I got rammed by a bull. I climbed a tree. I got some of it in places I was not supposed to -inside a church, during an intimate concert, a play, a museum, etc. I got lost in the wilderness. I once got asked by a street vendor to retract what I took. I wrestled against a crowd, not literally of course. I have waited for more than 30 minutes just for that one moment. I lay in the ground when I need to. These are just some of the drastic measures I have done just to take pictures of what I wanted to capture. I once borrowed a lens from stranger in order to take pictures of how I wanted the subject to come out. I take pictures even when my hand’s behind the wheel. Shhh!!! I do it when I have the road to myself. *sticks tongue out*
I, somehow, can still manage to keep my sanity in tact, from time to time. There are itsy bitty things that go over the line that I don’t dare cross.
These images were taken during the first day of a music fest called FYF in Los Angeles early this month. I had a ticket for the second day that I didn’t get to use. Don’t think it’s because I was already content with the Saturday’s images result. The Sunday line-up includes Beirut, an indie band I gravely admire. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t take the risks involved over that pleasure.
Again, I am proud of my captures of James Blake and M83 night performances. But, I knew even as I review these images I took during the day that I was going to turn these into black and white. I like to think that I wasn’t wrong even then.
– Guitartist: The Pains of Being Pure At Heart –
– I love this pic. This is Ruth Radelet, vocalist of Chromatics, moving away from the microphones as she lets other band members shine. –
– Kip Berman, Vocalist: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart –
– Morgan Kibby of M83 on the keyboard –
– Top: James Blake – Bottom: Ben Assiter –
Below: Rob Andrews
Some of the pictures I didn’t completely turn into B&W. I hope the reasons are obvious. I love these three images, and it hurts to shrink it into a collage.
– Left is drummer of Chromatics – Top Right: Connor Hanwick of TPOBPAH – Bottom Right: Peggy Wang on keyboards –
-.-
Now to the needy greedy. These images come with a price, and not just the monetary value of that ticket I didn’t use. I didn’t attend the second day mainly because of the stoners. I just cannot take the risk of sniffing their smoke, and get easily popped in for the drug test, and ultimately pay the price of ruining my career. I had to had to sacrifice giving up the chance of seeing and experiencing live music of a favorite band of mine, and being able to share more pictures that I could’ve been proud of or would be happy to show. Call it naive, gullible, I call it open-mindedness. They do what they do. I honestly don’t have anything against these youngsters blazing doobies. It’s their business. I just wish they are more considerate and mindful of others esp. when they see three or more people showing repressions around them.
This event also tells me that as childish I can always be or act to be, I actually felt like I was getting old that day. I was showing all kinds of frustrations, acting like a grandpa to these youngsters. The crowd was wild. Anyhow, I’m a big music fan and that I’ve been to many large crowd events but, I hate to say this LA, (and I hate to compare), against Jazz Fest in New Orleans, I never experience such reluctance of going to this kind of event because of the crowd.
To this day, I still wonder what it would’ve been like listening live to Beirut. Then again, I wondered about the consequences of me going to it. I just couldn’t bare that thought and take that chance. It’s sad but I think it’s best that I didn’t continue.
Last Calls…
MY OTHER B&W POSTS:
Vigan, Philippines
Fleeting Moments in LA
In Rota
By the way, I never released any of the pics I took from the places I was not allowed to.
Now, care to mention at least one of your haphazard picture-taking acrobats?
The Sophomore Slump 
I enjoyed viewing these photos, and reading the passionate opening in regards to photography!
😀 I like to think that everyone goes extra distance, heights and efforts in taking pictures.
HI. As I battled the rain and mud and just being muddy and wet back in the 80’s when I went to the re-production of the 60’s music concert “wood stock,” upstate New York, I feel you 🙂 , great pictures, on my concert I
lost all including my camera…….
AWESOME! Exactly what I want to hear from the comments. Thanks!
🙂 God Bless ……….
🙂 God Bless ……….
Fabulous pics, Rommel. Love the black and white too. Thanks for all the risks you take, so that I can enjoy your great pics. 🙂 Looks like an awesome concert.
Music-wise, so awesome. Crowd…er? …. Well, they’re all music lovers, so I can’t complain too much.
Hello kuya Rommel. I admire your photos here. Ano pong work nyo? Gusto ko din po kasi yung pupunta sa iba’t-ibang lugar eh. hope you reply. Tnx
Sorry pogi. I can’t divulge that information. *wink* Sa gobyerno kase ako nagtratrabaho eh. 😀
I’m sorry that the habits of the young people stopped you going to the other concert but the shots above are wonderful, so atmospheric. There will always be spoilers and I think you made the best decision even if it was tough 🙂
Yeah that sounded very responsible 🙂
Painful not to continue, but I gotta be responsible somehow. Thanks, Gilly.
Oh and I love the warm hue to your photos.
It is, huh. It feels welcoming. It’s always good to listen to you, Gilly. Hehehe 😀
Yup adventures (intentional and unintentional ;)) are prerequisite to my photographic endeavours …
Also, i’m surprised that i don’t end up in a cardiac unit: behind the lens my heart beats wildly, but when i actually take the pics, i forget to breath.
