The 69 Eyes Live @ The Hifi Bar
"The Zone"
June 18 2009

I was in a weird headspace all week and it was a last minute decision to attend tonight's gig. Still, I didn't want to pass up on the opportunity of photographing an energetic and dynamically visual international rock act - so I tried to psyche myself, get to the gig and get the job done.

Photographing at the HiFi Bar can be one of two things... easy or difficult. I prefer shooting outside of the (sometimes) designated photo-pit. The pit is incredibly deep and more often than not - all you get is shots looking up the performer's nose and all sorts of weird angles.

Tonight, the pit wasn't in use and if you get to the show early enough, there is a really sweet spot on either side of the stage which allows for a fantastic vantage point and good angles to work with.

As stated from the outset, I wasn't in the right frame of mind tonight and I found myself struggling to "get in the zone" as I like to call it.

"Getting in the zone" is when you and the camera are one. It is a time when you know you have captured the money shot just as you are about to press down on the shutter release. It happens rarely, but when it does... it is an amazing feeling and you know you've got gold even before chimping it up through the viewfinder.

Alas, tonight... I wasn't in tune. Usually out of a shoot of over 400 shots, I usually find 60 - 70 that I feel are worthy of uploading. I could probably cull it down further, but on average that is the quota I usually release to the general populace.

Tonight, even though I shot for the duration of the band's set - I could only come up with a handful to publish.

Still, it was a fun night and even though I was dodging the push and shove, I did come away with some shots that I thought were pretty good.

There was a great crowd in attendance. Most looking like the band themselves... a gothic-post-apocalyptic blackfest that looked like extras from Tarantino's 'From Dusk Till Dawn'. Coulda had some fun just shooting the crowd tonight but I planted myself at what I dub the 'HiFi Bar Sweet Spot' and waited for the band to hit the stage.

The 69 Eyes attacked the stage like the preverbal bats-outta-hell. Looking lean, mean and certainly out for the kill as they blasted through a surprisingly catchy hard rocking set of the best Vampiric rock the cold climes of Helsinki could spew forth!

Previous Musings:

• June 1 2009:
  No, I'm Not With The Band
  
  
• May 18 2009:
  The perennial chase for the elusive photo-pass
  
  
• May 1 2009:
  Confessions of a (newbie) Rock Photographer

 

 

 

(Confirmed) UPCOMING GIGS:
BAND:Five Finger Death Punch
VENUE: Hifi Bar, Melbourne, Australia DATE: August 16

BAND: Queensryche
VENUE: Billboard, Melbourne, Australia DATE: August 30

BAND: Monster Magnet
VENUE: Billboard, Melbourne, Australia DATE: September 8

BAND: Arch Enemy
VENUE: The Forum, Melbourne, Australia DATE: November 5

Thank You!

• Friends on Twitter for beta-testing, GP, Slideshow Pro's Todd & Brad, Tom Mann, Neil Wedd and all & Billboard, Sarah Dalgleish @ Amphead, Bianca @ Hifi Bar, Aaron Harvie, Frazer Bourke @ Civil, Five Finger Death Punch & Mark Phillips, all the fellow photogs who've come up and said 'hi', all at FasterLouder, and of course, my gal Sam for all the endless support...

Gear

• Canon EOS-5D Mark II (My pride & joy!)
  
• Canon EOS-450D
• Canon EOS-400D (RIP)
• Canon Lens EF L 24-105mm USM
  
• Canon Lens EF 50mm 1:1.4
• Canon Lens EF-S 10-22mm 1:3.5-4.5 USM
  
• Canon Lens EF-S 17-85mm USM

Software/Hardware

• Macbook Pro 2.93 GHZ Intel Core 2 Du0
• iMac 24"
• Aperture 2.1.3
• Adobe CS4
• Slideshow Director
• Slideshow Pro

Aperture: The Digital Light Table
June 1 2009

One of the hardest tasks I am finding after a shoot, just which photos to cull and which to include in the various online portfolios and such. At the Morbid Angel gig last night, even with the 3 song limit, I managed to take over 400 photos. It becomes a difficult task in selecting the best of the best but with the help of Apple's Aperture application, and its 'Light Table' feature, I managed to cull it all down to about 40 choice pics.