Voss

Voss are sort of a indie band with folk and counrty influences. This was a weird promo because it only featured four of the five members, one of which was leaving the band shortly. But they wanted a photo very quickly, to be used in BMA. Not pictured is Elayne the violin player. Peter Kranky (second from the left) was a fill drummer for a few months, but doesn't play in the band anymore since the original drummer Ben has returned from Japan.

After changing the location of this shoot a bunch of times it ended up being in Owen's backyard. I had no real idea or preperation for the photo, so we coblled together a few things laying around and set up the band around a table. I also did a more standard midshot photo set against the powerlines and tree tops, as seen above, I think this one works better. When I arrived it was quite overcast, but by the time I shot, the sun was out and almost directly overhead and very strong. Traditionally this is the worst time to take photographs but it worked well in conjuctionwith the flash setup. I used the sun as a backlight and my flashes as the key. With a 430ex in a shoot through umbrella and a 430ex in a reflective umbrella both at the front and either side of me at about 45 degrees to the band.

Someone had the idea of writing VOSS BOSS on Owen's knuckles, he immediately regretted it, but I think made a good photo.

A couple of weeks later Voss asked for another photo, this time with Elyane present, to be used in the Canberra Times. I met them in the city and walked to glebe park, no props this time. Not as happy with these as I am with the first shoot. I used a 430ex in a shoot through umbrella and a 430ex in a a reflective umbrella both on the left side of the band, the sun was over their right shoulders.

The Warehouse - First Show

The Warehouse is Canberra's newest all ages venue, it is as the name suggests simply a warehouse. For the last few months bands have been using the newly built jam rooms, but this is the first gig to be held there. All the bands were from Canberra. The gig started and finished during daylight, I used two flashes to light it. One of them had a coloured gel on it, for I exist it was a straw gel, for the rest of the bands it was a blue gel. I moved the lights around for each band, but basically had a side light and a back light for each setup, they are visible in many of the photos.

Atlantis Awaits are a new pop punk band, some of their songs sound like Paramore.

Reinger used to be called the payback, they just recently put out a new demo, which is really good.

Vera often seem to have fill in members playing for them, this time Sam from I Exist and Slowburn filled in on guitar.

I Exist used to be a 5 piece band with 2 guitarists, then Alex the bass player went to South America for a year, at which point Sam one of the guitarist started playing bass, and recently they've gained a second guitarist again with Josh from Pod People playing some shows with them.

Dead Kings, recently announced that their vocalist Damo was leaving, this gig was one of his last with the band, and his last all ages show in Canberra.

 Morgan shaved his beard that morning, it was a sad day.

My band Observer also played, so obviously I didn't get any photos of us, and I don't think anyone else was shooting the gig.

Boys of Summer 2010 Canberra

Boys Of summer is a tour that's been happening for about five years now, this year it featured Every Time I Die, 50 Lions, House vs Hurricane and Mary Jane Kelly.

I lit this gig with a 430ex on a stand each side of the stage, there isn't actually a stage, more just a stage like area. This is the way I've been shooting this venue for the last few gigs and it's far from perfect. I get a lot of lens flares and it's becomes really hard to get anything when the crowd is packed right up the front, but it's the only place I can safely put my flashes and get shots I'm happy with.
Mary Jane Kelly are from Wollongong, they're all a bunch of good dudes, I did some promos for them a while a go. Then recently got a new bass player, Brendan who used to play in Rex Banner.

Justin often puts the entire microphone in his mouth.

House vs Hurricane are from Melbourne, they have a keyboardist and inspire very strange reactions from kids that are trying to combine moshing with raving.

50 Lions, I still quite like this band and I think their new album is really good even though it's a bit of new direction for them, not that many people got into them at this show, I blame the aforementioned raving kids.

Every Time I Die were the main draw for this gig, a lot of people didn't even bothering going inside until they played. When they were first anounced for this tour, I don't think I had ever listened to them and I always assumed they were simply another metalcore band. Since then I got their newest album New Junk Aesthetic, and it definitely became one of my favourite albums of last year. I'm not trying to say I became a huge fan, I just really really like this album, definitely not your standard metalcore, and not really a metalcore band at all, very southern and stoner rock influenced, and Keith has an amazing vocal range, so unlike anything in modern hardcore.