Quartered @ The Bourbon - Oct 24, 2009I have a secret for you... I LOVE METAL. That's not to say that I don't appreciate all music genres. Its the intensity, the raw emotion and the in your face, don't give a shit attitude that makes me love metal more. There is no right or wrong in Metal, only what you feel at that moment. 

Recently I was able to go to The Bourbon and shoot Quartered and The Turn (make sure you check out their myspace pages and have a listen to some of their tracks). It was great to go out and support local talent, local metal.

Candid photography is something I'd like to get into in the future. Taking pictures of people in everyday life, in the moment can move you. Quality candid photos will make you feel the emotion of the moment. Shooting this metal show felt very similar. You can feel the passion and intensity of the music with only a still image. Because of this, expect to see many more metal bands grace this website. 

 

To some it may seem minor, but on my second shoot I was given my first All Access photo pass. There was a little part of me that felt more confident about what I was doing. I felt more confident standing in front of the stage, in front of customers who spent their hard earned money to be there. I wasn't just some guy taking photos. I was officially one of a few photographers allowed to take photos that night. That's a good feeling.

This All Access pass gave me the privilege of shooting Wide Mouth Mason and a couple other opening bands. As this was only my second show, it thrilled me to be able to take photos of a Canadian band that made it big while I was in high school. It's always a great thing to see Canadian talent make it internationally. 

One of the underlying purposes of this site is to be able to feature up and coming bands and artists. Local artists, starving musicians and guys that are still just playing in their parents basements. They all need a platform to be showcase their talent, their sound, their personality. Along with taking stunning photos, I hope to use eventseries.com to help be that place. In the months to come, this website will mold into different directions. Please comment below with any suggestions or ideas.

 

Photo by Allen Trottier | Philippines 2009I wish I could tell you that I've been into photography since I was young. I wish I could tell you that it just comes naturally to me. I wish. I've had cheap little camera's most of my life. The pictures always looked terrible and didn't represent the mood or capture the moment. 

Last year, a friend of mine bought a digital SLR camera. The idea of carrying around such a large piece of equipment seemed like such a hassle. He didn't just have to buy the camera but it also had lenses, bag, tripods, memory card, a flash and the list goes on. I thought to myself, "Why do people do it?" That was until I saw the pictures. The clarity. The colors. It was like the pictures you find in a magazine.

Early in the new year of 2009 I planned to take a trip to the Philippines. It would be my first overseas trip and I wanted to upgrade from my little point and shoot but not have to deal with the hassle of all the SLR equipment. I found my solution in the Canon G10. It was the pocket cam that was slightly larger than most pockets but it took wicked photos without having to know much about anything.

After my trip I went through the pictures and realized I really like taking photos. It took me a while to pin point exactly what kind of photography interested me most but it turns out I had a liking to Street Photography. I loved the candid shots. People in the moment. Not posing or being fake. It's life... raw.

I've been working in the nightlife industry in Vancouver for about 7 years now and most of my childhood comprised of playing in bands and doing concerts. Naturally I decided to put the two passions together and get into concert photography. After a few upgrades to my gear I was set. I'm now three shoots into my new hobby and I'm loving every minute. 

 

Now that I have content on the site, it's about time I start posting. My idea for this blog relates directly to a few of my passions. Music, live shows and photography. To start, I'd like to bring you into the research and tips I brought into my first concert shoot. Then I'll cover some of the tips and tricks that I find the most useful as a newbie event photographer. 

Since you can only write so much about taking pictures at a show, I'd also like to write about the bands/djs I see and possibly delve into history of different music genres. I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to take photos of established musicians and artists, but I also want to make a point of highlighting local artists, indie bands and influential people in the music industry.

I hope you enjoy the site and the photos. Drop me a line if you like what you see or have any feedback and advice.