umbradigital

Details: Canon EOS 450D + Sigma 50-150mm f2.8

I have spent a good portion of today listening to my Sparklehorse albums.

I'll never forget that brief chat we had when you were here in New Zealand big guy. Your music got me through some tough times over the years, hopefully you're in a better place.

Mark Linkous R.I.P.
(September 9, 1962 – March 6, 2010)

:(

...is making a calendar for charity.

More details soon.

So I missed Deathpunkfest this year.
Why? I was up to my armpits in girls in tutu's.



( MOAR (Plus a couple of backstage shots, and a rather dodgy test self portrait) )

Looks like I've found a new favourite location...



\m/

1 Hour Gym session 3x a week.
1 Hour walk 2x a week.
0gm Sugar a week.
Meat 3x a day.

6kg's loss in 2 weeks.

Screw you diabetes, I'm going to kick your ass!

So, Raggamuffin.
Hotter than Hell, Cooler than James Dean and, uh, more second hand pot smoke than the entire filming of a Cypress Hill video. Seriously there was a thick smoke haze above the crowd for much of the day!

Needless to say I had a fantastic time hiding in the shade of the non-existant media area while getting slowly baked... haha.

And now for an image of each of the acts I shot that day.

Kora.


Inner Circle.


Arrested Development.


Shaggy.


Ali Campbell.


Eddy Grant.


Ziggy Marley.

So it seems it's not just Big Day Out. As of today I am no longer shooting Nine Inch Nails, Underoath, Poison The Well, Iron Maiden, The Veronicas and Eric Clapton. I could go into some long winded tirade against nz media or stupid concert promoters but I won't. I'm done. I can't handle this rejection any more. Music and music photography was my life. I'm sick of watching people who only do it for the money waltz in and gain photo passes, i'm sick of watching people who know/are related to the promoter gaining photo passes, i'm sick of people with cell phones or point and shoot digital cameras in the photo pit, and most of all i'm sick to death of being one of New Zealand's best, if not the best, live music/concert photographer and yet being constantly denied access to shoot. Fuck, I have even offered to work for free for everyone and still i'm not wanted nor needed. So as I said before, this is it. This is my resignation from the world of live music photography in New Zealand. I will shoot Raggamuffin this weekend (isn't irony a bitch, this is the one event i'm not excited to shoot) and i'll be hanging up my skinz and chucks until such time as promoters and local media realise what they're missing out on. That or I blow this country for places where being a concert photographer actually matters and isn't a job given to a relative with a camera. Time to start saving I guess...

wow - fifth year in a row to be denied a photopass for big day out. This time it was tearaway magazine - and it was the first time they had ever been denied. Absolutely gutted to be missing the headless chickens - they were the band i was most looking forward to shooting this summer... Big day out has sure turned into my elanore!

The last day, and the big one. Weather was very hot, I spent most of the day hiding in the shade of the media center - only venturing out to watch the nekkid watersliders or to shoot the fantastic array of acts on tonight. Got a minor crush on Julia Deans, loving the new look... Midnight was amazing with a spectacular pyro show and a great set from Carl Cox, a great start to the new year!

Unfortunately upon returning back to the car at 4.30am I found some lovely person had crashed into it causing over $500 worth of damage. Next year I'm going to carpool to the site I think!

Today I shot


The Tutts


Fur Patrol


The Black Seeds


The Datsuns


Shihad


Carl Cox

Happy New Years everyone!
2009 is going to be a good one...

No rain today, thank goodness!
All the mud is gone, the sky was overcast and there was a slight breeze. Perfect festival weather...
Met and shot quite possibly the nicest guy in music today, the legendary Carl Cox. There's just something about the english accent that makes people seem so friendly. Looking forward to catching his midnight (NYE) set tomorrow night.

Today I shot:


SJD


Anika Moa


The Pheonix Foundation


Ladyhawk


Cut Copy

and...


FLAAAAAAAAAAVA MOTHERFUCKING FLAAAAAAAAAAAV (or Public Enemy).

Rain, rain and then a little more rain with a side dish of wind.
Day one was impressive for the fact that it was so wet yet everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives, especially the young lady who insisted she had to do the waterslide in the rain completely naked. Fun times.

So with no further ado, these are the bands I shot today...


Liam Finn


Santogold


The Kooks


Franz Ferdinand

FOR TRADE:

Apple MacBook Pro
Matt Screen
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
NVidia GeForce 8600M GT
185 GB HDD

Wanting to swap for 24 Inch iMac + Cash.

Any takers? I've fallen in love with the HP Netbooks, so am wanting to go for a Desktop/Netbook combo instead of this beasty piece of technological wonder...

I had a blast this weekend - whirlwind trips to Wellington staying in $600 a night rooms, photographing the (true) alternative underground of New Zealand, hanging out with a few good mates...

If I had to choose one image to sum up my whole weekend, it would be this one.



Rock and Motherfucking Roll!

Just saw the 'Codeine Like Candy' music video on C4.
Why the fuck has no-one told me about these guys before?

Seriously, if the rest of the E.P. is as cool as the video DO WANT.

I never thought I would see the day.
And now it has come and the people shall rejoice.



Now I'm stuck with a nervous twitch trying to work out how to afford it...