Photographer of the Week:

Catherine Powell

How long have you been involved with photography?

I shot my first show about a week into my freshman year of high school when I was 14. I didn’t really have any formal training at the time - I had just entered Photography I in my school but hadn’t really learned anything yet. Before that I was always shooting around with friends and such, but never anything serious until I bought a DSLR.

What’s in your bag/what gear do you own? What would you like to purchase next?

Jeez… my bag is heavy. I shoot primarily with a Sony a65v, but also own a Sony a33 and Sony a300, as well as a Minolta film camera, Holga film camera, and a Fugi polaroid camera. In terms of lenses I was lucky because all my dad’s old Minolta lenses were compatible with my Sony. So from him I inherited a 70-300mm and a few others. I also own a 28mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 85mm 1.4, 18-55mm, 70-200mm and a fisheye.

I also have an external flash, an Alien Bee 800 with a beauty dish, soft box, mini dish and light stand. I run it with a VagaBond. In addition just various flash filters and such.

Who was the first band/artist you shot?

This is embarrassing… it was Brokencyde. I was at a venue called School of Rock. I’d been seeing shows there for awhile and was well acquainted with the manager and promoter there. About halfway through the show (which was The Friday Night Boys, The Morning Of, Brokencyde and Every Avenue) the manager told me he would let me shoot side stage since I had my camera with me. (There was no photo pit at this venue.) So I got to shoot the second half of the show completely unplanned! I think I had my camera for all of four days before that.

Who are some of your influences?

Gage Young was the reason I started shooting and to this day has taught me more than anyone. I was able to attend one of his workshops in 2010 and he taught me to pay attention to detail a lot more than I had been.

Currently, Tom Falcone continues to inspire me every time he posts a photo. He’s become one of my best friends and one of the only people I trust to give me an honest opinion on photos. Also he’s a ginger so we have to stick together.

What did your first time in the pit feel like?

My first time in the photo pit was for All Time Low, Mayday Parade, The Maine, Every Avenue and The Friday Night Boys. I had shot a couple shows at School of Rock prior to that but this was my first legit time shooting. It was so much fun and considering I was shooting with a kit lens I’m surprised any of my photos came out well. Looking back there’s a lot of things I would have done differently but it was a great experience regardless.

If you could give any advice to newer concert photographers what would you tell them?

You’re not going to make any money for a while, and you shouldn’t expect to. It’s a very difficult job to do successfully and you need to make your photos stand out if you want to excel at it. Also, don’t shoot HDR. It looks stupid 99% of the time.

What is your dream band/artist to shoot and/or tour with?

I would love to photograph Justin Bieber, but I would never want to tour with him because I’m too obsessed with him.

I’m not actively trying to tour, but I wouldn’t mind doing a week or so with some of my friends, like The Cab, Megan & Liz or The Summer Set.

Do you edit your photos? If so, what software do you use and how much time and effort do you put into your editing?

I do! I use Lightroom. I’d say I put in a good amount of effort when editing, but I definitely put in a lot more effort trying to get it right on the camera. I usually only tweak a few things when editing unless it needs something else. I want my photos to look real - not cloudy like some people seem to edit theirs lately.

How do you feel your photography has changed since you first began? Do you expect it to change in the future?

Ever since I started studying photography at SVA my entire perspective has changed. Lately I’ve been learning all the different possibilities for where I can take my career and what I want to do with it. I’ve been taking photos from a completely different perspective than I was in August.

To answer the second question, I think it will continue to change and evolve, which is good. You can’t do that same thing forever.

Get social with Catherine:Website|Flickr|Tumblr|Twitter|Naked Mag

Photographer of the Week:

Brittney Tambeau

•  What’s in your bag/what gear do you own? What would you like to purchase next?

In my bag I currently have a Nikon D5100 and 50mm 1.4 lens. I generally don’t keep too much in my bag because I tend to not really use half the stuff I used to pack in there.  As for my next purchase; I do shoot with a Nikon but plan to switch over to the Canon sometime soon, hopefully before the holidays.

• How long have you been involved with photography? What inspired you to do concert photography?

I was always the “artsy” kid throughout high school. I’m currently studying Graphic Design, so throughout the years I’ve taken a couple photography classes here and there.  I think I really started enjoying it my sophomore year of high school because I had an amazing teacher who made me look at life through a different perspective. As far as concert photography goes, I’ve always brought my camera to shows and would always shoot from the crowd.  However, I’ve met a lot of cool photographers that inspired me to get more involved with it.

