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Sharizard posted:There's a few photographers in my city that just assume that since they're at a punk rock show, that they can just pop off the flash all willy-nilly. They get some good pics, sure... But sometimes I wonder how many of the bands secretly want to tell the photographers to chill with the flash. I really hope they ask the bands before hand, but I doubt it. This is anecdotal, but I'm one of those guys. In basements or squats with lovely lighting I'll use a flash. I always check with the bands. Almost every band gives me the ok and, in my experience, most of them appreciate me being there. I keep my flashing to a minimum and, of course, no means no. Even if they gave me the thumbs up before the show. Been doing this for a long time and nowadays I'm more concerned about not ruining the show for the audience than I am for the band. Also, as a performer myself I never do poo poo that would bother me, like getting up on stage or planting my feet and hogging the space up front. Get your shot and keep moving. Having cool live photos to use on flyers, websites, in zines and on social media more than weighs up for what I experience as a mild annoyance while I scream unintelligible at drunk punks. Content: La Casa Fantom  https://lacasafantom.bandcamp.com Negativ  https://negativ1010.bandcamp.com Paranoid  https://pndftw.bandcamp.com/ Vitamin X  https://vitaminx.bandcamp.com
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Jan 17, 2018 19:07
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| # ¿ May 15, 2024 18:19 |
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I've been involved with the scene long enough that if the bands don't know me, most promoters do, which makes it easier to show up at a concert and ask if it's ok that I take some pictures. Now and again bands will message me to see if I'm going to their show, but most of the time I just show up at the door, pay the cover charge and hope to get a couple of keepers. I like to think of my role more as a historian than a photographer building a portfolio, if that makes sense? I really enjoy it when I can shoot a local band at their first gig. A lot of times it's their last as well, and it's fun to freeze that moment in time. And if it ain't their last show,being able to follow their evolution is such a privilege. Going through my archives I can see crusty dreadlocks grow out and fall off or pinpoint the exact year when that one guy finally threw out his ratty Gauze shirt. There's an entire generation of DIY bands that just got lost in the time period between when most people stopped shooting film and digital/phones got good enough to print. I'm pretty sure that the majority of those photos disappeared when myspace died. Today anyone with a phone can take awesome photos. Sadly, most of them sink to the bottom of a facebook feed, never to be seen again. I like to think that me and my fellow strobe heads can be a counter weight to that. In a perfect world, every show would have decent enough house lights that a flash wouldn't be necessary. But at smaller venues lights are rarely a priority. More often than not they're set up once and never touched again until something breaks. When I'm on stage I find it way more distracting - and all to common - to have a couple of par cans burning a hole in my retinas than a bunch of nerds popping their flashes at me. But I'm just singing, and taller than average. People with instruments probably have another take on that. So even if there's lights pointed at the stage there's a case for using flash to fill the gaps in a lovely setup. As for anxiety, I feel ya. Been fighting that all my life. But the camera does wonders for me. I have a reason to be there, even if I'm not playing. I have a reason to talk to people, even when I feel like the most awkward idiot in the room. And most people are super happy when I send them the photos from the gig. So just ask if it's ok. The people who think "nah" will let you know - usually in a polite way, like Pokey Araya said - unless you decide to be a dick about it.
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Jan 18, 2018 00:52
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I brought my camera to the Bloodshed festival in Eindhoven a couple of weeks ago. Saw some great bands, met some nice people and bought some new black t-shirts. Here's some photos from the first day. Une Misère   Yeah. He broke a foot Friendship  Catharsis  Massgrav 
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Sep 26, 2018 19:24
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Lotta good stuff posted since I last checked this thread. Shutter drag when shooting live shows can look amazing. I think it's a great way to capture the chaotic nature of a hardcore show. I've tried to do it myself, but I haven't been getting the results I'd like, so I tend to fall back on my regular mo. Speaking of which, here's some of my recent shots PROBLEMS  Cyness  Kru$h 
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Feb 25, 2019 14:46
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Nigel Tufnel posted:Goons, need your views. Galaxy brain poet or regular black? Wish so many poets didn't read from their phones these days but what can you do. Incoming effortpost It's super hard to criticize other peoples work. I'm no authority, so putting into words why I like or dislike something is hard to do without feeling like I'm just another knobhead on the internet. It's easier to just give a heart or a thumbs up and keep scrolling. When I first started taking photos I brought a bunch of pictures to my local photo club for critique, only to spend half an hour listening to well meaning older gentlemen telling me to clone out mic stands and add catch lights to the singers eyes. They asked if I had heard of Ansel Adams and his zone system, and advised me to strive to expose for every shade of grey rather than the hard contrasts in my pics. These were guys that would spend hours in their garden with a huge macro lens in order to get that one perfect shot of a bumblebee on a flower. Punk shows were alien to them. And their critique were not particularly helpful. That said, I prefer the regular black. To my eye the galaxy brain looks like it's manufactured in post, rather than composed in camera. In my own photos I try to achieve a "run and gun" sort of feeling. I do very little post-processing. Crop, convert to black and white in Silver Efex, the occasional dodge and burn and add a little grain for good measure. So I like the regular one. Most likely because it looks like what I would've done. I haven't got any experience with live poetry or photography of it, so to me the phone is whats important in the photo. That's what sets it apart and draws my attention. Not the lights. Which one do you prefer?
