Dude With a Camera

New York Times and the Yule Ball

2011-12-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

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...

2011-10-11T07:12:00.001-07:00

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

2011-08-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-02-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

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.

12/18/10 Brooklyn, NY

2010-12-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Yule Ball in Brooklyn was a shoot like no other. For a number of reasons:

1) I shot with a flash
2) I shot with another photographer
3) I was shooting from the stage wings, looking out at the audience

In total, Chris and I shot a whopping 1252 pictures! We mainly took pictures for Harry and the Potters and the Macaroons, but we somehow managed to slip some crazy backstage antics shots and crowd photography in there.

Chris was wonderful enough to let me shoot with his amazing Canon 1D Mark IV once again, and my old Canon 30d was my backup. Chris was shooting with a sweet 5D Mark II (generously donated by our buddy Matt).

Because of the nature of shooting with two photographers, I'm going to present the pictures in two parts: my Harry and the Potters pictures are available right now, while Chris is taking a few more days to work on his shots.

Here are some sample pictures from my batch:

Stay tuned for Part 2, as well as our pictures with the Macaroons!

11/13/10 New York, NY

2010-12-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

Did I forget to post up my Harry and the Potters pictures from 11/13/10 in New York City? Maybe I did. Here's a preview of Joe:

The rest of the pictures can be seen here.

And remember the 2008 Yule Ball DVD that I shot, produced, edited, and directed? Well, it's currently being sold on the band's online store for the low, low price of $15. Your purchase includes my DVD along with audio recorded by our friend Djim. That's right! Two things!

Purchase it here.

More news coming soon - I've got some exciting stuff coming up. More work to be done for Harry and the Potters, and a few other bands you might have heard of...

Gusbook Photography!

2010-11-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

If anyone happened to catch a glimpse of a Guster facebook note from November 10th, then you would have seen a picture I took! Check it out here.

And pretty soon after that, Guster posted up an album with the best of their Easy Wonderful 2010 Tour Photos. This album features my photography from 10/29/10 at the Beacon and 10/30/10 at Lupo's. Check it out here.

11/3/10 New York, NY

2010-11-11T16:52:00.000-08:00

That's right, I shot another concert! This one was from November 3rd at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City.

Luke is the newest member of the rock band Guster, and so we jumped at the chance to see a low-key solo show in New York City. I took very few pictures at this concert due to my camera being louder than Luke's unamplified, acoustic guitar, but the concert was very enjoyable and everyone should listen to his new album, Maps, now available on iTunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/maps/id398715075

Here are some pictures from Luke's show:

And also, don't you just love it when iPhoto makes embarrassing mistakes with its facial recognition software?

Take a look at the whole collection here.

10/30/10 Providence, RI

2010-11-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Guster played a concert at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI.

This concert was a totally different concert than the previous night, photography-wise. A GA show, as opposed to a reserved seating show, gives me more leeway to move around (and security is usually friendlier).

The whole venue was dressed up for Halloween and the atmosphere of the night was much more easy-going. After the show, we all had a blast spending time with our friends.

Here are a few sample pictures.

Mr. Reynolds:

Mr. Miller:

Mr. Rosenworcel:

Mr. Gardner's rockstar moment:

Guster is now Adam, Ryan, Brian, and Luke:

Lupos is a place that holds concerts:

Halloween:

Fisheye lens:

The whole collection can be seen here.

10/29/10 New York, NY

2010-11-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

It has been six months since I last saw a Guster show, and boy have things changed. The band has lost 7-year multi-instrumentalist Joe Pisapia, there's a new Guster named Luke, the band now tours with their own LED lights, and there's a new album called Easy Wonderful.

Yikes, that's a lot of stuff to happen to my favorite band. Thankfully, the only thing that I don't like in the above list is the lighting setup. It made my photography more difficult. Speaking of photography...I took some pictures at Guster's concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on 10/29/10. My friend Chris lent me a wonderful Canon EOS 1D Mark IV camera, and it took some beautiful low-light pictures. Here are a couple of samples.

Ryan:

Adam:

Brian:

Luke:

An Asian dude with a hat. He also has hands:

The audience. See if you can spot my friends Alex, Kelly, and Justin, as well as other Guster management personnel:

The Beacon Theatre:

Jesus on the Radio:

The entire collection of Beacon pictures can be seen here.

I also took some pictures at their next concert, the following night at Lupo's in Providence. Stay tuned to see some preview pictures.

10/21/10 Brooklyn, NY

2010-10-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

At last, a photo shoot that doesn't involve my cat!

