Athfest 2009

A woman dances to Deaf Judges at The Morton Theater on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.

Athfest to the uninitiated is a three-day music festival smack dab in the middle of Athens, Georgia that features a ton of bands from the Athens scene and nearby areas. Most of them, you haven't heard of unless you're a supporter of local music or a loyal reader of Jordan Steppe.

Photographically, its really like shooting fish in a barrel. This was my second time in three years; i was at the College World Series last year. Unlike most concerts these days, it is not "three-songs-and-out." You could shoot as long as you wanted, no restrictions on flash and if you were ballsy enough, even shoot from the stage. There's a small army of kids from UGA and other scene followers who are getting the same concert photos over and over.

Me? I want something different. I can stand at the front of a barricade with an 80-200 and get the same thing they do. As always, I want something different, something creative. Thats the one thing, the one lesson above all that you should take away from concert photography -> Whats the next shot I can get? How much cooler can i make it?

Since i only photographed one day (Friday), I went all out. Busted out the pole cam with the fisheye and tried to make the most creative photos you can make in 100-degree-heat. It was disappointing to see the main-stage acts not have much stage energy but it was hot and easily 105 degrees on the stage. Completely understandable. I shot 3 bands on the main stage - The Empties, Twin Tigers (whom sounded great) and Dead Confederate (Looks like DC should be seen indoors in a club based on their stage lighting) and Tealvox over on the second stage. Tealvox was pretty good for a high school band and had a really nice, tight sound. After all that, it was time to walk back, edit for the daily and eat before hitting the evening shows.



Matthew Rain of Twin Tigers plays during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.



Taylor Patterson, left, shoots her friend Erin Dunn with bubbles during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.



Codey Stalvey of Tealvox plays during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.

Many, many thanks to The Ice Cream Man for the Ice Cream.

After half a hamburger from the Grill - the heat had zapped my appetite - I walked down to the heavily air-conditioned 40-Watt Club to catch some evening bands. The All Night Drug Prowling Wolves took the stage and blew me away. I enjoyed them live and actually bought a CD. Saw Dexter Romweber Duo play and then walked up the street to see We Versus the Shark play their last show ever. Morton Theater was running behind so I caught Deaf Judges first - Think Beastie Boys, circa 1983 - and the theater had a smoke machine running which looked fantastic to go along with the stage lights.



Ben Thrower dances with Denise Medow while All Night Drug Prowling Wolves perform during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.



Tom Cheshire of All Night Drug Prowling Wolves is seen in a multiple-exposure photo while performing at the 40 Watt during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.



Deaf Judges perform at the Morton Theater during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.



People dance while Deaf Judges perform during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.



Dexter Romweber is reflected in a mirror at the 40 Watt during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.



Marlow Sanchez of All Night Drug Prowling Wolves performs during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga. (Polecam, rear curtain, on camera flash. Needs some work. Needs slower shutter speed.)



We Versus the Shark performs their last show during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga.



Guitarist Samantha Paulsen plays as We Versus the Shark performs their last show during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga. (I bought coffee from Sam for two years)



Drummer Scott Smith strips to his boxers before performing as We Versus the Shark performs their last show during AthFest on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Athens, Ga. (I've never seen anyone who comes as close to "Animal" from "The Muppet Show" before seeing this)

Parting thoughts: Artists- Put your name on your website so i know who you are. If they're not identified in the photos, it's because you aren't identified on your website and I can't find out at 2 AM.

McDonaldland fades away

I believe those are Mcdonaldland Playland equipment featuring Officer Big Mac and Grimace. (Behind the Hallmark Mobile Home Park in Athens, Ga on Wednesday, June 24, 2009)

I remember playing on the McDonaldland playgrounds when i was a kid. Imagine my surprise when I'm walking around a trailer park in the middle of a domestic dispute (which was simply a misdemeanor and very unvisual despite being dispatched as an individual trying to ram a trailer with a tractor-trailer) and to my surprise, i found this playground equipment just sitting there.

Clearly no one has played on them in years. Its interesting to see how this had faded into obscurity as McDonalds has completely done away with the concept of 'McDonaldland' as a marketing campaign.

Four Alarm Georgia Theater Fire

Around 7 AM, a multi-alarm fire was called in at the Historic Georgia Theater in Athens, Ga. I found out about it around 745 and was out the door by 746 and on scene 10 minutes later. (Of course, my fiancee did call me for 15 minutes straight until i answered the phone. It was a day off)

The structure that was built in the 1930's was completely gutted. Roof collapsed early on, keeping firefighters from making an interior attack. The downtown power grid was off as the main power vault was underground in the vicinity of the structure. ACCFD was able to keep the structure from completely collapsing and burning to the ground. The walls are still standing and some of the rafters are still intact despite being very weak.

Something this big spot news wise means photos are going to have to be worked hard and fast. I needed to make quality, storytelling images fast beyond what the average person would get. Spot news does need to be exactly that, on the spot. But a compelling fire photo generally needs some decent composition or or at least artistic thought.

Saturday morning quarterback. I went up high but didn't even try and talk my way into the Bank of America building or onto the roof. Big mistake. Some people who worked in there got good images. Missed out on my tower/silhouette photo early on. Sun rose fast and i didn't get the picture i wanted. (That and a tree was in the way). And lastly, i ran out of the house without socks. I have blisters all over my feet. (And i'd have had better photos if i had answered the phone faster)

Here's how the front page looked.



Bottom left first-on-the-scene-photo by newsroom intern Allie Goolrick.



Thats my only picture with actual flame in it. I missed a flare up while walking around the giant block but got somewhat lucky when they opened up the front door to try and extinguish and save anything else in the front.



There's an interesting symmetry between the gracefulness of a a rainbow mixed with the abject destruction of a landmark being consumed by fire.



An Athens Clarke firefighter is treated by EMTs during the blaze. (No firefighters were hospitalized or injured that I heard about)



Wilmot Green, owner of the Georgia Theater, (white shirt) sits on a curb with firefighters across from the blaze.



Firefighters use aerial towers to fight the blaze. (Note, the city only owns three and all three were used during the blaze, just not in this photo)



Firefighters battle the blaze from street level.



Nothing like what i was trying to make.

Turtle Power!

On Monday, i went searching for some wild art and found turtles sitting on a log in Lake Herrick at the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. (Thankfully the parking garage thats being built was not in my background)



I went back to the car for the 300 & teleconverter - I really need that 80-400/5.6 - and when i moved, one turtle jumped off.



Three turtles.



Reoriented my position and then there was two.




The last one finally had enough of me being within eyeshot and jumped in, leaving one brave turtle.

Stone Mountain

The skyline of Atlana, noontime. (Okay, I hit Autolevels in Photoshop and got this. Sunshine white balance at about a stop underexposed. Talk about haze)

I've been thinking a lot about this blog post/entry. Since I've grown up living in Northern Virginia, I've grown up around the larger Civil War sites. I drove every day for 3 years through Manassas Battlefield. I've been to Gettysburg to see both lines as well as the small rocks that comprise Little Round Top; those same rocks that held the Union together and gave us the America we know today.

Now what I've never seen is a stone carving of Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and (someone else) in a 1600ft tall giant bubble of granite.



The view on the way up.



Thats the carving.




Apparently Robert E. Lee (center) is related to the people at Easter Island.



I liked the gondolas except they arent air conditioned and we're all put in like cattle.






The breeze was very nice 1600 feet up. Several people were flying kites.



Gratuitous Dropkick Murphys advertising.

Bicycle Ride Across Georgia

Cyclist Diane Crenshaw, center, is photographed by her friend Adam Shumaker, left, at Watson Mill State Park in Comer as riders with the 2009 Bicycle Ride Across Georgia leave the Athens area as part of their 381-mile trek across the state on Thursday, June 11, 2009.

Well since Le Tour isn't hiring me anytime soon, I spend 2 of the past 3 days photographing the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia since it passed through town. Its an interesting eclectic mix of casual and professional riders all mixed into one big pot of 1400 riders.

Its a lot of fun but I understand why cycling photographer work off on motorcycles.

I tried mainly to work on features and just aim for pretty pictures. All in all, a fun time had by all.








Blair Farley of Brimingham, Ala., sleeps on the bleachers of Clarke Middle School after cycling 65 miles from Mt. Airy as the 2009 Bicycle Ride Across Georgia comes through Athens on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 in Athens, Ga. The 381-mile ride started in Hiawassee and ends at Clarks Hill Lake on Saturday June 13th.





Cary Cupkan, of Greenville, SC., stops to help fix the seat of a fellow rider along Jefferson River Road as the 2009 Bicycle Ride Across Georgia comes through Athens on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 in Athens, Ga. The 381-mile ride started in Hiawassee and ends at Clarks Hill Lake on Saturday June 13th.

Sunroof Camera

From the remote camera department: I mounted my work D2X w/14mm out the sunroof with two magic arms as to try and make a time-lapse video as part of a larger project.

Safety cabled the crap out of that. Held great at highway speeds but made a LOT of noise.

Set the camera's intervolemeter to 1 frame every 2 seconds and a max of 999 frames. (Thats 30 frames a minute or 33 minutes, 20 seconds of elapsed time). The video was 2 frames a picture at 30 fps. Looks pretty frantic and hectic. Should make for fun later.




(.....And yet somehow watching my own driving made me ill after watching it in 1080p 3 times in a row.)

Vacation: Test Track

This is the (currently GM sponsored) Test Track attraction at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Generally i don't look at on-attraction photos as anything more than simple vacation-photos that anyone can take. But not everyone uses a 14mm on a D3. (Damm dirty sensor; this is all at f/11)

So this time around, i decided to play around and try and show some motion of the car and the sensations that you're getting in the nice 10AM light. (Thanks Michelle and Dan!) My only criticism is that there isn't enough of the car in the shots. But i love the streaked light.



After the seat-belt check as you go up the hill.



Entering the "corrosion" chamber.




Its a "happy accident" if you ask me.



The barrier-test, either about 1/4th a second earlier than i wanted to fire it or just too damm wide.