Photo of the Week #84

This weekend I was once again on the road to shoot a concert. This time it was some of the heavy hitters of the 70s rock scene, the guys I grew up listening to. I went to the Budweiser Stage in Toronto for Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper and Deep Purple! I had shot Edgar Winter a year ago and was pleased to see him again, what a gem of a performer that guy is! Next on the bill was Alice Cooper, a childhood interest of mine since a friend gave me a cassette of him on one side and Led Zeppelin on the other. I listened to that tape over and over, couldn't get enough of it.

During the 70s heyday of Alice, he was the first of his breed, no one else was doing things like he was and it was pretty electric. Last night I got the first four songs in the pit and I was also reviewing so I was able to hang around and listen to a whole set for a change. I watched the show, remembering how bad I wanted to see him while I was growing up but didn't have the chance till much later. It brought back many memories of growing up listening to Alice records and hearing all the stories of people who HAD seen him in Concert.

I walked around the amphitheater and just watched. I watched the show and the moves that were so carefully choreographed.  I also watched the fans. Some were dancing, others were singing along, many were in makeup or one of the several $50 T-shirts that were available in the merchandise area. They all seemed to love Alice though. How can you not love it, it's Alice Cooper?!

Photo of the Week #83

Better late than never, isn't that what they say? This week's image is a photograph of fishermen in Nova Scotia unloading their catch of lobster. When we first bought the house there, I wanted to go out and capture those iconic images we all know from the postcards and magazines about the maritime fishermen. You may remember the shots of the old weathered fishermen wearing the brightly coloured slickers and sou'westers, maybe holding lobsters, maybe not. You can still find them on postcards there to this day. The thing is, things change over time and fishing in the maritimes has changed with it. The cod isn't fished any longer and the boats have become bigger and more modern, the fishermen have become more sophisticated in their techniques. The photographs like I dreamed of making are still there,  just more modern nowadays. Maritime culture and people are still like no other, it's a great place to hang out. If you get there, don't forget to make the time to really get to know some of the people, you will be better for it.

Photo of the Week #82

I thought that my music photography has dominated my blog for most of the last while, it's time to get back to landscapes I think. I need to get out and relax with my camera too. Sometimes, life just gets in the way and you have to make time for yourself and do what makes you happy, right? I totally forget where this image was made. I think it is somewhere near Mabou, Nova Scotia. I was chasing a nice storm cloud up a side road one day and this scene presented itself to me. I am drawn to old buildings in the first place and this setting was too nice to pass up.

Photo of the Week #81

This summer has been a weird one as far as concert shooting is concerned for me. I was scheduled to shoot Melissa Etheridge, but the good folks at Ottawa Bluesfest only wanted to issue one media pass to the publication I shoot with and it was non-transferable so I wasn't allowed to shoot. As it turned out, I wouldn't have been shooting anyway as her management put strict restrictions in place and it would have squeezed my out anyway. Next, I was booked to shoot Rascal Flatts, but the venue made the decision that they didn't want any media at the event. There was, however a story with pictures in the local newspaper......hm. I love shooting concerts and Melissa was one of my bucket list people, but oh well, life goes on, right?

On a brighter note, I had the opportunity this past weekend to travel up to Kemptville Live 2017 festival to shoot for two nights. Festivals are great because you are often not limited to a certain number of songs. The atmosphere is great, and we were treated wonderful by the organizers and artists alike. Friday night the headliner wouldn't allow any photographers, can't remember his name. Anyway, Saturday night was a different story as Burton Cummings couldn't have been more hospitable to the photographers present. We had only a couple of minor restrictions and were allowed to shoot the whole show if we wanted. He recognizes the value of media, good on ya Burton. Just before the show, I was walking around the end of the stage where Burton was waiting to go on. I ended up having a conversation with him right there and he was very nice and totally down to earth, that leaves a lasting impression on people. As I was driving home last night, it hit me, I had had a chance to chat with one of the icons of the music business!

Photo of the week #80

This photograph was made in Utah at Zion National Park. Zion was one of the first places we visited in the southwest and it completely blew me away with it's beauty. Zion is a canyon cut into the rock by the north fork of the Virgin River and has many unique features. I wish we had more time to explore this area, but it was but one stop on a great trip through the American southwest.