Portrait/Product Session for iGig Bags

I was excited to reunite with my friend Bret Robertson at a recent gig of my band, the Friendly Indians. Bret and his Honu Studios business partner, Brian Arizaga, turned out to catch a show, after my band had been on a performance hiatus lasting more than 5 years. I was happy to learn that Bret and Brian were also very interested in all things music, and we briefly discussed future opportunities to partner up. Just such an opportunity arrived earlier this month, as Bret and Brian asked me if I would help provide photography for a product they were to sell at their online storefront - More Than Noise. The resulting images are found below, and I hope you enjoy them. We featured musicians Daniel Burnette and Keren Ryan for the shoot, in a lifestyle session that featured real musicians modeling these fantastic new gig bags. We even had time for some rockin' shots of Daniel and Keren, sans accoutrement.

For more information about purchasing your very own iGig bag for your favorite guitarist or bassist, or to learn more about Honu Studios and More Than Noise, contact Bret and Brian here.

Daniel and Keren, with their stylish and road-worthy iGig bags in the foreground.

Always waiting for the drummer...

It wasn't all about product shots. Daniel and Keren were game for some romantic and rockin' pictures along the way.

To see even more images from this session, click here to be taken to my SmugMug gallery.

Stereofix - A Second Helping

After catching Stereofix at the House of Blues recently (see the previous post, "Get Your Stereofix"), I connected with the band again in a somewhat more intimate and definitely different setting. The boys were providing entertainment to hundreds of guests, sponsors, vendors, and supporters of breast cancer awareness, at an Orange County event entitled "Eat. Drink. Pink!" I'll have more images to share from the overall event soon, so keep your eyes peeled. For this show, the event built a tiny little stage to showcase the entertainment, which featured Stereofix as well as headliners, Nylon Pink (I'll have more on them later, too). The quarters were cramped, and the scene was very dark (hey, what do you expect in a warehouse that's normally lit totally by terrible flourescents), but I locked on my F1.8, opened it all the way up, and began to fire away. As always, I hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoy taking them. Stereofix was electrifying as always, and their energy really comes across in their photos!








Anthony Hainsworth, unleashing



































Sterofix, hanging with band manager Gabriel Lee

Fall Like You're Flying

Dateline House of Blues, Sunset Strip - part three in a series. Echo Echo has just released their long-awaited first album. Have you heard it? You really need to. And the band will make it really easy on you - they're so excited about their seven-years-in-the-making effort that they're sharing it with you for free.* Head on over to their free download page and take them up on the offer. Superior to any free download you'll find this week on iTunes, that much is certain.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was fortunate enough to have my camera on hand for a night of amazing music and great performances. Far from the exception, Santa Ana Alt Rockers Echo Echo put on an uplifting and emotional show. Truly, I had to stop shooting many times for not wanting to miss the moments that were happening in front of me with both eyes wide open. Formed back in 2003 as the Steve Carson Band, the nucleus of Echo Echo has remained intact with Steve Carson at the helm (lead vox, guitar, piano), Jameson Burt (guitar, vox), Bruce Yolken (bass), and Darren Carr (drums). A more recent addition to the line-up, Andrew Carter (keyboard, vox, percussion) now adds to their bold, high-energy sound.

Echo Echo dazzled the packed HOB crowd with a memorable and dynamic performance, with songs ranging from the uplifting, like "Good Morning" and "Dove," to the emotional and contemplative, like "Logical" and "Sad to See." As always, I hope you enjoy my images, and I welcome your comments. These were shot with my 50mm f1.8, wide open, at incredibly high iso.

Want to see more Echo Echo? They will be rocking La Cave in Costa Mesa every Tuesday night throughout the month of January as part of a residency. Make plans to hear them frequently!


Steve Carson, putting his heart and soul into his music



drummer Darren Carr lays the smack down









Overcome with the spirit of the music, Steve had to drop to his knees many times throughout the night






Jameson, a masterful minimalist






Bruce Yolken, keeping the rythym moving along nicely









Andrew Carter belts it out







*Free download was available at the time of this post, but not sure how long this offer will last!