I took some pictures at a concert at the Cameo Gallery in Brooklyn. Golden Bloom and Neutral Uke Hotel put on a fun concert and it was great to see all the familiar faces and some new ones too!

I was also able to borrow a super duper camera for these pictures, making my post-production processing and editing a little easier. The Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, hypothetically, can function at an ISO upwards of 128000, and although I kept my ISO ratings at around 3000-4000, my old Canon 30D maxes out at 1600 (with lots of noticeable grain I might add) and just that little bump was enough to give me a few more stops of light!

For a dimly-lit show like this, I'd usually just be happy if my pictures would have any sort of detail on the subject's face. The Mark IV, though, did an amazing job at using what little light was available. My one goal for the night was to prove to the world that Josh has eyes (seriously, take a look at some other non-Guster show photos I've taken of him. It's like he's a raccoon!) and I think I was quite successful.

Take a look at the concert's page on my website to see all the pictures.

And here are some sample pictures:

Told you he has eyes.

An update!

2010-09-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

Holy poop in the toilet!

I have a blog to update.

Guess now would be a good time to mention that instead of freaking myself out with three jobs, I am now only freaking myself out with two jobs!

Island Photo employs me as a photographer, and Franklin Square Photographers employs me as a videographer/video editor. Somewhere in the time between those jobs, I also still photograph concerts and other shit. The other shit is usually my pets with my iPhone's camera. Take a look:

Lots more cool stuff coming up very soon. I promise.

Bill Clinton

2010-05-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

It just occurred to me yesterday. I'm a photographer.

That sign is referring to me!

Oh, and here's former President of the United States of America Bill Clinton:

Google Alerts

2010-05-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite bands are on my Google Alerts, and it's really cool to have articles with my photography emailed to me nightly.

http://blog.greenlightgopublicity.com/2010/05/neutral-uke-hotel-golden-bloom-showcase.html

4/14/10 Worcester, MA

2010-04-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Did I forget to mention that I pointed my camera at a couple of my favorite bands a few days ago?

Take a look at some of my Golden Bloom photos from 4/14/10 in Wooster, MA:

All the pictures can be seen here.

Yes, that's Josh on bass and Scooter on drums. Since those two were there, Guster decided to perform a concert as well. I snapped a few photos for them too:

The entire collection of Guster pictures is here.

My First DVD

2010-01-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

oh, and did I mention my Harry and the Potters concert film was released over the holidays?

Guster Photography

2009-12-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, I'm so grateful for the insanely positive response to my photography!

Apparently I have quite a fan base in Washington DC, where the Brookewood School for Girls is located. Some of the young singers at this school were singing with Guster on "All The Way Up to Heaven" both nights in NYC, and their music teacher asked to use my photography on their website. Check it out: http://www.brookewood.org/

In addition to that, parents and friends of the girls have all sent in extremely kind emails expressing their thanks for my photography. This is really flattering to me, a photographer who is just starting out, and I am so glad that my photos have made so many people happy. These girls really rocked the house with their performance, and I'm thankful that the energy they showed onstage helped inspire my photography.

It's also an honor that the local newspaper is ran a story featuring my photos. They even sent a copy to me, and posted my photography up on their website:

Check out the whole story over here.

Lastly, I'd also like to mention that the awesome folks at Nettwerk have posted up some of my photos to Guster's Facebook page.

Guster's Facebook Page with my photos from 10/31/09

Guster's Facebook Page with my photos from 11/27/09

Even more cool news is on the way pretty soon, including a revamp of my website, a Harry and the Potters DVD, 3 or 4 more shows to be photographed, and a couple surprises...stay tuned!

11/29/09 and 11/30/09 New York, NY

2009-11-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

And with another Guster tour under my belt, I can finally say that I have seen the album "Lost and Gone Forever" performed three times in its entirety.

While these two shows at the Beacon Theatre in NYC didn't have the same historical significance as the Halloween show at the Orpheum in Boston, these were definitely two huge shows for the band. The Beacon is a pretty big venue, holding 2800 people, and I think there's definitely something to be said about a band that hasn't released an album in over three years but can still sell out the Beacon for two nights in a row.

Night one:

With Pasty at the lighting board, we got a kick-ass light show.

I played around with the 70-200 lens:

And did some work with the 17-55 lens:

Night two:

Pasty does cool work:

And sometimes, Guster like to jump with children:

Here are the links to the full collections of photos:

Guster @ Beacon Theatre 11/27/09

Guster @ Beacon Theatre 11/28/09

Yule Ball 2008 DVD Update

2009-11-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

After a month or so of bad news and audio trouble, I am excited to report that my Yule Ball 2008 DVD will probably see the light of day! Aiming for a holiday season '09 release. Stay tuned for more details...