•     Who was the first band/artist you shot?

I’ve shot plenty of shows for a while now at venues that don’t have photo pits, but my first photo pass was for Mayday Parade a little over a year ago.

•    If you could give any advice to newer concert photographers what would you tell them?

As cliché as it may sound, never give up.  Everything you’re doing will eventually work out in the end. Also, just a tip, make sure you know how to work your camera before you enter the pit and try to be kind to others in the pit (no pushing) everyone’s trying to do the same thing you are.

•    What did your first time in the pit feel like?

I enjoyed it a lot.  The first show I shot in a pit was at The Webster in Hartford, CT.  There was maybe three or four of us which was quite pleasant.  Everyone was so nice and welcoming, I can’t quite remember any of their names, but for the night we were all friendly with one another so that was nice.  For the actual show though the lighting was minimum and dull, but overall I think it was definitely a good first experience.

•    What is your dream band/artist to shoot and/or tour with?

You Me At Six is my favorite band so I’d be lying if I didn’t say I would love to shoot for them on tour.  As far as a dream bands to shoot for, I generally can’t think of anyone specific. I would honestly love to shoot for so many bands and artists; the list would be endless.  However, I have a sweet spot for British boy bands so I’d love to shoot for One Direction again or The Wanted.

•   Do you edit your photos? If so, what software do you use and how much time and effort do you put into your editing?

I use Lightroom when editing my photos and occasionally Photoshop when I’m messing around in class.  As far as how much I edit, it really depends on the photo. Ones with poor lighting take more time for me to edit because I’m picky with how I want to edit it. Sometimes I just go the lazy route and make it black and white.

•   Do you think you have a particular quality about your photography that sets you apart from other photographers?

I’m not entirely sure.  I obviously know when a photo of mine appears on my Tumblr dashboard, but I can’t point out anything specific. I’d like to hope that my photography sets me apart though.

•  How do you feel your photography has changed since you first began? Do you expect it to change in the future?

I’ve definitely learned a lot more about my camera and how to edit photos over time.  I sometimes look back on my first photos and am kind of shocked at how much they’ve improved in a little over a year. I know with time, my style will begin to change and hopefully improve.

Get social with Brittney: Facebook | Tumblr | Flickr

Photographer of the Week:

Geri Wallett

• What’s in your bag/what gear do you own? What would you like to purchase next?

At the moment I have a Nikon D5100, Nikkor 50mm 1.4g, Nikkor 18mm-55mm, and a Nikkor 50mm 1.8g(and selling!). Other things in my bag would be a cloth, and empty memory card cases. Hopefully by next summer I’ll be able to upgrade to a full frame camera, not sure what exactly though.

• How long have you been involved with photography? What inspired you to do concert photography?

I started to get into photography in 8^th grade. That’s also when I was getting into the music scene. I went to Warped Tour in 2010 and later that year wanted a different camera so the next year I could be able to get nicer photos. Last Christmas I finally did get a dslr.

• Who was the first band/artist you shot?

With a photo pass my first band I shot was The Cab. I was able to go to two dates on The Cab/Parachute tour so I had a chance to get really great photos.

• If you could give any advice to newer concert photographers what would you tell them?

I would say always remember that your lens is more important than your camera body. Of course the body has to handle the noise you put on it (ect), but there’s a difference with a lens being able to be wide open and one that’s not. Also SAVE money for equipment, don’t spend it on cheap lenses here and there.

• What is your dream band/artist to shoot and/or tour with?

My dream band to shoot would definitely be Paramore. When I first started to get into music that was the band I was extremely obsessed with (in a good way of course). Their music has made an impact on me. Other bands behind Paramore would probably be Pierce The Veil, Sleeping With Sirens, and Of Mice & Men.

• Do you edit your photos? If so, what software do you use and how much time and effort do you put into your editing?

I do edit my photos with Photoshop Cs5. Depending on how the photo came out it could take five minutes to forty five. Recently I run it through actions which makes post processing 10x easier.

• Do you think you have a particular quality about your photography that sets you apart from other photographers?

No, not really. All I can say about my work is that it’s clear. I think a lot of concert photography just blends all together personally. Only a few photographers like Adam Elmakias, Matt Vogel, and Tom Falcone stick out to me.

How do you feel your photography has changed since you first began? Do you expect it to change in the future?

