James Milne APERTURETOCAPTURE.COM

Being reborn!

James — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 15:55:29 +0000

Yes that is correct but I’m not going to go in a history lecture, the long and short of it is after shooting live shows for 2 years, I felt like I needed a change otherwise I would be doing the same thing day in day out and not progressing. I decided to take a break from it and just concentrate on building up my portfolios in other sections. Below is a small selection of what I’ve done in the last 6 months:

And now I’m back ready to dive back into the pit stronger and more experienced. I’m planning on getting some shows setup for September, as I go on tour for the first time next month in which I’m filming a documentary with the band as a possible CD/DVD combo.

As well as tying up all the loose ends with PR companies and the like. In the meantime I have 2 live photo sets which will get a write up just like the old days coming online soon to keep you going. One is a Manchester based band Undercolour, and an Essex singer by the name of Leddra Chapman.

Until then, my full portfolio can be found by clicking the link in the sidebar. Or if you want to get back up to speed and get a refresh in what this site is about then you can go into the archives which is also listed in the sidebar.

Review: Pierce The Veil

James — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:57:06 +0000

30th January 2011 – Your favourite San Diego-ites? San Diego-ins? San Dieg-ons? Oh wait I know now, San Diegens finally get a foothold in the UK touring with New York’s Bayside and Ocala heavyweights A Day To Remember.

Review:

With 2000+ people in attendance, outside there were a dedicated amount of followers who came for them just as equally as the headline act. But really, whether you know them or not, they have a lot of potential in Europe and this is just the beginning.

On a performance level Pierce The Veil came out with everything they have got. They are incredible, they have the right attitude and after hardcore touring in the US of the last three years they are extremely confident and not in a bad way. With matching songs to go along their music-man ship the atmosphere and welcome here tonight will give them good stead in the future.

Getting your name and songs out for the first time on new audiences is tricky for any band, it’s just a matter of selecting the right ones, we get a heavy dosage off their current LP “Selfish Machines” which is a good move for such a small slot and we also get an oldie sung out for good measure. All are played at their best, with plenty of interaction at the crowd helping to make you take notice.

Stand-out and frightfully catchy songs of the night such as Caraphernelia, Fast Times At Claremont High together with Besitos prove they’ve got what it takes to get you singing along for a damn good time.

So now you know, Vic Fuentes piercing screams and standout vocality mixed with Jaime’s backing bass lines and Tony Perry’s shredding all rounded up with Mike Fuentes masterful display on the skins blend together for a strong force to be reckoned with.

Ladies and gentlemen; Pierce The Veil are here now and they aren’t going anywhere.

Links

Connect and listen to Pierce The Veil on the following:

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Youtube

Plus don’t forget to check out Equal Vision Records for more outstanding artists.

End Notes:

With this being the second show on the tour you still have plenty of chances to check out all these bands but do so fast, because seriously they will be sold out before you know it.

Remaining Tour Dates

Enjoy the full photo set and one of my personal favourite songs of the band below!

Any Comments?

Thoughts or bands you’d like to see featured, let em rip in the comment section below.

Portraits: Foundation

James — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:05:40 +0000

25th January 2011 – Here we have the ground stomping Foundation from Atlanta in the good old USA. Playing in the same venue as Latitudes last week, I set up from Chris at Bridge 9 Records to do some new work for Foundation for the 2011 press cycle. Simple strong promos were needed and I delivered in no time.

For more info on the band and label visit Bridge9 Records

End Notes:

I scouted the location using Google maps as I always do when I’m shooting at a venue, and this place stuck out. I was planning on shooting the Latitudes promos here but a van was in the way of the window.

This time around it was cleared out so I took my assistant Chris before the band arrived and did a few set-ups using two lights for the first time and colour gels for variance but I never used them in the end.

Any Comments?

Let em loose in the comment section at the bottom of this post!

Portraits: Latitudes

James — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:46:46 +0000

17th January 2011 – Ok so just a quick post to say that I will not be detailing the photo shoots I do with bands on here anymore, to streamline and keep the focus on the live pics and reviews etc for this site. From now on there will be a couple from any promo shoot I do in a post and at the end there will be a link to the full set and behind the scenes stuff to read on my other website which is currently in the making.

The choice was simple, I photograph a whole lot more than just bands and review shows but I really don’t want to put it all on here as this place will be a bit confusing. Hopefully you’ll all still be following that site when its up as I will continue in teaching and sharing what I know. E.G

End Notes:
Latitudes are a damn good metal band from Hertfordshire. They are signed to Shelsmusic and were in desperate need of new promos that suited them better.

