--10_21_2008_Climbing Everest in a Death Cab with Neil Young behind the wheel--

--10_21_2008_Climbing Everest in a Death Cab with Neil Young behind the wheel--

On Tuesday, the 21st, I shot another concert. Worse lighting but more time to work the seen and come out with a few well made images I think.

Lighting at concerts is always tough to deal with, but if you work it long enough and try a few something new it is pretty easy to come away with decent images. Concerts like Celine Dion however, see previous post, are the easiest to shoot because they spend thousands on lighting and have it customized to her performance... and that is just made for visual photos. With most traveling bands however they don't lug around all their own lights and stage to have a customized light show.

I ran across just regular gaudy colored lights while shooting the Neil Young / Death Cab for Cutie / Everest concert the other night at the Everett Comcast Arena.

For this show I was allowed to shoot a total of eight songs. All I can say is for an old man Neil Young can still rock. It was a fun show, well it was a fun eight songs.

-cheers, brad

--10_18_2008_Celine Dion concert--

--10_18_2008_I'll drive all night. in 9 buses and 20 semis. to bring you a concert--

Since the Post-Intelligencer doesn't publish on Sunday, Saturday assignments are usually geared toward producing an online gallery. I had the... humph... honor... to shoot the first song of a celine dion concert at the Tacoma dome in that's right, Tacoma.

The concert started at 8pm, I left Seattle at 530 or so because I knew that parking would be difficult... and I figured there would be some press room where I could curl up with my I pod and read while hopefully having some sort of pre show snack.

Well after arriving at about 630, luckily getting a parking space. Those Dion fans know how to get to events on time! I mean, 2 hours ahead of time! I ended up waiting for the press person for about 45 minutes only to be told that she would come back to get me in about and hour and half to take me to shoot the first song of her set.... which would last about 3-4 minutes. Concerts are getting more and more restrictive as far as media time.

So after she told me that I left and wandered around Tacoma and found this crazy little place called Freight House, It's like the small, crazy cousin of Pike place that's always ignored at family reunions and whispered about when it enters the room.

I think I made a few good photos though in that short 180 seconds.

Oh and for her concerts Celine flies to each arena and her crew / workers consisting of 9 tour buses and 20 semis drive to all the venues. Mmm, Celine Dion with a side of global warming.

-brad

--10_16_2008_Domestic Violence Arrests--

--10_16_2008_bad boys bad boys--

This past Thursday I road along on undercover busts of domestic violence offenders who had warrants out for their arrest.

The tricky part is however, they have warrants, but we did not have warrants for forced entry so we had to have someone inside the building answer the door before the police could storm in to arrest the subject.

For the half day that I was with them we were 1/3 with 2 no answers and then the last one we were on was a successful bust finding the subject hiding in the closet.

This was my first time shooting something like this. It was pretty crazy as far as guns a blazing and possibly armed suspects and such. Plus due to all innocent until proven guilty and such we cannot show the suspects face in the photos or the undercover police officers.

This is the photo we chose to run b front in the paper. I love how it turned out with all the above hardships upon shooting something like this. It doesn't show his face.... but it has his face with the shadow. You can make out the officers but can't. I dunno, I was happy walking away with this image for being the first time covering this type of thing and only actually have one bust that day to shoot.

--10_15_08_Macbook down..... again...--

--10_15_08_Macbook down..... again...--

It feels like it is inevitable now. Every few months or so my Macbook hard drive just craps out. This being the third time in just about a year of having this lee mon.

It's out of warrantee, yet they fixed it for free. Which may have been the only thing that helped me hold on to my sanity.... and ~ 200 precious bones.

Luckily I had most of my data backed up this time. However, I did lose a couple day's of shooting that included a great night out with friends which resulted in some great photos. Losing those is probably the saddest thing.

I just ordered a terabite drive and I am planning on doing a little organizing between my external drives and finally setting up the time machine back up so if this happens agin I don't have to reload my programs and set up my desktop and such.

At least they replaced my # 5 though I guess?

I love apple, but sometimes I feel like it is pretty one way friendship.

Listening to: Nothing, haven't reloaded my music yet.

Reading: A how to book.... on how to avoid lemons.

--10_12_2008_I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes... then a skateboarder crashed--

--10_12_2008_I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes... then a skateboarder crashed--

On Sunday I was called up for an assignment about a homeless couple that are trying something new to bring in enough money to feed themselves and last through the week.

Homelessness in Seattle is a big problem. It's very evident no matter where you go that people are down and out.

I believe in giving to the organizations providing for the homeless. Not directly to the hand, so that the money can for sure go towards food and housing instead of other things.

With that said however, these two had a creative way to bring in the eyes of their providers though. Instead of one sign and actively asking for money they produced a hundred or so signs and let the eyes come to them. Through their creativity they seemed to be doing better than most others on the street.