My photography has changed immensely. Photos that I thought I was proud of from way before are kind of like “Oh God I took that…” But hopefully with more experience I can keep improving.

Get social with Geri: Tumblr | Flickr

Photographer of the Week:

Avery Fiftal (one of the photographers for The Harmonic Series!)

• What’s in your bag/what gear do you own? What would you like to purchase next?

I own a Canon Rebel XS (I know, I know…) but am upgrading to a 5D Mark II in the next few weeks! I also almost always shoot with my Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens. My loaded Polaroid camera and my kit lens usually come along just in case, too!

As I said before, I’m purchasing a 5D Mark II next so I won’t have money for new gear for a while… Maybe I’ll get a nifty fifty after because I’ve actually never owned one! Some flashes and flash gear and a fisheye are coming along soon, too.

• How long have you been involved with photography? What inspired you to do concert photography?

For me, I’ve always been interesting in film and photography. It started with home videos and tons of Polaroids and as I grew older, seeing my older brother be a photographer really got me interested!

I’ve actually been involved with photography in a serious manner for around 3 years now, though. I got my current camera about 3 years ago from my family as a Christmas present and it has just grown from there!

My oldest brother who went to Mass Art for film and photography taught me the basics and told me to never shoot on auto, so I’ve taught myself everything from then on! Concert photography started for me last December when I scored a photo pass to a The Maine show in Boston.

The reason I started concert photography is actually quite a funny story. I ended up going to Bamboozle 2011 with two of my friends as a birthday trip! I think it was the first night, we were seeing someone ridiculous like Wiz Khalifa just to experience it, and we ended up around the barricade area for whatever reason. As we waited for him to come on a photographer in the pit came up to us and had me hold his drink for him because he was quite tipsy and needed some assistance. He looked decently young and that’s when I had an epiphany and realized “Woah! That’s where all those awesome concert photos come from! People get to take pictures in front of the crowd and get paid for it!” Obviously now I know it’s not that easy…

I’ve never found out who that photographer was ‘til this day but he had a curly reddish hair an a short sleeve blue button down on so holler at me if you know who he was so I can thank him!

• Who was the first band/artist you shot?

I shot The Maine on their short US tour where they played their album Pioneer from front to back. There was no photo pit and pretty bad lighting, but hey, that’s how I got on my first publication, so yay (thanks Panya, you’re the best!) I actually still like a couple of photos I took at that show, so that’s pretty cool I guess!

• If you could give any advice to newer concert photographers what would you tell them?

Don’t be so afraid of taking chances! Apply to shoot big bands, and even if you get denied, try again next time they tour! I’ve shot bands I never thought I would and worked with some pretty cool people because I took a chance. I’m usually way too shy, but also make friends with everyone. I’ve met some awesome photographers that way. Oh, and know your place. Don’t push people ever and learn the etiquette of a photo pit before you go in.

Also, learn to use your camera on manual settings. It will change your life.

• What did your first time in the pit feel like?

It was actually pretty enjoyable. It was at the Boston House of Blues and though I’ve heard other photographers complain about it before, it was better than any show I had shot before in terms of lighting. Also, I met Jenna Ross and she was super nice and welcoming so that helped me a lot. No one was rude or pushed and I knew enough about my camera that it wasn’t overwhelming. The only bad thing was I tripped on the way out and fell into The Maine’s tour manager… That was quite awkward.

• What is your dream band/artist to shoot and/or tour with?

My dream band to tour with is actually Tonight Alive (it would be nice to have another girl on the tour, and I would never get sick of the accents), All Time Low (don’t try to tell me that wouldn’t be hilarious), Of Mice & Men, or pretty much any band in the CT/MA scene. Basically any band that would be fun to hang out with every day and that puts on an awesome live show!

I would love to shoot blink-182, Mumford & Sons, The Rolling Stones when they were in their prime (Marty Mcfly, hit me up!), or Passion Pit. Obviously Fall Out Boy is up there, and bands like fun., Third Eye Blind, Imagine Dragons, Brand New, and Weezer would be rad.

• Do you edit your photos? If so, what software do you use and how much time and effort do you put into your editing?

Yes I do edit my photos! I use mainly Lightroom to fix colors, exposure, and to watermark, then I often bring them into Photoshop to deal with levels and anything further. I don’t use Photoshop as much as I should, though.