Check them out here on their Facebook
Also see the labels current roster here: Shelsmusic

Any Comments?

Got anything to say, just put it down in the section below.

Who To Look Out For in 2011!

James — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:56:25 +0000

As a kind of evolution from the band of the month feature, which hasn’t been done again since it started I know (Woe Is Me gets it this month), and its a new year I thought I’d give a shout out to some bands who have long been established or just come out that have been played pretty much everyday quite exclusively. Thus in turn creating this top 5. So I’ll speak a few words on why they are on the list, but not a lot, I’m not here to force opinion. So take a look and check them out. Links all included under each.

No.1: Woe, Is Me

Definitely one of the best hybrid bands out there and super deserving of the number one spot. Pretty much every thing I like about music is in this bands arrangement. R & B, Soul, Screamo, Hardcore, Electro, Disco all bound together in one tidy package while done equally to not over do it.

Woe, Is Me Official

No.2: Modsun

Dylan Smith aka “Mod Sun – Movement Under Dreams Stand Under None” is a happy guy, a really happy guy with happy music. It’s infectious and no matter the time it’s great to spend some time with. While the most part his songs are done by him there are some really great collabs, including Jonny Craig and Pat Brown. Never a dark moment when you have the Sun with you.

Mod Sun Music

No.3: We Came As Romans

Another band who aren’t afraid to mix it up. Though it can be described as Post-Hardcore like a few others in this list it wouldn’t be accurate. They have a good strong melodic base in their songs with some awesome synth breakdowns and electronica thrown in too.

We Came As Romans Official

No.4: Memphis May Fire

I just love the Texan/Southern America feel to hardcore rock bands. Distinctive and powerful Memphis May Fire stands strong above them. A really energetic live band who went even more above themselves on their latest EP “Between The Lies”. Hard working and truly passionate is these guys no doubt, with the upcoming new album later in the spring expected to be even more heavier and darker than before.

Memphis May Fire Myspace

No.5: The Devil Wears Prada

Another band that change at every opportunity the way they make music but don’t sacrifice what it is that makes them so good. Going off on a slight tangent with the concept EP “Zombie” which was the most brutal TDWP yet, I can’t wait to hear what this new year brings for the bands fourth album.

The Devil Wears Prada Official

Hope you check them out, here a couple of latest videos/singles from them.

Any Comments?

Or bands you want to point out? Let em rip in the section below.

No Related Post

Review: Stone Sour

James — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:05:05 +0000

27th October 2010 – On the success of the brilliant show the guys in A7X put on, Stone Sour had to bring it equally or more and they did. Great band to finish the night, with Corey Taylor leading the foray one can’t really complain.

Review:

I reviewed this one as a last minute favour for my friends website, the full review can be found here: Stone Sour Review

Shooting Notes:

Like the A7X show anything went from every colour of the rainbow to extreme white washes. I found myself shooting at the craziest of shutter speeds, both slow and fast. Anywhere from 1/30th to 1/4000th.

A few changes were made from f/2.8 to f/4 all at ISO800 to maintain the DOF (Depth Of Field) I like for concert portraiture.

Full Gallery Below

Interview: Jonny Craig and Everything

James — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:41:24 +0000

8th December 2010 – We talk about everything Jonny Craig is involved in – main bands, side projects and having a house on a yacht. Apologies for sound quality, mic recorded the paper crumpling in my other hand. Goes after a minute or two.

Hope he answers some of your questions.

Listen below:
Emarosa Interview w/Jonny Craig by Jimphoto

By the way if your a fan and not yet following him on Twitter, what are you waiting for. Help him reach his follower limit for new material to be released.
Follow and RT here: @jonnycraig4L

Oh and the written version of this, the review and photos of the show linked in the sidebar – Featured Bands. >>>>

Thanks again to Lucy for sorting this out and Jonny Craig putting up with me for a second time.

Any Comments?

Leave me a line the section at the end of this page.

Photos: Hell Yeah

James — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:07:13 +0000

27th October 2010 – Being the second time this year photographing a Hell Yeah show, I had some sense of how this would play out. The difference being in a club venue this time around, and bearing in mind they are the first support any chance of a great light setup was scarce.

I didn’t review these but I did for Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour.

Shooting Notes:
For the most part, photographers always go on about great lighting – unlimited washes of white light is a wet dream, which is good but light designs need to fit the bands, and thats why it varies so much.

