After nine years as a freelance photographer and working with many different clients I have my images on a magazine cover for the first time.
It was well worth the wait considering I got to photograph my home team, the LA Kings. Not just my home team but, really inspirational guys that have faced adversity and doubt for most of their careers with the LA Kings.
This season is different. They found their confidence and have been in a playoff sport all season long. They always learn from their mistakes and come back stronger because of it. They make it easy to be an LA Kings fan for the first time in a decade. They make it even more fun than easy.
It was a the most difficult and stressful shoot of my career and it didn’t go close to what I expected when I first got asked to do it.
But, I learned a lot and have a lot of good things to build on. I can’t wait to shoot them many more times in the seasons to come.
I hope to shoot many more players for The Fourth Period Magazine too. They were a joy to work with and very patient and supportive.
Be sure to pick up the magazine on January 11th! It’s a great article by my new friend, Dennis Berstein.
Support the magazine! They’re new and deserve the readers. It’s a great organization.
More about the magazine can be found on the LA Kings website! Just click the image!
Thank you to Max Cohen, Dennis Berstein, and David Pagnotta for giving me this opportunity.
Thanks to Paul Mocey-Hanton for assisting me too! You can see that stud in the video. =)
Let’s get the bad out of the way. This show was yet another poorly lit, frustrating experience. The few moments that utilized the lights to create an interesting atmosphere in which to see the band was just barely bright enough to notice it happening.
It baffles me how lighting could go to the sidelines in terms of expressing one’s music. It is such an easy tool to utilize in order to increase the way and richness those in the audience can connect to the music.
I did what I could in a horrible situation for photography.
With that said, the show was amazing. Dredg is always a treat to see live. They do a great job with letting it all flow out naturally.
Gavin of Dredg performing at the Troubadour
Gavin is a great front man. His stage presence is reminiscent of Jim Morrison to me. He has this fun swagger about him. His voice is unique and he has great technique with singing powerfully and in control.
Compared to the few outings I caught while they were still writing the new songs that require Gavin to play guitar, he looks a lot more natural up there with one in his hands.
He has never looked out of place playing on his slide guitar which rests on the table in front of him. It did at one point seem as though being strapped to a guitar was a whole new world to him. haha.
Not now. Now, he has that same swagger on guitar as he does the rest of the time without it. It’s quite fun to watch.
Dino of Dredg performing at the Troubadour
Dino is the most calculated person I think I have ever seen play. At times it is hard to not think of him as a robot. If you couldn’t happen to look into his eyes while he played I think you would believe he actually is a robot. The guy hits crazy hard and knows how to lead the rest of the band through dynamic build ups through out their set.
Mark of Dredg performing at the Troubadour
Mark’s guitar playing is probably the most easily recognized element in the music that notifies the listener they are hearing a dredg song. Until this show I was struggling with pinpointing just how far and away the batch of songs on their newest album have come from the last album.
Seeing them live and being able to fully focus on Mark made it apparent that distance is not far at all. His style has not changed although the influences for the music has.
Drew of Dredg performing at the Troubadour
Drew is definitely the ambassador of dredg. He is the guy that is always a beacon of fun. No matter how serious he can look, there are always moments of charm as he finds someone to quickly interact with in the crowd.
It was interesting seeing the addition of a synth in front of Drew.
A lot of times when you see a band member abandon their analog (well, analog enough) instrument for a synth it gets a little nerve racking. I mean, “keyboards have no soul!” Or, at least that is what I have read on numerous bumper stickers. haha.
The way Drew writes and plays quickly disproves that. It is a welcome addition to the soundscape that dredg creates.
Judgement Day on stage with Dredg performing at the Troubadour
The show was amazing. A lot of energy. A lot of heart and/or soul (haha). A lot of great songs. A lot of surprises too. With dredg that means guest appearances by friends. This night it was Judgement Day joining the band on stage to provide strings to a good grip of songs.
