Tag: concert photography

2021…

December 31, 2021 / Rick / 0 Comments

…is almost over. It’s hard to believe my last post to this was in July 2020. I didn’t mean for this to be a once-a-year thing. Let’s resolve in 2022 to up to the productivity. Let’s just hope I’m not merely adding to the pile of broken resolutions (admit it, you have some as well lol).

Since my last post, well, let’s take a look. There were the protests/riots after the death of George Floyd, a clusterf**k of a presidential election in the United States, a clusterf**k of a protest on the day Congress was to certify the election results, Covid vaccines developed and deployed, economic inflation that is threatening to do some real damage to economies around the world, new Covid variants, and an ever-deepening divide between people groups of people in the United States. This list is just the United States alone. Many nations around the world are facing their own new challenges brought on by Covid.

On a personal level, I lost someone I considered a friend (non-Covid related) as well as Ozzy, my beagle and all-around great dog that adopted me at the age of 8 weeks. He would have been 13 in Jan 2022. I miss him every day. I also almost lost my German Shepherd to a severe infection. Thankfully we were able to intervene before it could spread to other parts of her body. Many of you know I live in Texas and the challenges Texas residents across the entire state faced in February. All these things were in addition to the stresses brought on by the challenges of recovering from 2020. Recovery is going to continue into 2022, but one thing I feel is much more optimism than 365 days ago. I need this feeling if I have any hope of accomplishing my goals in 2022.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, however. Texas began its collective reopening in 2020 and accelerated that process in 2021 as vaccines became widely available. I found myself with some promo work and, after getting the pokes myself, was back in the bars doing what I loved the most – photographing live metal performances.

Dawn Of Dissolution – the commission that stirred me awake

David Van of Kranc - the first published concert photo from me in over a year. — David Van of Kranc – This is the first concert image made by me in over a year.

Since June, I have shot 7 shows, which is a little slower than the normal pace over the past couple of years (excluding 2020). For me, however, this pace is good. The show from where the above image was made was a chance to reconnect with people I hadn’t seen in over a year (some in nearly 2 years). It was the fuel I needed after the Dawn Of Dissolution shoot to feel purposeful again.

Creatively (and in general) things felt as if they were getting pretty dark for a little while. I tried me hand at a few things in 2020 but quickly gave up on them as things with the outside world seemed to be only getting worse with each passing day. I tried my hand at digital painting from a photograph:

Scene just outside of Shiner, TX (photo made in 2011)

Zolrak Montes of Unholier at Destroying Texas Fest 2019

This little experiment last about a month before I fell back into the funk. A couple of friends and I joined together and started processing each other’s RAW images. This turned out some interesting results. Although at any one time we were working on the same image, this exercise taught us that different people can look at the same objective information and see something totally different from the others. This particular activity lasted several months until one of the members started classes at a local college. Once he completes his work, we will be starting this again.

There are several other things I started and continue to actively work, especially now that I feel a little more like myself again. One in particular is a marriage of text and imagery based of a lyric I once heard. “I will give you sanctuary in these hymns of Thanatos” is that lyric. It’s stuck with me since I first heard it a little over 14 years ago. I am organizing a series around it. Here are a couple of sketches:

These are a little all over the place as they were tests of different techniques and concepts. I’m beginning to drill down on some consistency over the execution and will soon start executing more fully realized images. I’m a little excited about this project as the lyric on which it’s based is beginning to burn more and more brightly in my mind.

For the final topic of this entry, I picked up work on an existing project that had been neglected for a long time. This project is the skyscape images that helped me get into the BFA program at the University of Houston. I’ve often wanted to continue this one, and now that is happening. As of right now, the project is strictly digital as I lost my medium format film camera in Hurricane Harvey in 2017. A friend of mine recently gifted me a Pentax K1000 35mm film SLR. As soon as I can begin purchasing color film, I am going to definitely be adding that back into the project (it is a mix of digital, color negative, and color positive images).