I actually put way too much effort into editing photos most of the time. I’ll try 4 different edits on a picture I like until it’s perfect and that sometimes takes up to an hour or two. Usually, I can fix simple things in 5-10 minutes though if it’s well exposed and such.

• Do you think you have a particular quality about your photography that sets you apart from other photographers?

I actually have no idea. Maybe you can tell me?

I guess the way I use lights in my pictures sets me apart. I use a lot of internal white balances so before I even edit my photos the colors of lights are usually pretty crazy and spot on! Once I edit I like to do a lot of silhouettes or have very defined light in my pictures. I try to have something interesting with light even in outdoor photos.

• How do you feel your photography has changed since you first began? Do you expect it to change in the future?

My photography has developed from something that was good just because of luck to something that is now based on things that I’ve learned. I used to just turn on the camera, point it at something, and press the shutter but now it’s become an art to me and something I really enjoy creating. My high school photography teacher has made this entirely possible by supporting me in everything I do.  Photography also become something I want to do with my life (photojournalism at BU!) and has become something that helps define me. It has made me amazing friends that I can relate to and given me experiences of a life time. So more than anything, I have to say that photography has changed me more than I’ve changed my photography.

In the future, the main changes I hope to see is that it can develop to be technically better and that it an being me to new better places in life. I’d love to some day tour with bands or be a pit reporter for Warped. To me, it seems like photography and music are two of the main things that make me happy in life, so I hope they’re both things that I can keep involved with and maybe use as a profession one day. I just like to be happy with the things I do. :)

Get social with Avery: Facebook | Tumblr | Flickr

Photo by Kevin Lee

Photographer of the Week
Rob Menzer

Along with taking fantastic photos, Rob is also working on a music video for Forever Came Calling! Check out his interview below. :)

What’s in your bag/what gear do you own? What would you like to purchase next?
Currently I’m shooting with a Canon 5DMkII with a 50mm and occassionally a 16-35mm that I’m lucky enough to borrow from my school (the perks of being a student, probably the only one!). I’m hoping to purchase a 16-35 of my own or a 24-70.

How long have you been involved with photography? What inspired you to do concert photography?
I’ve been involved with photography for 6 years, starting way back in high school. I’ve always loved music and when I first started I didn’t go to a lot of shows but the ones I had been to inspired me, there’s always such strong emotion in a musicians performance.

Who was the first band/artist you shot?
I’ve been shooting concerts for about 2 and a half years now. I was lucky enough back in 2010 to have Patent Pending allow me to shoot my first show in Rocky Point at a bar. I specifically remember Joe Ragosta saying before they went “That guy can go anywhere he wants!”. I’m forever grateful to those guys. Oddly enough, I haven’t shot them since then. I’ve been trying to fix that but I’m always scheduled to shoot something else or play my own show when they’re playing nearby.

What did your first time in the pit feel like?
My first experience in a photo pit was later on in 2010 at Gramercy Theater in Manhattan. I was able to land a photo pass for the We Are The In Crowd Tour with Bayside, Senses Fail, Balance and Composure and Title Fight. I was one of only about four photographers that night which is a lot different than what you’d see for that kind of tour nowadays. I loved every second of it, I was right up there with some of my favorite bands and some of my soon to be favorites. It’s intimidating at first but I eased into it pretty quickly. I remember during Senses Fail’s set my hands were actually shaking.

What is your dream band/artist to shoot and/or tour with?
My dream band to shoot is surprise! Blink-182. One of the first bands I listened to by my own choice (I actually bought Enema of The State when I was about 9 years old on my own. My parents loved that!). They may be a lot older than they were when I was listening to them in middle school but they never lost their youth. I’d love to spend a day with them, shooting on and offstage. I imagine touring with them would be pretty hard to pull off but given the opportunity I’d do it. One band I would absolutely love to tour with is Forever Came Calling. I’ve known them for a while and they work so hard, to do a whole photo series on them would be an amazing project.

Do you edit your photos? If so, what software do you use and how much time and effort do you put into your editing?
I do edit my photos, it’s hard not to these days. I use Photoshop only and even then I try to keep as light as a hand as possible with it. With most shows I leave with hundreds of images that I need to edit down (I still wind up with at least 150 that I’m happy with) and from there I pick out a handful to work with further. I don’t do much more than you can do in an actual darkroom, I think anything more than that no longer makes it a photo. I’d say in total depending on the photos I average between 2 and 8 hours of editing.