Enough about me. There are some great pictures here Rommel. Love the way you caught Ruth Radelet’s expression.
Bwahahahaha! Gotta keep those steady hands up, and don’t forget to breathe. Sometimes, I have to sit down, relax, wait for a sec before I go back up. Ahhhh, the things we do to get a shot. Thanks for the awesome comment.
Awesome shots.
Thank you! How did your event go?
Because of the constant call for rain in our neck of the woods, we set a rain date for 9/29/2012. The morning of the sale, there was rain up until 6:30AM so we opted for the rain date thinking that the weatherman was on the ball. I wound up spend the rest of the day complaining that there was no more rain after 6:30AM because I really dislike using rain dates. I prefer to hold an event on the originally scheduled day, especially after sinking enough time, energy and money into advertising for it and getting people interested (which isn’t easy).
So, the last Flying Low of 2012 will be this Saturday. I’ll have to blog about it afterwards.
Cheers!
Very cool photos. I can’t believe I still haven’t attended a concert 😦 As for haphazard shots, I am also guilty of taking a photo from behind the wheel: I took a video with my phone while driving through the wind farm in the Tehachapi mountains. Bad Erica.
I hate people that are using their cellphone while driving. Oooops! 😀 The nerve of me, I take pictures when I was driving down Highway 33 in Ojai. It’s just IRRESTIBLY so scenic not to.
Don’t– you might crash into me!!
Ahihihi! We’ll call it quits if we did .. .deal? 😀
Only if you also buy me a new car that’s waaay better than the one I have now. 🙂
One can feel the energy jumping out from your images…a beautiful moment. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Sunshine. These are considerably action shots, which are always hard to capture.
You did an awesome job! Well done 😉
Love the b&w shots. 🙂
Thank you, Luann. Love the new gravatar :D. B&W has become an acquired taste of mine.
You do an amazing job of capturing the mood. Thanks for the comment on the gravatar. I have discovered I have very few photos of Terry and me and I had never liked the first photo I posted. 🙂
Love the pics, you really captured the moods! I can releate to suddenly feeling old at an event like that. It’s sad when you realize it!
Urgh! I hated that thought. I don’t usually get that kind of thinking. That concert had me good.
Wow! Love the pics that you turned into b/w. The last calls are awesome!
Thanks Amy. I’ve grown fond of B&W’s.
i love your third photo the most. good shots 🙂
That darn guy’s back is showing. Grrr. I wanted to crop it, but decided to let it go. I wanted the microphone to extend. I love that capture.
it turned out perfect mel 🙂
You are so funny… I loved how you opened the post~ intimate images of the musicians as well!
Felicia
Thanks, Felicia. What a nice blog you have.
Awe! That is too bad. Isn’t pot legal in California? My daughter FREAKED on Hollywood Blvd when we walked past some puffers. I thought she was gonna DIE. I guess she doesn’t do drugs. She was appalled. I don’t care to sniff any smoke, especially wacky weed (unless I WANT to get wacky – HA).
I guess I don’t get too adventurous in my photo outings. I took a photo of my mom behind the bars of a rehab facility and my brother just about lost his stuffing over it. I was actually shooting through the bars of the enclosed picnic area. I wasn’t getting anyone else. But I guess according to HIPPA that is a big no no. Whoops. My bad. I NEVER take photos of folks in rehab now. LOL.
They let them be. Police are all over the place! Too many people to arrest. Bwahahaha. I expected it coming to a music fest. But I know it wasn’t the same when I go to Jazz Fest in New Orleans. That makes me believe that people from Louisiana are more considerate.
There is this tiny girl who was getting squished. She also loathe the thought of inhaling the smoke. And, she got hit by a foot by one of those people that goes on top of the crowd. I felt so old showing my frustrating. I was grunting and GRRRR-ing.
Thanks for the feedback, Angela. Same as some of military bases! They would stress not to take picture even just a snippet!
Great shots, jus love nr 2+3 from the top!!
Ahihihihi … The guitarist kept on fixing his sunglasses.
You have some great photos here. Good for you!
I worked at different concert venues for 15 years as an usher supervisor. I loved seeing the bands and being involved but dealing with the people got to be not worth it. People were becoming more and more inconsiderate and reluctant to follow rules that were there for their safety…Now I don’t like crowds anymore…
I can be the sweeper of the stage, and would be thrilled to work with different bands for 15 years. Cool job you had there.
Overflowing adrenaline image after image. Thanks for sharing the excitement! What a great show Bro!
Thanks, IT
Your shots are great.. I hear you and I don’t like it when they do drugs in the middle of people at a concert too… Especially as we can’t escape.
Great shots. Some of my most favorite bands are on here. 🙂
Inggat.
Sam Roderick
This is my 4000th comment. Cool! 😀
You are getting too famous!!!! LOL you are getting to be an old man , not taking as many risks when taking photos 🙂 Now if you go back and look at my post of painting the breeze before I painted the trees and horse in you will see it is like your beautiful smoke filled areas around the musicians !
Loved the photography and as well as the way you put everything in words. Just beautiful. Folowed. 🙂
xoxo,
Mari from
http://ohyesshesabitchbutnotyours.com/