It all started because of that Dale Carnegie course I took a few years ago… I made a friend in that class, Fernando, who was probably as nervous as I was to take the course and give speeches—but it turned out we both excelled at it.  We kept in touch over the years.

Last week he posted a comment about cameras that led to a discussion on photography and blogs.  He shared a friend’s blog with me—who had some inspiring photos—among them of musicians.

This got me thinking… I don’t have any photos in my library of musicians.  How can I make that happen?

Fernando:  “I’ll be playing at a Blues Fest this weekend if you’d like to come.  You can take photos there.”

And so I recruited a friend, Tore, to go on a photo adventure with me to Babb Brothers BBQ & Blues.

A few days before the event I double checked to see if Tore still wanted to go since it would be a haul to the downtown Dallas area.

Denise:  “Tore, you sure you want to go all the way downtown?”

Tore: “I’ve already checked the menu.. I’ll be ordering the two meat plate with the following side dishes…”

We arrived and I was welcomed by my friend Fernando, whom I hadn’t seen since we graduated—and I’ve never seen him play in person.

Here are some highlights of the event.

Here’s a look at the venue.

This is Fernando, my Dale Carnegie classmate.

I enjoyed seeing him perform – he has a real passion for music.

This wall of guitars made a great background for the photos.

I’ve observed other photographers’ work like an acquaintance, Steve M.   He usually takes photos with an unusual tilt of the camera.  I tend to make sure the camera is perfectly vertical or horizontal but have found it can be fun to experiment as I did with the photo above and below.

Close-up shot of Fernando in action.  I took several of these shots – I found them to be particularly interesting.  This was among the best.

Andrew Jr. Boy Jones

I desperately wanted to get a shot of the guitar – this was the best shot I could get.  One factor that makes live performances different from other photo shoots – you can’t disrupt people so that you can get just the right shot.  😉

Another shot of Andrew Jr. Boy Jones

I took this photo as a warm-up shot at the beginning.  However, it should be noted, I really liked the shoes. 😉

More shots of the band.

Close-up of the drums.

I did mention we were at a barbecue restaurant.  The food was so good I didn’t remember to take a photo.  But we did have fried bread pudding which is featured below. Yum!

Notes:
Stay in touch with good friends you meet along the way in your life.
Show interest in others.
Have your camera ready for whatever adventure comes your way.
Order dessert.

Cameras used: 
Big Bertha (Canon EOS 5D Mark II)
Canon G11 (Fried bread pudding shot and outdoor shot).

Date:  
October 2013