Viewing entries tagged
calgary concert photographer
This was without a doubt one of the best nights of my life, and it while made me so incredibly happy it also makes me sad because I honestly don't know how anything can ever live up this greatness. Watching Beyoncé while she's currently at the top of her career (which I totally thought after she released self-titled, how does she keep doing this???) from ten feet away absolutely crush her vocals while killing some amazing choreography as a 40-foot screen set off some of the most stunning visuals to complement everything .... where does it go from here? Will I have to quit my job and spend all my money so I can keep following Beyoncé's tour to stay happy? Beyoncé, can you please just hire me as your tour photographer??
Throughout the show I was so torn between being completely present in the moment and preserving our memories with photos and videos. I compromised by taking five second videos so I could stare intently at her face while still having a short clip I could watch on loop while lying in bed. Being the person that I am, I couldn't help but snap photos whenever I thought something looked amazing - which turned out to be a lot of the time.
Anyways. I'm glad I did take photos because I can look back on them and still remember the intense emotions I was feeling at the time. Here are some of my favourites.
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald made a really great record and to celebrate, he put on a huge concert at the Jack Singer to debut the new songs. This show consisted of 130 singers (mostly from Bishop Carroll and the Young Canadians), 15 string players, a 10-person spin class from YYC Cycle, dancers, and the core band of drums, percussion, backup singers, bass, two guitars, and keyboard. In short, this show was big.
We kicked things off with two nights of rehearsals just before the show in the basement of the concert hall - one for the choir and one for the strings. Standing in the midst of everything I couldn't help but just soak in all the energy. With a show like this, you really feel a sense of community and everyone shares the excitement of seeing it all come together (or hoping that it will all come together). Dress rehearsal took place all afternoon the day of, and then a beautiful family-style dinner put together by Native Tongues and Village Brewery just before showtime set the mood for the rest of the night.
While I'm shooting shows, I'm always so focused on making sure I'm in the right place and getting the right shots that the whole night goes by in a flash. However, this time I made sure to stop and keep some memories for myself. Hearing the choir swell in the beautiful space during the buildup of "I Will", seeing the complete joy on everyone's faces as they jammed to "Last Train to Georgia", jumping on stage to dance and shoot during "Brand New Spaces" .... these are things I never want to forget.
You can read Michael's great recap from the show here. I am so proud of this guy, so grateful to be his friend, and so excited for this record to be shared with everybody. 'I Wanna Make It With You' will be released on March 11, 2016.
To celebrate the release of a new album, MBF is playing a hometown show at the Jack Singer on January 30th. The new songs are incredible and he is always amazing to see live. If you're in Calgary, you do not want to miss this show. Get your tickets here.
These are some shots from #waytoobig #waytooloud at the Jubilee over a year ago. Looking at these photos bring back some good memories. Can't wait to shoot more with this guy - things just keep getting better and better.
I met Laura and Adam of Run Deer Run over coffee about three months ago and immediately I felt like we clicked. It always feels so nice to meet other people in the arts who are so passionate about what they do and so good at what they do.
Run Deer Run have just released their debut album, and I know it sounds amazing. Make sure you pick up a copy, you'll definitely want to keep it on repeat.