--10_04_2008_half-dead brewed memories--

--10_04_2008_half-dead brewed memories--

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to shoot a zombie pub crawl in the artist laden neighborhood of Fremont. Also known as 'the center of the universe,' Fremont is a very unique and lively area. It's one of my favorites in Seattle.... It is chock full of public art, some legal... a lot not so legal. Anything ranging from a giant statue of Lenin to a enormous volkswagon hating troll that lives under the aurora avenue bridge. All of the art is made by very talented artists and either makes you smile or think a little as you pass by. It's a wonderful neighborhood.

With all those artists located in the same area one is bound to happen across some very intriguing things, such as a zombie pub crawl to preempt the night before halloween.... zombie pub crawl.

It was especially fun and nostalgic to cover this event because of the University of Illinois Zombie mob that occurs every year around halloween. I must say, this pub crawl mob was great, but nothing tops the U of I mob.

be safe, be well, and be aware of brain eating zombies for the next couple weeks.

--10_14_2008_Raindrops brewing--

--10_14_2008_Raindrops brewing--

-The season is coming. That part of the year that gives Seattle its emerald color year round.... The nine months of rain that produce the three most beautiful months in any city within the United States. I guess to truly say you have lived in Seattle you have to experience it when it is at its most stereotypical state, rainy and grey... just about all the time.

I am sort of fearing the onslaught of clouds and short days heading my way. As a photographer light is my best friend. Yea, Illinois gets so cold it will force you to knowingly overexpose your film just because the silver doesn't react as quickly when it is sub zero. However, when Illinois is at its coldest it has some of the best light.

Here, it is not so much battling the cold and frost bitten shutter finger. It will consist of trying to create pictures that don't end up looking like mud. Low light ~ low contrast ~ dark mud. It'll have its benefits too, I just need to make the most out of the light (grey sky) when we are only going to be receiving just over 8 hours of it.

We have already started to see the change in weather. I laughed the other day however while waiting outside for an assignment and it started raining, from where?? I don't know. Maybe I was unfortunetly under a plane lightening its load, because when I looked up all I could see was one little tiny grey cloud in the mix next the the Columbia Tower.

--Seattle will give you roots, and shoes--

--2008_1001_Seattle will give you roots, and shoes--

Just a few quick ones from a ride I took the other day. I found the epic shoe tree in the University District. (Soon to be outdone by the shoe tree in the Urbana district)

best

brad

--Seattle walk around--

--2008_1002_Seattle walk around--

Just a few shots from a little random walk around downtown by the market one day. I haven't produced to many images I am really happy about while I have been here. I mean, yea I have from a few assignments and such. But on my own just wandering I find myself having some trouble 'seeing.' I am looking to change that, I am getting around the city more and more and seeing some great photos and starting to finally get back into the groove I think. I just need to produce as much as possible.

Either way, many more street photos to come. I think I am going to bike over to Alki beach my next day off and spend some time over in that part of Seattle.

We'll see, stay tuned.

brad

--Stay off the Structures--

--2008_1002_Stay off the Structures--

It's only one of many warnings surrounding the old structures of Gas Works Park in Seattle. I haven't had the ability to spend to much time there, but when I can I love riding down to it across the Fremont bridge and then climbing to the summit of the hill in the middle of the park that overlooks Lake Union and Seattle on the western horizon. It's one of the best spots to relax, read, and eat a sack lunch in Seattle while being buzzed over by the ever present float planes coming in and out of Lake Union. Not to mention play frisbee, make pictures, and just enjoy the weather.

I'll be spending many more days there as long as the weather cooperates.

best

brad

--Inside Safeco's Belly--

--2008_1001_Inside Safeco's Belly--

Even though they were horrendous and I got here at the end of the season, I am still sorta sad to be done with shooting the Mariners at Safeco. After all, I only had the opportunity to shoot 4 games there, but I fell in love with the experience and routine I had by the time I shot the last game of the season on the 28th.

It's a pretty new stadium, 98 or so was when it was built, right around when the WTO took place in Seattle. So it was around during the tail end of photojournalists using film and moving into digital. It has darkrooms for all the major papers and wire services, and the PI / Reuters room still has a film processor, I think the fix is a little old though. It seems as if the switch to digital happened around 2001 according to the chalk board. Which makes sense seeing as that is when the Canon 1d came out. Kinda crazy how things have evolved so quickly in only 7 years of time.

Either way, here are just a few photos of the behind the scenes stadium so you can see just a little bit about what it is like shooting in big venues and exploring their underbellies.

Ted & James Nachtwey

'I was driven by an inherent sense that a picture that revealed the true face of war, would almost by definition be an anti-war photograph.'

James Nachtwey will be releasing a project done for TED which will be revealed on October 3rd. It will be screening around the world in certain cities while also being released simultaneously on the web and other resources.

To learn more click on the link.