Eels Second Look(s)

If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I like to go through my pictures twice. When I shoot something, I try to cull through them quickly and get them online. On average at a concert, I'll shoot somewhere between 300 and 800 pictures. That's if I'm only allowed to shoot the first three songs. When I get to shoot an entire concert, I've been known to shoot well over 2,000 images. It's a lot to go through and often times, I overlook something really good. Sometimes the picture needs a little more love on the processing end of it and I just don't have the time. I tag them for later and return to them with a fresh set of eyes several weeks later.

Since today is also E's 50th birthday, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get them online. Happy birthday, sir! I hope the show tonight is a memorable one!

From The Paradise Rock Club, Boston

From Webster Hall, NY

 

Of course, more clown pictures. GAHHHHHHH! I felt like I seriously shorted The Chet on my first posts; I think it was a leftover subconscious thing from the Eels posting so many of my pictures of him on their website in 2011. Sorry about that, The Chet!

Happy Birthday, Darren!

Here's a fun little animated gif that I created from a series of four pictures from Ben Folds Five performance at the Capitol Theatre. Darren Jessee: the man of many talents. Happy Birthday!

Alphabet Photo Challenge: G

G is for GREEN!

These are just a random selection of the green things I found in my room this morning. Everyone has a color they gravitate towards. From my logo to my clothes to my accessories and my camera bags; I have a lot of green. The funny thing is is that I actually don't wear a lot of green anymore. Not since the infamous Green Shirt Incident.

fr EYE day

happy fr EYE day!

This eye represents how uncomfortable my own eye has felt this week. I had an allergic reaction to something that I most likely rubbed into my own eye. After a trip to my incredible opthamologist, he reassured me that it wasn't an infection and that I'd be just fine. I tend to get a little worked up where my eyes are concerned, you know, the whole needing to see to be a photographer thing. Here's hoping next week is far less eventful!

Valgeir Sigurðsson Teaser

Valgeir Sigurðsson

Last Friday, I attended my first concert at the newly renovated Spaceland Ballroom in Hamden, CT. While I was there mainly to see Zammuto, I took pictures of the opening act, Valgeir Sigurðsson. Sigurðsson is an Icelandic record producer/composer/musician. He had some awesome boots and I really liked how he tucked his left leg under himself and sat on his piano stool.

Violinist Nadia Sirota

Easter Round Up

Cadbury Mini Eggs are my kryptonite 

This is my obligatory Easter post which will feature mostly pictures of the family. If you don't like looking at pictures of cute kids, stop reading now. My family's Easter tradition starts very early Saturday morning. This year, we decided to cut the recipe down slightly. We only made 12 pies; in the past we've made anywhere between 15-20.

We're training Grace to be the next Dough Master.

Getting instructions from Grandma. I also love the giant vat of Crisco in this picture.

Hannah was much more alert this time around.

Uncle Jimmy arriving

I hear Aria refuses to look at other, smaller cameras. She knows quality when she sees it.

James loves his new cousin

Typical goofball James

The nieces and nephew were suddenly all in one place and looking vaguely in my direction. 

It happened so fast, I didn't have a chance to clear off the table.

My brother Nick has taken on the roll of pie filler, which I think is the hardest job of all. Sure, he has great dough to work with, but it takes a lot of skill to fill each pie perfectly. Also notice his fantastic apron, which was one of my grandmother's.

Aria was a big fan of the pies

I even made it into a picture this year!

Easter stock photos

Grandma Soup's crocheted egg display

I've been slowly learning the ins and outs of the Polaroid Spectra that was handed down to me from my Great Uncle Fritzy. The pictures are SO WIDE! I took a bunny outside to put in front of some of the crocuses. As the picture developed, I couldn't stop looking at it. Anyone who follows this blog knows that I am amazingly adept at capturing pictures of stink eye. Yes, that inanimate bunny is giving me the stink eye!

Just so you don't think I'm crazy, I took a digital picture of the same bunny. He's slightly less angry from this angle, but I still see it...

Easter Sunday was the egg hunt. Aria tried to hold as many as she could.

And then wanted to share with me.

James reaching for his egg

Hint: if you see the photographer crouched down on the ground somewhere, there is most likely an egg nearby.

Eventually, Grace found the egg!

James and Grandma emptying out the spoils.

Grace displaying her new peacock feather, which you saw a couple weeks ago in the letter F Alphabet Challenge.

Stratford Answerbook

Every so often, I'll take on photography assignments at the day job. The pay isn't great, so over the past few years, I've only agreed to shoot things that are of particular interest to me. Each of the 16 newspapers puts out a supplement once a year called an Answerbook. It lists facts about the town: demographics, history, government information, points of interest, etc, in question and answer form. It's one of the hardest things to shoot because you have to try to find something that is distinctive about that town. Landmarks tend to work best, but those pictures can be very boring.

As you can see, it was an overcast and dreary when I took the picture. There's not a whole lot to work with: dead grass, no leaves on the trees and the left foot of the sculpture is being held up by blocks of wood. I didn't even have a nice blue sky; it started snowing about a half hour after I took the picture. This is where creative cropping comes into play. I zoomed in to get rid of the bleak background and angled myself to be able to get the crest of the building in the background.  Below is the final result: