I love Ray LaMontagne's music... I know he's playing at Royal Albert Hall this month and have emailed the people at 14th floor to ask if they'd consider including me on their photographers list. I have also mentioned that I will be shooting for an upcoming book on Music photography and how it's changed with digital photography... I posted on "where from here" and had some great replies from my friend Christie and another from my friend Brad - Two different comments, both more or less saying the same thing... Let me quote some of Brad's comment
"On that point of the industry being devalued by amateurs/weekend warriors, I always find it interesting to compare related matters… do you buy a newspaper or do you now just pick up the free papers in the morning and evening? do you insist on paying full RRP (£14?) of all the music you own or do you get it cheaper either via the internet, mass general retailers (Tesco), by paid download (Itunes), industry freebies or illegal downloads? do you get all your equipment from UK businesses paying full RRP, search for the cheapest UK deals, import it cheaper from abroad declaring it at UK Customs or getting it abroad and try avoiding paying any duty on it? Photography is no different."
Well? Valid, does it make you feel bad? Everyone's in that same leaky boat... Or are they?
So - I have decided that I should start using my work in different ways, there are too many people in pits these days, and I have to say, given my experiment of the last couple of years, that a lot of the time those people are not there for any other reason than "they want to be"
What does this mean? Does it mean that I will no longer be shooting music? hell no - that's what I love... I am and have already started writing a book on music photography, due for release just before Christmas this year - The book will be a pictorial journey through my little journey from the mosh to the pit...
Sime