2009 is coming to a swift close. It's been a fantastic year for music photography, filled with great concerts and amazing opportunities.
From the beginning, I knew that I had my work cut out for me if I wanted to top 2008, which itself was a killer year. So, how did 2009 stack up? Here's a rundown of some of the things that has made the year so memorable.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Without a doubt, one of the highlights of the year was a commission to photograph the live music performances at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for 2009. My charge of the evening was simple: produce killer performance shots that would be used in a national ad campaign.
The best part of the night? Getting a front-row seat to see – and photograph – Metallica in an epic lead-guitarist jam with Ron Wood, Flea, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Joe Perry, all at the same time.
Wrangler Commission
As you know (or should), my brother Chris is a badass music photographer, and so I was thrilled when he got a commission to work on a campaign for Wrangler. Chris tapped me to tag team the shoot with him, and it was an absolute pleasure getting to shoot with him on this job.
Warped Tour Portraits
Chris and I teamed up again to tackle Warped Tour 2008. Armed with half a dozen Nikon Speedlights and penchant for overachievement, we busted our butts to produce some portraits I'm really proud of. If anything, working on a very tight schedule with a dozen bands on a scorching day was a testament to how well Chris and I work together, which I think is something any pair of brothers can love.
Slayer Photo shoot for Rolling Stone
It's a phone call most photographers dream about – the call to shoot for Rolling Stone. The assignment this time was Mayhem Fest, which featured Slayer and Marilyn Manson headlining along with a horde of crushing metal bands. Aside from the surreal all-access and having Marilyn Manson come up to me and ask if I was the photog from Rolling Stone, the best part of this assignment was a five-minute portrait shoot with Slayer. With a dozen people standing around practically tapping their watches and counting down the seconds, I was happy to knock out the shots I wanted with a minute to spare.
Relationship Building
2009 was a year filled with even more contact with publications, publicists and labels, and it's been very rewarding to continue working closely with bands and the music industry in general.
Band Portraits
Going into 2009, one of the biggest things I wanted to focus on was focusing my energy on doing as many band portraits and promos as possible.
Live Music Photography
I had a blast photographing bands this year, with a ton of great tours and events filling out 2009. Here's a selection of some of my favorite photos.
End Notes:
This was a quick look at my 2009. How was yours? I'd love to hear about it.
