Quack


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It’s raining. The above picture was taken around 9:45 pm. The sun doesn’t set until 10:00 pm.

Like a duck, I braved the mucky weather and headed forth in search of a pub for a pint and some live music.


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It’s easy to see the appeal and charm of an true Irish pub with weather like this. You go from wet, bedraggled and miserable to warm and comfortable in nothing flat.

I almost didn’t recognize it as an Irish pub because there was no bitter, hate-filled, resentment holding, proprietress scowling at the patrons, looking to alienate good people for reasons known only to herself.

Must be a Houston thing…


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Aqua Velva – Big Top

There are three things that make these photos exciting to me.


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1. No flash IN THE BIG TOP. If you’ve ever been, you know what I’m talking about.
2. Shot using the 20mm f/1.8 lens. Problematic lens for me in the past.
3. You can see the face of each band member, including the drummer. No small thing.

Destiny will have it’s due

The Rocrament show was everything I had hoped for and much, MUCH more.

When Jim Henkel recorded those Rocrament songs over 10 years ago I never thought I would hear them performed live. The whole thing was a larf. A recording by a band that didn’t exist. Greg wrote the songs and Jim went into the studio and made the recording on which he played all the parts. Rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, drums, vocals and backing vocals all multi-tracked and masterfully mixed into an awesome recording.

Last night was the punch-line to a 12 year old joke, if that makes any sense.

I shot this show primarily with the 20mm 1.8 as I needed the wide angle. I got some really good results!
All the pics from that show are IN THE GALLERY.

Wide angle, wide open

So I have this Sigma 20mm f/18 lens that I picked up a while back. My thought was that it would allow me to shoot more stage content than the Sony 50mm f1/4

After taking it out and shooting a few shows I was rather disappointed in the quality of shots I was getting so I stashed it away and went back to the trusty 50mm Sony which consistently produces great images in low light.

Not being one to just sit on a few hundred dollars worth of high speed glass I decided to take it out for another run.

The Continental Club was hosting a show commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Monterey Pops Festival and I thought it would be fun to shoot that.

Not as crisp as I like, but I really do like wider angle.

Allen Hill
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Allen Hill as Johnny Rivers

This time out, though, I think I stumbled upon this lens’s secret. By getting in close to the subject I was able to get some sharper shots and, with the wider angle, I was getting a bit more than I could with the 50mm.

Allen Hill
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Allen Hill as Johnny Rivers


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The above shot is of a member of a Moby Grape tribute band called Grape Jam. Who knew there was a Moby Grape tribute band? Go figure!

At any rate, I’m encouraged and will experiment more with the 20mm.

Wayne “The Train” