(If you missed parts 1-3, you can begin reading here. Links to each part are at the end of each blog post.)
During the beginning years of my time photographing shows, I had to hustle. There were not as many outlets as there are now. Blogging was really at it’s beginning stages and print publications were still the primary source of music news. Breaking into concert photography was overall more of a challenge back then as opposed to now.
Since I loved NPR and followed their All Songs Considered program at the time, my dream was to be a photographer for them. At the time, All Songs Considered would broadcast shows live from the 930 Club or other clubs in D.C. In my quest to make my dream a reality, I emailed Bob Boilen regularly to show him my work or talk about shows I had attended and would offer my services. He responded that they didn’t have a need for a photographer but that they’d keep me in mind for the future. I was satisfied with that answer, but would still drop an email from time to time, just to stay in touch and share my show enthusiasm with another music lover.
Nearly 6 months went by. Then I received an email. “Are you still interested in contributing to All Songs Considered?” “ARE YOU KIDDING ME? OMG, this is it”, I thought to myself. Keeping my enthusiasm under control, I responded with a simple, “Yes, I am still interested!” Bob Boilen scheduled an interview. I brought my portfolio book that I had made and shared my beginnings in photography as well as my goals. Bob asked for me to photograph two up-coming shows to see if I would be a good fit with the team.
My “interview in action shows” were Animal Collective and Dan Deacon. Panic set in as I knew how challenging both artists are to photograph. These artists like their lights pretty low, especially Animal Collective, so I knew my task would require skill. I was thankful for my experience in photographing shows with challenging lighting conditions.
As predicted, both shows were challenging, but I handled it well. I even snagged some portraits of Dan Deacon with his infamous tour bus prior to the show! However, there was just one problem that I encountered that I did not expect. See, NPR Music was doing live broadcasts and my job was to give the listeners at home a visual of what they were listening to. I was expected to post the photos before the end of the show; more like, as soon as possible DURING the show. Since I learned photography on film, I’ve always been a “shoot to deliver with minimal editing” kind of photographer. However, I had never experienced the stress of having to upload, edit, export, and post to Flickr all while sitting at the back of the club, in the dark, during the show.
At the end of the first show, the house lights were on and the crew was packing up and sadly, I was still uploading photos! Bob was great though. He complimented me on my amazing photos but said, “we just have to work on your speed”. I walked away from those shows with an entire new experience, as well as, a new goal. Over time, I developed a workflow that would enable me to shoot three songs and have photos posted by the fifth song. Now, technology enables you shoot with your SLR, send pictures to your phone, and post in minutes. It was not that easy 10 years ago.
My time with NPR will always be the most memorable time in my life. Not only did NPR help me to grow as a photographer, they exposed me to the world of journalism. I also had my first festival experiences with NPR. I was thrilled when they asked me to join them at SXSW my first year! It was the first of many trips for NPR that I would pack up my gear and carry-on suitcase to fly off to photograph a festival. These experiences also strengthened my endurance since I would have to photograph long hours on very little sleep! Between SXSW, Newport, and Bonnaroo, I was able to photograph the most amazing artists. Some artists were new and just starting out while others were legends.
Traveling with NPR was always a blast so working the long hours was never a chore. There was always time for great food, drinks, and fun discussions. Bob was also be the first person I would mentor in my photographic journey. I was always teaching him all about photography and how I achieved certain shots. Being able to watch him grow into the amazing photographer he is today will always make me smile! You can check out his awesome Instagram here!
Things in the concert photography world were beginning to change as we started to move into the second decade of the new millennium. Video became more of a focus and NPR Music was also shifting their model for All Songs Considered. During the end of my time with NPR, I was also raising 4 kids, all in elementary school. So, we made the decision to move to PA. My time with NPR faded out as I moved into yet another phase of my life. I could write a rather long blog post to share all my amazing NPR stories! I’ve highlighted a few of them below with some of my favorite photos of my time with NPR. If you want to check out all the amazing artists that NPR covered, check them out on my Flickr here.
Wye Oak – SXSW 2010
It was the second day of my first SXSW experience. I had a rough start to the trip (a story for another day), and had just finished up two full days of photographing the NPR showcases. I heard that Lou Barlow and Wye Oak were performing that evening, so as tired as I was, I went to the show. They performed in a small outdoor courtyard that was lined with soft beautiful lights. I was feeling homesick that night but Wye Oak’s performance made me feel right at home. This show gave me the energy I needed to get through the remaining two days of SXSW. This is my favorite photo of Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak.
The Joy Formidable – SXSW 2011
I had been working with NPR for a year at this point. We were preparing for SXSW 2011. The Joy Formidable had been a favorite of mine. So, I shared my love of this band with Bob Boilen and suggested that we feature them on our SXSW Showcase at the Parish. I was proud to have a little role in getting them recognized by NPR.
The Flaming Lips – Bonnaroo 2010
Without a doubt, photographing Bonnaroo was the most challenging experience of my career. This particular night was a perfect example as to why. Since EVERYONE wants to photograph Bonnaroo, the photo pits could reach 100 photographers. For the Flaming Lips show, conditions were even more difficult. The band had their VIP section in the photo pit as well. Groups of photographers were given only one song in photo pit. So, instead of getting three songs, we got one.
Unfortunately, I was towards the back and could hardly see the stage. Photographers were not able to use stools, mono pods, or stand on the barricade. Another photographer friend of mine, who was very tall, blocked the security’s line of sight for me. With my 70-200 mm lens, I quickly jumped onto the barricade ledge. I was able to take a set of photos before security spotted me. This photo was one of few that I took of the Flaming Lips. It ended up becoming the photo that NPR would use as one of the images for their music app advertisements.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings – SXSW 2010
I am so grateful to have a few amazing photographs of Sharon Jones in my portfolio. This image comes from the first showcase that I photographed for NPR at SXSW. NPR also selected this image to have printed. It hangs on the walls of the NPR Music’s headquarters.
Here are some more of my favorite photos from my years working with NPR. All of the photos have wonderful memories attached to them but for now, I’ll just let the images tell the story. Enjoy!
Continue on to Part 5 here! (Link below gallery as well)