Do you think you have a particular quality about your photography that sets you apart from other photographers?
Id like to think that my photos are honest. I try to avoid cropping and getting what I want in frame when I’m shooting. As I said just before I also try to keep my editing to a minimum.

How do you feel your photography has changed since you first began? Do you expect it to change in the future?
I feel that since I first started shooting shows that I’ve gotten much more comfortable with adapting to new environments. I’ve also learned to frame better as the show goes on. I don’t really expect to change too much as I go on, I might tweak my editing styles but other than that I’m fairly comfortable with how I work now. Although, I do want to start shooting from different angles. I was injured while on the job back in April shooting Balance and Composure in April at Bowery Ballroom that required me going to the hospital for a head wound. After that I’ve been wary of shooting at shows with no photo pit. I’m hoping to shoot at Bowery again soon but from side stage, something I have yet to do for a touring band.

Get social with Rob: Website |Facebook |Tumblr | Twitter

Photographer of the Week: Jenna Kieta

Jenna is one of the many talented photographers here at Harmonic Series! Get to know her :)

What’s in your bag/what gear do you own? What would you like to purchase next?
The current body I’m using is a Nikon D3000. It is the first DSLR camera I’ve ever had and I’ve been using it for about three years now so it’s going to take a dump soon. I was fortunate enough however to be able to pre order a D800 body which will probably arrive sometime in October or November. The three lens I use the most are a 50mm f/1.4g, 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6g, and a 10.5mm f/2.8g fisheye! My next purchase will be a 28mm f/1.8g and then after that I’m hoping to get a 24-70mm f/2.8g.

How long have you been involved with photography? What inspired you to do concert photography?
I’ve been fascinated with photography ever since I was young. I’d always shoot with disposable cameras from Walgreens! I didn’t start shooting seriously however until late last fall/early winter. I decided to start shooting concert photography because I was already going to shows all the time, I had a DSLR camera that I wanted to experiment with more, and I loved the idea of being able to capture the energy between a musician and the crowd.

Who was the first band/artist you shot?
The first tour I shot seriously was The God Damn Tour with The Acacia Strain, Terror, Stray From the Path, and Harm’s Way. Before that however I was always shooting local bands with my point and shoot.

What did your first time in the pit feel like?
Actually believe it or not, I haven’t been in a photo pit. Most of this is because how new I am at taking photos and I didn’t start applying to publications until summer but another part is because 75% of the venues I go to don’t have camera restrictions and I like the challenge of getting good photos from an energetic crowd. The first show I’m hoping to shoot with a pit is Now, Now (One of my current favorite bands) and Motion City Soundtrack so fingers crossed that goes well!

What is your dream band/artist to shoot and/or tour with?
Obviously I’d love to shoot and tour with Brand New like everyone else but a band I’d love to realistically tour with is Mutemath because how energetic and crazy their live show is.

Do you edit your photos? If so, what software do you use and how much time and effort do you put into your editing?
I do edit my photos! It wasn’t until recently I stopped doing the minimal edits though. I use a mix of Photoshop CS3 and CS5 (It matters what laptop I’m on) and I had a free trial of Lightroom that ended but I’d love to purchase the actual program in the future. My editing use to take 3-5 minutes and I’d be done but now I normally take 10-15 minutes on a photo.

Do you think you have a particular quality about your photography that sets you apart from other photographers?
I think the only thing in my photos that stands apart from other photographers is I always try to incorporate crowd activity when I can even if it’s not a pop punk or hardcore show. But when it comes to style, no because I’m still in the process of trying to create a signature style of my own.


How do you feel your photography has changed since you first began? Do you expect it to change in the future?
I’d like to think I’ve improved because to be honest I had no idea what I was doing with my camera the first two years I had it. To this day I’m still learning new things about my camera and shooting. In the future I’d like to network more with others and find something that truly makes my photos stick out from the rest.

Get social with Jenna: Facebook | Tumblr | Flickr

Photographer of the Week:
Sylvia Linares

• How long have you been involved with photography? What inspired you to do concert photography?
  I have been involved with photography basically since I could remember. I was always trying to get my family members camera. What inspired me to do concert photography was sneaking in my camera into a house of blues show to see the Maine. That’s when it clicked that I wanted to make my life’s work out of it. 

• Who was the first band/artist you shot?
  Myths first band I ever shot was The Maine, and then the first band I officially shot was The Cab. 

