Peace Is Free

This photograph has several meanings that are outwardly obvious to me. There's also several that are a bit more subtle. For starters I believe it is quintessentially the "Rock" genre of music. The ambiance is there, the off coloring, off kiltered setting. Chris Robertson is sporting a guitar tattoo while playing his six string with his mouth (another meaning for another time). There's the clothes he's wearing and the stance he's sporting. It felt good to see this one come out. However, it's not just that. Don McClean famously wrote and sung:

Do you believe in Rock and Roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?

I'm a firm believer in it. Music has defined my life for as long as I can remember. Whether it was rockin' out to Jerry Lee Lewis while dressed in a suit coat & no shirt, replacing my middle name with "Fire" when I was 4 years old to when I was playing various woodwind instruments in middle school to my stints of attempting to play the guitar in high school. Through out that whole time what music I listened to defined who I was. Without the sole influence of the oldies until I was in sixth grade I would not be the same person, nor would I be without the range of 311 to EvE6 to Korn, Nirvana, or Metallica in middle school. Without being immersed into the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Who, and most importantly Led Zeppelin I could not possibly be the same person I am today.

"Peace Is Free" is sung by Black Stone Cherry but the title means so much more than just that. Every day I come into work now I read tales of horror and violence in the news. Whenever I am at home there is a constant disturbance. At school there always was the looming threat of failure, the drama between people. I just want peace. It really is as simple as that. I know this seems to be common sense but I feel it is something that a lot of people are missing in their lives. And I really do not care how people get it as long as it does not harm others (which I believe is the principle of 'peace') whether that's religion, drawing, movies, books, photography, or music. It should be something that comes free of cost, free of hassle, and free of sadness. It isn't something that someone should say "I wish I had that". Obviously the word peace can mean many different things to a whole lot of people: peace from war, peace from school, family, fighting, etc. But it should just be available.

Lately I have been realizing a lot about myself and a lot of it has to do with music and photography. I find it there. I am truly happy when a new CD by a band I love comes out. I am in utter bliss when I can have conversations about the differences in Roger Daltry's vocals from the 1960's to the 1970's. I mean for crying out loud, even 'Rock Band' brings me to a point of ecstasy that one can only hope lasts forever (though to be fair, I have a pretty rockin' drumset). With photography I feel serenity as soon as I am looking through the lens. However, these are all just fleeting moments in time. I want that happiness, that peace for as long as I can get it. I want others to have it too; I am tired of reading about death, destruction, and dismay in the news, of listening to arguing, bickering, and yelling amongst people. I want peace, because peace is free.

Maybe a lot of these things that I find inner solace in are just that because of their fleetingness, because they're only there for a short period of time. And maybe that is why they are so important to me. To soak up whatever I can, whatever artists are reaching that chord with me, while it is still there to be listened to. I believe that there sadly will always be that yearning for peace that is never fully attained on a global level. However, on a personal level--on my level--I can and will get it. Music can save your soul, music is powerful enough to drive entire generations to a single common goal and ideal. Music is that because though it is fleeting as it happens, it is accessible always.

The One Shot

You know that ONE shot that you have been dying to take? Every photographer has well... at least one. It is that photograph that makes you stop dead in your tracks and say "This is why I do this.". You look at it and you cannot possibly help the corners of your lips curving upwards in satisfaction.

Well I got that shot. Recently, my favorite band (okay, it's Zeppelin, The Who, and these guys) Black Stone Cherry had asked me to take photographs for them the next time they were in town. That's right. My modern musical idols, requested that I take some photographs for them. I could not believe it when it happened but sure enough after plenty of anxious waiting I was at Austin's Saloon in Libertyville getting fitted for a photo wristband (they didn't have passes at this place, it was more of a bar type area).

I took some warm up shots of the Parlor Mob, which I asked if they would like too and they said yes! And soon enough Black Stone Cherry took the stage and put on the most rockin' concert you could be at. The energy was incredible, the music was amazing, and the lighting was God awful. It was a dark bar, with random lighting patterns, with most of the colors staying within the dark orange/red range or the very bright green. Once in a while I caught a break with some white lights or even a few blues here and there but it was a challenge. And I loved it. I was shooting "like a fiend" as my photography professor put it. It was pretty hard not to get a good shot because these guys have such a stage presence that people actually just left without seeing the headliner.

I am so excited about these photographs and can only hope that this is the start of something that can last a lifetime.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Introducing Black Stone Cherry

I know I've mentioned them before, and this may seem excessive/obsessive but I'm just really into music, specifically Rock and Roll, and these guys embody everything I think to be good about it. Their message is always one of hope, peace, and happiness but they rock harder than any other rock band out there that feeds off of their fans' depression. Their music is something I will never tire of.

I've yet to do a real "series" of all related photos from some event or something so I decided to go with this one. I was about 10 feet away from the stage with my point and shoot camera and trying to sing at the top of my lungs and "headbang" while also trying to get good photos.

I thought about it and if the extremely unlikely event were to occur where I were ever able to go into a career in photography I think Concert Photography would be one of my first choices. It's energetic, and fun, and crazy. Plus you're interacting with people basically without forcing it. They're doing what they love and you're doing what you love. It seems to have a nice harmonious touch to it.

Tartanic

Camera: Sony DSC-H5
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 72 mm
ISO Speed: 200

This weekend I was able to attend the Highland Games Scottish Festival near my hometown in Illinois. It was awesome. I love being of Scottish heritage and to have a place and time where everyone was in kilts, where the glorious sounds of bagpipes range, and there was so much plaid I thought I had a filters on over my eyes. There was music, athletics, haggis, meat pies, and of course: Scotch. I got to "try" (ended up at least having around 1-2 full glasses of it by the end) Johnnie Walker Blue Label (retail price of at least $160). It was amazing. And we saw some great Scottish music including a band named Tartanic. They were a lot of fun and got really into it.

I miss Scotland.

Restricted

This is another picture from the concert I went to last week. I originally was going to post something edited a bit less, only using exposures, but as I was going through photo I realize how much it was meant to look like this. I hope you enjoy it.

P.S. This is my first post with flickr, so if there's issues let me know!

EDIT: I put this up over at Shutterday.com

Energy

These are from the Black Stone Cherry Concert I went to last Sunday. I was pretty excited to get a few good shots, especially with my lack of zoom I had going. It worked out well though I think. The first is right after he had the entire crowd clapping along with the beat of the drums. The latter is the drummer playing the bass guitar... with his drum sticks... and a bottle of water flying through the air.

I decided to post two photos because I believe this may be Picasa's last hurrah. I'm hopefully going to have a job by next week which means I'll be able to purchase space to upload pictures to and honestly Flickr's got Picasa beat in my opinion (which if you disagree with please let me know... I'm looking for the best bang for my buck). So I'm going to start my flickr account next and see where that goes.