Todays Shoot - A Day to Remember

So! being that this was a shoot for a magazine - I couldnt post the images until it printed.

I was hit up to do this shoot in Syracuse during the K-Rockathon.

I convinced the mighty Mike Martin to leave a few hours early (as its a bit of a drive to Syracuse) - but that story.... will be in the K-rockathon post - and is worth reading - promise!

Getting to work with my really good friends (fam), is absolutely the BEST part of my job - hands down! - so getting to do another (i think my 7th?) shoot with the ADTR guys is not only awesome - but super easy to get done because they know me - they know how I shoot, and I know how they pose, etc.

The backstage area of the fest was all trailers and 1000 people in bands, crews, etc. So I did the first set in the field - using a beauty dish and two rims - and shot this at F14





























for a second set I did some natural light shots up on the hill by the fence - shooting at 2.8 - still with the 24-70 lens - did some solos as well














































for the next shot there was a pile of... stuff? I had them stand on and do some epic posed - i put my dish up high and used a single rim to my right - their left and shot these at F13 - going for an epppic feel


































Next shot we went back to the field and did some shoots with a boomed dish - to get a darker feel so everything didnt look super bright - also did solos with this set - these were at F18
















































































The next sets we did were by the entrance of the race track - against a well - and on a bench - shooting natural light - at 2.8 to get a strong depth of field - and again having fun with the shots














































For the last fun set - we went on the track and I had the dudes look like they were running full speed - again shot at 2.8 - these are probably my favorite shots of the set.
























for the last shot I wanted to get a more standard shot against the different colored bleachers - against at 2.8 - and I really liked these shots because even though it was colorful I cropped it so it cut out all sky - all ground - and had a tight shot where the focus on the band isnt killed by the color or anything around it.
























This printed in the most recent issue of outburn - with murderdolls on the cover - go peep it!

Again, getting to work with these dudes time after time is just AWESOME - seeing them go from starting out - to where they are now is mind blowing - just a few years ago they were in halls playing to 20 kids - now they are playing to 20 thousand... so proud of em! and absolutely an honor and a privilege to call them good friends, and to be able to work with them - again and again.

Todays Shoot - K-Rockathon (ADTR, A7X, ATR, Limp Bizkit)

So the K-Rockathon is a radio show that happens in Syracuse, NY.

I had to do a shoot with my good friends (fam) in A Day To Remember - so I had to be there SUPER early - luckily - Mike Martin is the BEST! DUDE! EVER! and left an hour and a half early so I could do this shoot.

We met at the ludlow Mc'd and 90s numetal weekend day 2 - COMMENCE! - the entire ride we listened to Korn, Limp Bizkit, and other 90s metal/numetal.

At one point in the ride, we stopped for breakfast, and when we hit the road again his car was making the loudest, most insane death sound either of us have ever heard - it was like standing inside a church bell while it was being rung by a tank shell. So we were freaking out, I was calling some car places trying to figure it out, it would happen randomly, twice a minute - every five minutes - for about a half hour. After scrambling, checking the engine, the radio, we just gave up and decided to deal with it - HOPING! we would make it in safe...

Every few minutes "DIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGG" so loud! - we were both nervous not sure what the problem was..

So after a while the GPS said "turn right" - and he was like "wait what? the sounds usually off!!" - so he shut the sound off, and we figured out it was the GPS making the DEATHBELL sound. - in hindsight its hillaarrrious.

SO! I started off the day by doing the shoot with A Day To Remember - and directly after they were actually the first band I shot live during the rockathon

The stage was the highest ive ever seen in my entire career, but the barricade area was massive as well so the photogs had a bit of leeway to get back from the stage - which was at least twice the height of me. so id say about 10-12 feet tall - MASSIVE!

I was at ISO400 using the 16-35 2.8 lens shooting at 5.6 at a 1000th at the time because it was a really bright day. - during the set the dudes dedicated "the danger in starting a fire" to me, which means alot... This is a band I got to watch grow from playing to 20 kids... now 20 THOUSAND... to say im proud of them would be a massive understatement. Ive said it a billion times by now, but their music is truly just as awesome as the dudes in the band.

Anyway - check it out! - PICTURES!
























































































































The next band I shot was All That Remains - and I gotta say its weird to watch an a day to remember crowd transform into an ATR crowd, but, hey, it worked!




























































After ATR, Mike and I went to go meet Fred Durst, which was kind of the weekend mission. After talking a bit - he was like "im bored, lets go fuck with people!" which rules!!!! We walked directly into the crowd of 20,000 fans, and at first no one recognized him, we talked about photo stuff, about all that remains, about bizkit, then eventually someone recognized him and it snowballed into a massive amount of people wanting to meet/get a photo with him... and unlike some artists who are 1/8th the size of Fred in terms of fame, Fred took every photo, signed every item, and was all around one of the coolest and most down to earth - REAL! dudes I've met in the music industry - especially for his stature. Its refreshing to know that someone like him is legit. - even when we (all that remains and I) were eating at catering - he walked by and said ALL THAT REMAAAIIINSSS!!! - very cool.
























Anyway - the next band I shot was Avenged Sevenfold (three times in five days i think?) but unfortunately this time around... NO PYRO! - booooo. So I just got what I could at that awkward angle due to the high stage, I wasnt too stressed about it because I knew the shots I got the past few days where the golden ones, So I didnt take as many photos as the past two shows, but still got some solid shots - i was at 5.6 at a 500th




























































Directly after them flyleaf was on and the sun dropped so fast I was at a 180th - but catching alot of the red front lighting and movement - I wasnt really worried about it because they werent part of the spread - but i got a couple solid shots.




































Next up! LIMP BIZKIT! - this time around their light up lettering was a bit hidden, and it was super super dark so i was at ISO1000 and i was at 3.5 at a 125th - the lighting was a bit weak - but when they had the spot light on i jumped to 500 and it wasnt too bad... but the angle didnt help anyones cause. - I wasnt too worried - again - the night before - the photos were SO epic - that this was just supplemental - but i still got some AWESOME shots of them this time around as well












































































































After a few songs, Mike and I went to head back to western mass, and in turn... returning from 1996, back to 2010... so sad. music in the 90s was SO much better than the crap factory of cookie cutter riff scream sing mosh crap there is now - only few bands break that mold now.... anyway... what an amazing adventure it was.