What I actually got was actually pretty decent, heavy colour washes mixed with strobe lighting helped make it an interesting and moody experience.

Patience is the key for low light action portraiture, especially when working at low shutter speeds to compensate for the darker schemes heavy metal bands seem to employ.

Timing is vital too, aswell as learning a bands routine to get your best quality shots at slow speeds. With high shutter speeds you get a little more leeway and chance of getting good images with less thinking about it.

While I’m new to the band they do have some good songs with a classic feel to rock out too, I’ll certainly have to check them out again if they come back to the UK.

Lens Choice:

For the whole show I used the Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 with the Canon 50mm f/1.8 as backup.

I shot at ISO1600 for these guys at f/2.8 with an average shutter of 1/500.

Hell Yeah: Hell Of A Time

Any Comments?

Questions or thoughts, let em rip in the comment section below.

Review: Underoath

James — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:04:47 +0000

12th March 2010 – Sadly the last time we would see the incredible Aaron Gillespie in the Underoath outfit, a shame but people have to do what feels right. Without further longing though, this was definitely a highlight even in the early part of the year.

I love Underoath. Here are some of my favourite pics with the review and shooting notes as usual at the end.

Review:
Underoath are here.

Without a hello they rip into ‘Young and Aspiring’ off the debut album featuring Spencer Chamberlain on vocals, ferocious as ever I might add.
The fans have waited long enough and the crowd start breaking into some seriously brutal circle pits. In the briefest of moments they do use the chance to acknowledge who they are but clearly need no introduction tonight.

Everyone’s arms now in the air and fans voices surpassing even the PA’s output, we sing along with drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie during ‘Moving For The Sake Of Moving’- bringing smiles to the band’s faces.

The performance is perfect, not to mention energetic- with Timothy McTague on (lead guitar) and Grant Brandell (bass) rocking around like they’ve just been tasered. A nitpick is everyone except guitarist James Smith is moving about – surely you’d want to give 100% with the rest of your band?

Spencer makes sure that we know “even though the majority of Manchester’s population is at another show, it’s ok because you guys are the coolest for
sticking here with us.”
Through the sweat and heat they break into ‘Breathing In A New Mentality’, and ‘Desperate Measures, Desperate Times’ rewarding the crowd with another chance to mosh. The show is so much fun,- you can’t believe that it’s over as they leave to boos and a constant chants of “UN-DER-OATH!” and “ONE MORE SONG!”

Thankfully they come back on stage to thunderous applause and ground stamping with ‘Writing On The Walls’ and fan favourite ‘It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door’.

If you’re after a great band who perform as tight as the latest scene kids jeans- look no further!

Shooting Notes:

What a show, what a challenge to shoot the show. Alas I was unprepared for this gig, very last minute. Enjoyable until I started using one of the worst lenses for concert photography. The Canon EF-S 18-55, it performs bad in the day how would you think it peforms in the darkest of dark?

So it was a challenge getting good shots but I stuck with it and I came out generally with a solid amount of selects. Which you see now before you.

I worked exclusively at 18mm on f/3.5 as it was the fastest aperture available then just adjusted shutter speed – at ISO1600.

Video of Underoath perfoming – Desperate Times, Desperate Measures and full gallery below.

Any Comments?

I’ve missed you, talk to me. Do so in the comment box at the bottom of this page.

Photos: Johny Flynn and the Sussex Wit

James — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:48:41 +0000

Being lit mainly by spotlights save for a single blue bulb far off into the background, it was quite a obstacale in creating a variety of photos with the same lighting employed throughout. The band were the first to support Mumford and Sons on their latest tour. They are of a similar genre so plenty of instrument changes and a lively atmosphere was expected.

Shooting Notes:

Pretty dim, there was no variation in lighting as it was spotlit throughout the entire set. I also noticed the house lights running dimmer than usual which meant an increase in ISO sensitivity. In my case I was at the maximum you can push the Canon 1000D, at 1600.

When resizing images though and online uploading compression gets rid of the colour noise without altering in post and gets the luminance at a tolerable level.

For online I resize at most 2000 x 1333, 1200 x 800 for facebook and 600 x 400 for this blog.

Lens Choice:

The Sigma HSM f/2.8 70-200mm was the most used. I like the creamy look with the bokeh on a 2.8 and its further exaggerated when working at the longest end of this zoom. The Sigma f/2.8 28-70mm was used for just the first song.

Any Comments?

Go ahead, I know I haven’t been around for a while.

James Milne APERTURETOCAPTURE.COM

Being reborn!

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