• What did your first time in the pit feel like?
  It was weird to be honest. It had been such a struggle to finally get into the photo pit and to finally be there, it was surreal. 

• What is your dream band/artist to shoot and/or tour with?
  This is such a hard question, honestly. There are so many bands I want to tour with, I would love to go on your with Of Mice & Men and You Me At Six. They both have such great energy on stage, it would be amazing to capture it every night. 

• Do you edit your photos? If so, what software do you use and how much time and effort do you put into your editing?
  I do edit my photos, I feel like part of being a photographer is for people being able to tell which are your photos and editing helps do that. I mainly use Lightroom 3 and little bit of photoshop cs6. 

• Do you think you have a particular quality about your photography that sets you apart from other photographers?
  Honestly I don’t really know. I like to think I capture a certain type of energy with each band I shoot but I’m not certain. 

• How do you feel your photography has changed since you first began? Do you expect it to change in the future?
  My photography has changed so much since I first started. Not only finding what aspects of a band I wanted to shoot but also the quality. Changing bodies and lenses had something to do with it, also with learning more and more about photography. I most defentaly believe my photography will change in the future. With every little thing I learn my photography changes with me.

Get social with Sylvia: Facebook | Tumblr | Flickr

Photographer of the Week:
Amy Lane

Not only is Amy a wonderful photographer, she works for well-known publications including AP Magazine and BAMF Media!

• What’s in your bag/what gear do you own? What would you like to purchase next?
  I shoot with a Nikon D90 and most always my 50mm f 1.4 lens. I also own a 18-55mm and a 55-200mm lenses. I would love to buy a 24-70 f 2.8

• How long have you been involved with photography? What inspired you to do concert photography?
  I’ve been seriously involved with photography since my junior year of high school (4 years ago) when I got my DSLR. I’ve been interested in photography since elementary school when I started playing around with little point and shoot cameras. I’ve loved music since I was in 3rd grade and got my first CD (Hanson - Middle of Nowhere, by the way! Haha). I started going to shows my senior year of high school, and I always wanted to be able to take photos. Seeing photographers up in the photo pit and knowing I couldn’t be there killed me! Luckily, I started working for a media site at the end of my freshman year of college.

• Who was the first band/artist you shot?
  The first show I photographed was the Yellowcard and Good Charlotte co-headlining tour during summer 2011, with Runner Runner supporting. It was really exciting since Yellowcard is one of my favorite bands, and I loved both Yellowcard and Good Charlotte when I was younger.

• What did your first time in the pit feel like?
  My first time in the pit I was scared I was going to completely blow it and not get any good shots. I was lucky that before the show I had talked to a few girls who were also shooting, so I was comforted to have some new friends there. It was a little overwhelming at first, but once I got into shooting, it was so fun. It helped that it was a nice large photo pit and the venue had great lighting.

• What is your dream band/artist to shoot and/or tour with?
  I would really love to photograph Paramore. I’ve been a fan since the start and they have such amazing energy on stage. I think it’d be really fun to tour with Lady Danville. They’re really cool guys and they’re so talented. Same for fun. - really awesome guys, and they put on such a great show. If I could go back and tour with bands that don’t exist anymore, I’d say Jack’s Mannequin or The Format.

• Do you edit your photos? If so, what software do you use and how much time and effort do you put into your editing?
  Yes, I do edit my photos. I use Camera Raw in Adobe Bridge CS5, and I use Photoshop CS5. I make a lot of effort to correct color of the musicians in my photos, or to put them in a black and white with good contrast and tones. Depending on the lighting, this can take just a few seconds, or 10 minutes or so. I’m getting a lot better at finding new and more efficient ways to correct color so skin tones don’t look so awful from the stage lighting. Also, I’ll sometimes fix things like lens flare, or dust spots in the image, if they’re present.

• How do you feel your photography has changed since you first began? Do you expect it to change in the future?
  I feel like my photography has definitely improved since I began. I photographed my first show in June 2011 and I’m glad I’ve gotten better since then. I feel like my photography may change a little bit as time goes on as I fall more into my own style.

Get social with Amy: Facebook | Flickr | Website

Photographer of the Week
Audrey Lew

I have my Nikon D7000 with my new 35mm 1.8 lens attached. I also have in there my 18-105mm kit lens, 55-300mm telephoto zoom lens, an SB-700 speedlight and a Nikon FE2 film camera.

I’m hoping to get my hands on a nice wide angle lens, next! Possibly the 35mm 1.4 or a 24/28mm.