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Mar 19, 2019 05:01
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I got a website at www.myscenesucks.com And my insta is My Scene Sucks. Mostly small stages and punk, hardcore and extreme stuff
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Jul 30, 2023 21:58
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Loving the span of genres in this thread. Here's some Swedish powerviolence; Prescription Death    
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Aug 18, 2023 05:30
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I hope y'all dont mind this post, but I can't sleep. Tomorrow I get to hold my new book of concert photos for the first time. It's pretty loving exciting! Underground stuff. Mostly punk and hardcore, with a smattering of metal and rock. Bands from all over the world. The publisher is a small local one. They're cool, and really hands off. They've given me full creative control, which is scary, cause I know fuckall about putting out a book. I convinced them to limit the first pressing to 138 hand numbered copies. And to have two release parties, with bands and beer, in two different cities. I originally got in contact with them to see if they could help me print a zine for cheap. They decided to make a book of it instead. Did not see this coming at all. The process of going through my archives and trying to pick what to include has been pretty tough, and I started to regret my selection immediately after sending it all to the printer. But who knows? If it sells I might get to make another. So in five hours I'm driving out to their warehouse to check it out for the first time. Anyways. Here's Statens Menn: 
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Sep 7, 2023 03:25
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What a loving day. Book's huge! Way bigger than the test print. With super nice paper. The publisher says they'll have to charge somewhere between forty and fifty bucks for it. It's real!
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Sep 7, 2023 19:38
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loving love it! Thanks. Here's some pics of The Mansters playing at the release party   
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Sep 11, 2023 22:47
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The European punks frown on crowd photos. There are some good reasons, but it still sucks. I wish I could get more pics of the kids having fun. Yesterday there was a huge moshpit, and I'd love to shoot it. But the rule is camera pointed at stage ONLY. Here's Draümar, a Norwegian hardcore band   
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Sep 15, 2023 12:06
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Thanks. Reasons are varied. Sometimes it's because it's a squatted house. Other times there are people who aren't out officially that lets their freak flag fly at shows. Shows are supposed to be a safe space and the punk scene - at least here in Norway- is way more diverse these days than it was just ten - fifteen years ago. And I suspect tradition plays a part. Big cameras used to mean press. And the press are rarely on the punks' side. My local punk house has a warning about it on the flyers, so no social cues necessary there. And they're quick to let you know if you're breaking the rules, so you're probably fine. My sweeping generalisation was just that. But I remember last time I was at Köpi in Berlin. Big sign on stage with NO CAMERAS. Audience full of phones filming the show.
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Sep 15, 2023 16:26
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So much good stuff here. Thread's killing it! I love seeing your work
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Nov 7, 2023 18:22
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The bass shot is loving dope! And impostor syndrome is a thing. Hell, I had a photo book released by a real publisher last month, and I still don't feel like a real photographer. I shoot small shows as well. Just keep doing what you do.
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Nov 14, 2023 09:40
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Slotducks posted:Hey thanks! Getting published must be absolutely frightening and daunting but that's so exciting! Do you have a link to the book or anything? I'd love to know more about it! Getting published was frightening as gently caress. I've been working on my own for ages, shooting for me and for fun. And suddenly, it's official. Its hard to explain in a second language. I'm proud as hell. I got links to the book on a Norwegian booksellers webstore. Its big and heavy, so international shipping is a bitch. But the publisher is trying to figure something out. But you can also see it on my Instagram @myscenesucks Edit: forgot the link https://www.ark.no/produkt/boker/dokumentar-og-faktaboker/my-scene-sucks-9788284640167 Runaway Legs fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Nov 19, 2023 |
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Nov 19, 2023 19:03
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Slotducks posted:I instant followed you - your work is incredible. Appreciate it. I've been doing this for a long time now. It's about 17 years since I picked up a camera at a show for the first time. And you're seeing my few favorite shots on the Instagram. I've deleted a lot of duds and missed opportunities. I think that's probably my most important lesson learned; delete poo poo and rid yourself of the damning evidence. I'm not gonna be able to save it in post later. If a picture is bad, it's bad. I've always shot bw. Partly because I loved Maximum RockNRoll, Slug & Lettuce, HeartattaCk and zines like that. And partly because I only shot shows with lovely lights, so colors were muddy and horrible. You asked about my flash. I usually throw down the diffuser flap and do my best to bounce the light. But punks love their blacks, so sometimes I'll just nuke poo poo. I try to keep it as low as possible, but it's difficult. This year I got a new camera, and a couple of my favorite haunts got better lights. So I haven't been shooting with a flash for some time. Just pushing ISO and playing with that. It's fun, but different. And I know the feeling of realising that someone I'm a fan of turns out to like my work. That's amazing. At the launch party for my book I was signing a few copies to people that had my hands almost shaking.
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Nov 20, 2023 18:15
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Massgrav visited my city and tore it a new one   And Avgrundsljud played support. loving great local band   
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Jan 9, 2024 04:45
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I use my flash with a remote. Just hold it in my hand and choose an angle that fits the moment. Fast and fun.
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Jan 22, 2024 21:29
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