In terms of my art, this is where I’m at so far in 2021 and heading into 2022. I have a lot of goals to reach in 2022, both in terms of my art and in my personal life. I would like to get back to New York to visit my family sometime this year and find a way to get my wife home to visit hers (which is, in my view, the greater priority). I will find a way to discuss some things more in depth in a future post that will come much sooner rather than later. Until then, I bid you all a Happy New Year and good fortune in whatever form will do you best in 2022.

Rest in Peace, Maurice Eagle

March 23, 2017 / Rick / 0 Comments

The photography world and the local Houston music scene lost a member. Maurice Eagle had been battling colon cancer and succumbed to it on the morning of 23 March 2017. After having moved from Austin to Houston, Maurice brought a unique perspective to photographing bars.

When I first saw Maurice, it was just about a year ago at a show at Acadia (I believe it was Ten Ton Hammer). He had with him a unique setup – it was his camera (with what appeared to be a super wide angle lens) and 2 external flashes mounted on a wooden plank. I thought this was unusual so I decided to ask him about it. After he introduced himself, I immediately saw the reasons for his setup. I had been looking at his work on and off for a while. During our conversation, he took care to mention several times that he was NOT a concert photographer, but that he was a bar photographer and there is a difference. I didn’t press him on that point, but I understood that approach when looking at his images.

Blood Of An Outlaw (Scout Bar, Feb 2017)

Whenever I see another photographer at a show, there is always a sense of competition. There is the obvious – will he or she get a better moment than I? Will this person be able to capture more quality images than I can? Why won’t they move from that spot because I would like some from that angle as well? But those are in the moment, when I’m trying to realize my own vision and there’s someone else honing in to try to satisfy theirs. After the set is over, that sense is gone and we move on to the next. But there is also that sense of competition when I’m looking at other concert work, and it is competition with myself. When I see high quality work, I ask how I can push myself to up my own output. After that first conversation with Maurice, the more banal sense of competition was quickly dispelled when he told me he was a bar photographer. His work inspired me to push myself even further, and was one of the prompts for my experimentation with color photography as discussed here.

Beyond Oblivion (BFE Rock Club, Nov 2016)

That’s not to say I was going to try to copy his style. Maurice’s style was pretty unique and incorporated things with which I don’t care to work. These things include HDR processing and highly saturated colors. I’ve experimented with those elements in the past and it just doesn’t work for me. When they’re done well, they can really look good, and Maurice certainly did these things very well. In the above photo of Beyond Oblivion, the selection here (because photography is a selective process) illustrates why he did this well. The saturation of the colors doesn’t assault one’s vision in the way many HDR processing saturations do. This is due to the fact that the image has an analogous color scheme (green – blue – blue violet – violet), which not only is pleasing to the eye, it creates harmony and serenity. The HDR processing created the contrasts necessary for this work. Overall, the colors juxtapose nicely with the subject, which at the time was delivering an all out sonic assault. The venue’s logo, although partially obscured, does still have a prominent place, letting us know where there was taken.

Chaotic Justice (Fitzgerald’s, Sep 2016)

Here is another example of Maurice’s touch. Here he selected an image with complementary colors (a tinted blue and a shaded orange). The orange around the subjects stands out nicely against the blue light, framing the mostly black-clad performers. Again, the venue logo is obscured, but still occupies a prominent space in the frame so as to be unmistakable.

I did not talk about Maurice’s use of a super wide lens in this as it is not something on which I can comment in an intelligent manner. I’ve only used my super wide for landscape images, never for a concert performance. That stems mostly from the fact that when one gets close, the edges tend to distort. I’m a precisionist by nature when I make images, and it’s hard for me to break that habit sometimes. I’ve seen some concert photographers use it at shows as it creates a chaotic effect, especially when the performers and crowd are both in the frame. Since Maurice was a bar photographer, I imagine creating that sense of chaos wasn’t his intent. Sadly, I can only speculate that since his goal was to capture 1 single image that encompassed the whole of the stage, he had no choice but to use this type of lens.