I’ve been shooting for a little over a year but since I was young, I’ve had a camera in hand.

What inspired me to do concert photography were photographers like Tom Falcone, Jenna Ross, Cara Bahniuk, Catherine Powell and Todd Owyoung.  I saw the images that they were able to capture at shows that I attended and said to myself, “Damn, those are awesome. I want to be able to do that.” So that’s what I did.

In addition to following the work of those photographers, my photography teacher in high school (Mr. Vedder) also inspired me to push myself to create exceptional images, and he’s probably one of the reasons why I’ve been able to accomplish so much in the past year.

It was Honor Society with Action Item and Katelyn Tarver.

It was awesome! A little bit nerve racking but awesome! I had the honor of shooting with Catherine Powell that night so I was pretty stoked to say the least.

I’d love to shoot Maroon 5, Paramore or Katy Perry. I would really like to shoot/tour with any band that has a huge production/stage set up with lights/fireworks/etc.

Yes I do! I’ve used a bunch in the past year including a 2000 version of Paint Shop Pro as well as a newer edition. But recently, I got Photoshop CS6 so all of my recent photos have been edited using that. On average, I spend anywhere from 5 minutes to 50 minutes on a photo haha. It varies depending on the show and lighting.

I’ve been told that I do but I’m not sure I completely agree with that. I would like to think that when people see a photography they can immediately tell it’s mine but I’ve only just begun! I have time to figure out my niche.

I’ve definitely learned how to frame my photos better and learn to edit my photos in a way that enhances the photo. I definitely do expect it to change in the future! Without changing you can’t better perfect your craft!

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• What’s in your bag/what gear do you own? What would you like to purchase next?

I use a Canon Rebel Xt with a 50mm 1.4. I still have my old 50mm 1.8 and two other lens, but to be honest I never really use them much. My bag is always stocked with extra batteries and memory cards. I have learned the hard way that it’s better to have back up! I would love to get a new camera body before a new lens since my body is starting to take a crap!

• How long have you been involved with photography? What inspired you to do concert photography?

I have been involved with photography since I was 13, but didn’t get into shooting shows until a little over two years ago. I always loved concerts and wished I could be a part of them, but I had no musical talent. So after awhile I began to notice people in the barricade with their big cameras and that’s when I knew I wanted to get into concert photography!

• Who was the first band/artist you shot?

I got my first real photo pass for All Time Low on the Glamour Kills tour. To be honest, I didn’t really have any idea what I was doing. I just held down my shutter button and crossed my fingers that one of the photos would turn out.

• What did your first time in the pit feel like?

I come from the Milwaukee area and unless the show has a huge band playing, there is never really more than 4-5 people taking photos. So for All Time Low at the time, I was more nervous that I was taking photos in front of a sold out crowd. Crazy!

• What is your dream band/artist to shoot and/or tour with?

I have so many bands I would love to tour with. I always wanted to get a shot of Adam from Taking Back Sunday doing his famous mic swinging, so if I got to tour with TBS I could hopefully get some awesome shots. I also adore Ellie Goulding, so to tour with her would be a dream! There are so many bands I could list, I would just love to be touring in general!

• Do you edit your photos? If so, what software do you use and how much time and effort do you put into your editing?

I use a mix of Photoshop and Lightroom. Usually I can do most of the basic editing on Lightroom, but if I ever want to do anything more dramatic I will open up the photo in Photoshop to play around with. I can spend 15 minutes to 45 minutes. But usually I am editing about 10 photos at once, so when I get frustrated or bored with on I can move onto a new one.

• Do you think you have a particular quality about your photography that sets you apart from other photographers?

I don’t necessarily think I have something specific that sets me apart from other photographers. It really wasn’t until a couple months ago that I began to edit my photos one consistent way, so I am still trying to find that quality that makes my work stick out!

• How do you feel your photography has changed since you first began? Do you expect it to change in the future?

I didn’t have that “Aha” moment until I was in the pit at a Hey Monday show. Then it clicked that I should have my ISO up high, aperture wide open, and quick shutter. So that was back in 2010 after I had been shooting for about a year and still hadn’t delivered more than 10 good photos. Since then I kept learning and in the beginning of last fall, I finally began to use more social network and show my work. I have been trying to find new ways to stay consistent and am always working on improving my work. I hope that in the future, I learn little tricks and secrets and find a way to make my work stick out from the rest!

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