New York Times and the Yule Ball

Last year, Chris and I shot Harry and the Potters at the Bell House in one of the most fun concerts I had ever been to. Looks like the New York Times used one of Chris's pictures to preview this year's show.

Check it out here.

The 2011 Yule Ball is just a few days away. I can't wait to see what we'll shoot this year!

One more thing...

It's been six days since one of my heroes has died.

It had been known for quite some time that Steve was sick, and his resignation as Apple's CEO in August was an obvious indication that his time left was limited. It shouldn't have been a shock that six weeks later he'd be gone. But the news really hit me harder than I thought it would.

It's really easy to understand why anyone has admiration for Steve Jobs, but to cry tears at the death of a stranger got me wondering why I felt the way I did. My relationship with him was completely one-way. He had no knowledge of my existence. In fact, he was such a recluse that aside from his public appearances, I had no real indication of who he was as a person outside of his job at Apple.

I always try my best to not be an Apple fanboy but instead a logical consumer who realistically assesses the value of a new product or service, but the fact of the matter is that if Steve shat in a box I'd probably praise it. And pay for it. Sometimes I'd not only pay once for it, but I'd also pay a monthly fee so that it could get service.

Mixed in with my great sadness is great anger. The man was only 56 when he died. Sure, his career had enough bullet points to represent a lifetime of work, but there was much more to be seen from him. If in 10 years we got the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad, then who's to say what the next 10 years would have brought?

So many of my favorite songs have had demos created in Garageband. So many of my favorite movies and TV shows have been cut together in Final Cut Pro. So many of my favorite pictures were taken on my iPhone. I'm not saying that these things would never have been possible had Steve not been at the helm of Apple, but the fact of the matter is that he is directly tied to the creation of so many things that bring me joy.

Working as a digital artist (aka a dude with a camera) on my MacBook Pro with Final Cut, presenting my sales pitch to potential new customers on my iPad, planning out shoots on my iPhone, it's easy to see why his passing has left me feeling down. This guy has made my job possible. This guy has brought really fun electronic toys into my life.

I'm only 24 years old, and I already know that one my life's biggest regrets will be that I never got to shake his hand and thank him for changing my life. I'm not saying I wish I knew him better - after having spent some time with some of my favorite musicians, I can safely say that heroes are human beings, not superheroes, and they put their pants on one leg at time just like the rest of us - but to just have thanked him in person would have been one of my life's greatest moments.

Fuck you, cancer.

So long, Steve

So long, Steve.

Though I may threaten to punch you in the liver over your policies of Blu-Ray and USB 3.0, there's no denying that your genius has changed my life for the better and has given me a future as someone who creates digital media.

Without your vision, I'd be stuck doing something I don't love.

I wish you the best in the years to come. 

05/07/11 Boston, MA

In the past six months, I have been to three Guster shows. And for all three shows, I was there without a  camera. What a strange feeling!

Last weekend's House of Blues show brought Guster, a camera, and me back together in the wonderful city of Boston. I was able to borrow the Canon 1d Mark IV from Chris once again, and as everyone knows, there is nothing that camera can't do. Now that I've been using this camera for quite some time, I am quite familiar with its strengths. I think this batch of pictures is the best concert photo shoot I've ever done!

I know that I was really confusing a lot of people at the venue - for the first three songs in the pit, the other photographers were watching me shoot, sing along, and dance.


Who is this kid? Is he a fan? How does he have a 1d Mark IV? Does he have media credentials?


Aside from the fact that I now know the ins and outs of the camera, I also have to add that I have been to so many Guster concerts and I know the lighting cues. Pair that with my knowledge of guitar solos, audience participation, and song lyrics, and I was ready for every moment this concert had to offer.

I'd like to thank the band and their management once again for allowing me to shoot this concert, Chris for lending me his camera and lens gear, and Alex for giving me a place to crash in Rhode Island.

Take a look at some of my favorite pictures:

The entire collection of pictures from the 05/07/11 Guster concert at the House of Blues in Boston can be found here.

Sony HXR-NX5U Camcorder

In a world where 3D will one day take over, I decided it was time to get with the program and start shooting in HD.

My Panasonic DVX has been a wonder to shoot with since I bought it in 2007, but it is definitely time for an upgrade. The Sony HXR-NX5U shoots in full 1080p, records right to flash memory, and is capable of holding me at night, hugging me, and telling me that it loves me.

In addition to the camera, I got a couple of accessories:

   - extra battery (an additional 4 hours of shooting)

   - Two 32GB Class 10 SDHC cards (6 hours of highest quality 1080p)

   - LED light for the hotshoe

I've already shot tons of footage with this camera so I am pretty familiar how well it performs. This is the kind of camera that makes footage look so good that it doesn't matter who is shooting with it. Someone with no skills at all could shoot tons of great stuff.  I like to think that I have some skills with a camera, which makes me think that there are great things to come.

12/18/10 Brooklyn, NY

It's been almost a month since this concert happened, so let's get posting! Here are some preview pictures of Part 1 of The Macaroons set from 12/18/10 at the 2010 Yule Ball:

All of part one can be found here. Check back soon for part two.

12/31/10 New York, NY

A little teaser of what I was up to when 2010 kicked the bucket:



Pictures, videos, stories, webcasts, images, and all sorts of fun things are coming soon.