10/31/09 Boston, MA

2009-11-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

...and everyone should check out http://www.kennethparry.com/concerts/guster_LAGF_orpheum/index.html for my photos of Guster in Boston on Halloween. For those who don't follow them, the band is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Lost And Gone Forever, and playing 11 sold out shows which will feature the album in its entirety.

The Halloween show was something extra special because it marks the 10th Anniversary of Guster's infamous 1999 Halloween show where they descended from the ceiling...

that was 10 years ago...

...and this is a picture I took on Saturday night:

For this show, they spared no expense. Playing a 26-song set, almost 3 hours, the band put on an amazing show! DF Yonkman also filmed the show for a possible DVD release, so let's look out for that soon.

08/29/09 New York, NY

2009-09-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick plug for some concert photography from Saturday night's Golden Bloom CD release party:

http://www.kennethparry.com/concerts/2009_golden_bloom_pianos/index.html

How To Cook Spaghetti Carbonara

2009-07-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

..and our 2nd Howcast video has gone live this morning! Check it out if you'd like to learn how to cook spaghetti carbonara:

http://www.howcast.com/videos/204249-How-To-Make-Spaghetti-Carbonara

07/04/2009 Chicago, IL

2009-07-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

I went to Chicago, IL and Portage, IN

On July 4th, Guster played Chicago's finest music festival: Taste of Chicago. Guster/Lebowski extraordinaire Stormy (aka Bunnie Lebowski) welcomed me into her home for the holiday weekend in Portage, IN.

Her son, Vinnie, although he's only 8, is probably the best drummer ever in the history of the world. Take a look at our jam session:

Bunnie also took some cool videos of the show, but most of it is in sign language:

And if you watch that video, and see a drenched photographer scampering all around the stage area, that'd be me. Around 1:12-1:17 in the video. Guster's tour manager, Seth, was nice enough to offer me an impromptu photo pass. My photos can be seen on my website:

http://www.kennethparry.com/concerts/chicago_2009/index.html

It must be that the thunderstorm clouds follow me wherever I go. We've been having a month of rain in Brookline, all throughout the month of June. Then on the three days when I'm in Chicago and Indiana, the rain followed me there and I'm told there was a nice day in Brookline.

Here's an idea of the cloud coverage/rain situation in Chicago on July 4th:

Gordon, Guster's sound mixer, was extremely helpful as well. He provided me with a setlist (complete with his pre-chewed gum!) as well as giving me a dry place to stay while everyone else got rained on:

At the Taste of Chicago, Bunnie and I met up with fellow messageboarders Chris, and her husband Allen. They were extremely kind to us, and I hope to spend many more concerts with them. Guster videographer DF Yonkman met up with us as well, and took this picture:

Left to right: Ken, Bunnie, Chris, Allen

I get to see Guster again in about one month, and hopefully I'll have more media to post up after then.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

2009-06-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Between becoming an independent videographer, working for American Idol, traveling to NY and Pittsburgh, and heading off to Chicago (well, in a few days anyway), I've forgotten to update this blog.

Well, here's something cool: http://www.howcast.com/videos/198172-How-To-Get-Rid-Of-Bed-Bugs

My first Howcast.com video, which went live yesterday. Entitled "How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs," this movie is a charming romantic comedy about the forbidden love between a young man (Terry Torres) and an unwelcome intruder (an insect).

Winner of 6 Ken inc. awards, How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs was filmed entirely on location in Brookline, MA.

Please click that link and rate my movie with a thumbs up.

I did some work for the band PHISH

2009-05-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

In April, Yonkman recruited me for a shoot in Fenway Park. Right now, it's featured on the main page of their website: http://www.phish.com/

And it's also featured here: http://vimeo.com/4036264

I Tweet

2009-04-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Just to remind everyone, I am tweeting:

http://twitter.com/kennethparry

A New DVD!

2009-04-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

My Harry and the Potters DVD will be released through the Wizard Rock EP of the Month Club. Not sure when exactly, but for more details check out http://www.wizardrockclub.com/

Esteban

2009-03-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Greeting from a brand new 17 inch unibody MacBook Pro!

Still Editing

2009-01-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

I'm still editing the LeeVees concert on 12/21. Editing is draining, but fun.

Also, I've done a lot of work on my website. Check it out if you'd like:

http://www.kennethparry.com