Spectral Manifest (Scout Bar, May 2016)

Here is another example of Maurice’s mastery of color use – this time with a split-complementary scheme dominating the scene.

Although Maurice’s style is radically (for lack of a better term) different than mine, he still inspired me. He had a unique style and he worked it perfection. While I have a preferred style, I never pushed it to the same the level Maurice pushed his. Now I am in competition with myself to push my style even further and create great images for my friends in the local Houston metal community.

I only got to meet you once, Maurice, but that meeting was something I wouldn’t trade for anything. The only way I can thank you for your inspiration is to push my own style. You’ve earned your immortality, good sir, and I hope when we meet again we can share some good stories about shooting some great shows. Rest In Peace, friend.

You can view Maurice’s work on his Facebook page by clicking here.

The Houston Metal Project

March 15, 2017 / Rick / 0 Comments

So much for those plans for an entry on Roy de Carava. As I started looking at things, I realized I didn’t really know how to say what I wanted to say on the subject of him and my own work. So, I’m changing my tactic a little bit. I think this will be a multi-part essay regarding my work and then bringing in how I’m being influenced by Roy de Carava and other artists.

A long time ago in my own galaxy in my own city not so far away…

If it hasn’t become plainly obvious to any of my regular readers, I’m a fan of heavy metal music. I remember my preteen years of listening to the radio, especially the Top 40 countdowns every Sunday evening. I liked the songs that were played, but always found myself more drawn to the rock and hard rock selections on the airwaves, e.g. “We’re Not Gonna Take it” by Twisted Sister and “Round and Round” by Ratt. I was 13 when I got my first true heavy metal album, Motley Crue’s “Shout at the Devil.” The rest, to borrow a cliché, is history.

So we fast forward a few years (ok, at least a decade, but that’s all I’m revealing) and I’m getting into photography. I wanted to learn to how to use a DSLR camera to take better concert photos for a website I was trying to build at the time. The effect was twofold – I learned how to use my camera and it reawakened the artist lying dormant within me. I took photos of big touring acts when I could get a pass, but there wasn’t really any direction with them. I was looking for that one image that could go on the website with an article, and that was about it. When I started my run at Coog Radio, the college radio station at the University of Houston (UH), I started scratching the surface of the local heavy metal scene in Houston. What I found was a scene that was vibrant and relatively untapped. Again, I took images when I felt like it (sometimes you just have to leave the camera at home and be a fan), but again, there was no real direction with my activities.

Given my love of heavy metal and art, it was a no-brainer to merge the 2. Instead of designing logos or album covers, I wanted to use my particular skills to bring a new visual perspective to the scene, with my primary focus on Houston. With a click of the mouse, The Houston Metal Project was born in the Spring of 2014. Now what was I going to do with it?

The project was initially started as a depository for the images I created at local shows, with the focus being on local artists. I also photograph national touring acts when I can (it’s not very easy to get photo passes to venues they play) as they add to the scene when they play in Houston. The bulk of the collection, however, is made up of images of local talent, with some of them on their way to becoming national acts.

Jonathan Bayliss of Desecrate The Faith (2014)

Jesse Brisendine of Behelit (2014)

Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society on the Revolver Golden Gods Tour (2014)

The 3 images above are part of the early months of my activities. These images to me represented the first steps I was taking as they seemed to capture the intensity of the live heavy metal performance, even if the focus isn’t as great as it could be. I definitely noticed a style developing.

Depravis Nocturna of Spectral Manifest (2014)

It was this image of Depravis Nocturna that crystallized the style I was going to work to develop. I wanted to stay in black and white and fill the frame as much as possible. I would use the venue lighting when possible, but I wasn’t going to rule out using my external flash if necessary. I couldn’t let all that time spent learning to effectively bounce light to go to waste, could I?

