Shock Me

Well, my new year’s resolution to do better on keeping this blog updated has gone right to hell, hasn’t it? If you follow my photo page on Facebook, hopefully you’ll forgive me when you see I’ve had a pretty fair start to the year already.

I was talking with a fellow photog today (via electronic communications, as talking in person is so passé!) about a tough shoot she had. It was with a band in a smaller venue, and the lighting was a challenge. She was looking for some input on her shots because she felt they weren’t up to par. First of all, I’m not sure how I became someone to give advice to anyone else. That’s kind of overwhelming, and also – to me – a touch absurd. You can’t give advice until you figure out what you’re doing, right?

The conversation got me thinking about last year. Starting the year off, I’d shot a handful of shows in a row that were amazing artists, but they were shot from the soundboard, with artists that weren’t all that energetic on stage. Still great performers, but from a photography point of view, it was just leaving me feeling deflated. The shots I was getting felt flat, felt forced, felt…similar. It becomes frustrating from a creative side, and left me wondering where the joy had gone.

Then April rolled around. I got word that I was approved to cover the gods of metal themselves, Judas Priest, in Bloomington, IL. That alone was enough to stir the 15-year-old fan boy in me, because this was Rob F’n Halford and crew, the guys I’ve listened to forever. But then, getting to the venue, we were led down to the pit. Oh, the glorious pit, my haven from the world. When Priest hit the stage, it was like an electric current coursing through me. My camera had a mind of its own, shooting, swinging left, right, center, capturing moments happening in blinding light and letting the screaming guitars and thundering drums overwhelm me.

It was exactly what I needed.

I’m a rock/metal guy as far as my preferences, but I listen to a little bit of everything. When I’m working, with camera in hand, it doesn’t matter. Pop, country, dance, R&B, punk, alt, it makes no difference at all. If they’ll invite me in, I’ll be there. But even setting aside my musical preferences, from a creative side, I can’t imagine anything better than a rock/metal show, from the pit, to just energize me, to make me feel like, yes, I do still want to be there and keep doing this, because those shots are just THERE, they’re leaping off the screen or the paper and making you part of the action as a viewer.

Judas Priest is still on the same tour this year. I’m hoping to have the chance to cover them again. If I don’t, that’s okay. I’ll have the thoughts from last year. But whoever is there, with eyes pressed to viewfinders, I hope they’re ready. Because that jolt of energy is breathtaking, and it will run right through that lens and into your soul as a photographer.