*
Fuji Xpro2
Ceux Qui Marchent Debout is a live experience like few I’ve ever seen. Don’t get me wrong, their records are great, but the live energy is just something else. Roufi is the sousaphone player, in charge of the low low end.
*Sylvain, Alone*
Fuji XPro2
Sylvain Luc is one of the most amazing jazz guitarists alive. The stuff that comes out of his brain and fingers puts most other musicians to shame and yet he seems like a very humble guy. He wasn’t actually alone at that gig but rather in a duet with pianist Jean-Michel Pilc. Still, I don’t normally do wide shots of musicians like this, but I felt this worked really well.
*Rushing Brook*
Fuji X-Pro2
With rushing water, long exposure is very relative. Though some like to do really long exposure times, I find that it gives the water a supernatural texture that is too far removed from the scene I see for my tastes. So my preference goes to speeds around 1/10s, which is what this is. With a stabilized lens, you can even do this handheld, as I did here. I like the tropical lushness of the surrounding vegetation around the brook…
*Jagged Rock*
Fuji xpro2
To say that our summer in Wellington a little over a year ago was worse than most winters in France would be an understatement. But I got dramatic skies and heavy grey light, good stuff for long exposure black and whites by the sea. I only published one shot from this series previously, and when I revisited it this one struck me as really interesting.
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