King Diamond (2014)

Nergal of Behemoth (2015)

Stage detail of Testament (2015)

Lit stage at Testament (2015)

The images above represent a little bit of a departure from my developed style – King Diamond was actually posing for his portrait on stage. I also dabbled a little bit in storytelling and stage detail. It usually happens more with national acts than local acts. I’m sure the show budget has a lot to with that.

Helmuth Lehner of Belphegor (2016)

John Hull of Desecrate The Faith (2016)

Alice Lima Lovchik of Insolvent (2016)

The images above are part of an experiment in color photography. I decided after this phase I was going to concentrate solely on black and white for this project. I will discuss that in my next entry as it pertains to what I’ve been thinking about as I wind my way through this endeavor. It’s not that I’m unhappy with these. I wouldn’t put them out if I were. They just don’t fit my vision. As an aside – Ms. Lovchik is a graduate of the University of Houston Law School. Last I heard, she was studying for her bar exam. Best of luck to you, Alice!

Casey Howard of Suicide Pandemic (2017)

It’s 3 years into this project. I have over 1000 images published (I haven’t counted) on the Facebook page for this project, whittled down from the tens of thousands taken over the past 3 years. I have an endgame in mind for what I’m doing, but I’m not quite ready to take that step just yet. I am, however, going to be taking a very critical look at what I have made so far, and charting a future based on that.

I promise my next entry will be sooner than later. I knew there was going to come a time when I needed to start taking trips down the intellectual rabbit hole and charting out a more concrete direction for this project. As for now, you can comment as you like below.

The published images can be seen on the project’s Facebook page. Just click here.

Wherefore art thou, Richard Custer?

February 20, 2017 / Rick / 0 Comments

I’ve been here, but a bit inactive as of late. I’ve been a little inactive in writing as well as creating art. My activity has experienced an uptick as of late, but not really enough to have anything to put out there. The long of the short of it is that I’ve fallen into a bit of a rut with my work and am slowly climbing out of it. It’s taken (and is taking) a little perseverance, but I’m getting there. I also just read this article over at Medium.com, which seems to have kicked me in the ass a little bit (I’d say this post is evidence of that).

I’ve started work on a digital art piece that’s going to require a full year to complete. It’s going to take a full year because I can only add to it a small element each day. It’s not a choice, it’s just the nature of the project. I was inspired by a piece I saw on Twitter, where the artist used only a period of one month. I’m not sure how this will turn out aesthetically as it’s more of a personal piece, but I am learning something about myself from the piece and the process. Just what comes out of that new knowledge will remain to be seen. The piece will be unveiled after the beginning of February 2018 after I examine and make refinements to the individual elements for consistency. I may mess with the colors a little as well, but the elements and their placement will not be touched otherwise.

My friends in Desecrate The Faith have a new album, entitled “Unholy Infestation,” dropping in early March. I was privileged (and more than slightly honored) to be asked by them to do the photography for the album. This is one of the images I can show at this time:

From left to right – Tyler Shiery, Mike Caputo, John Hull, Coleson Cowden, Jonathan Bayliss

The other images for the album will be released with the album, but I’m very proud of the work I did for them. I was also able to sit in on the recording sessions with them. That in itself was a hell of an experience. I had an idea of how albums were made, but this really showed the hard work that goes into creating an album before the CD’s are ever made. Those photos can be seen here.

In terms of death metal, this album is going to make an impact on the genre’s landscape, and will be a model for other bands to follow. Seeing my name in the liner notes is already surreal, but given the impact I’m sure this album is going to have, the level of surreal (for me) is off the charts.

I’ve been reading a lot, though, and it has helped keep my mind turning through this rut. I’ve also acquired some equipment to help with another project on which I’m working. I just need to get off my ass and make use of it.

As for now, this concludes the latest update. I know it’s short by my blog entry standards, but never fear. I am currently structuring a new post that will outline some things I’ve been thinking about in relation to some of my concert images. Look for that within the next day or 2.

PS – If you’re into death metal, do yourself a favor and check out the first promo single from “Unholy Infestation.” You won’t be sorry.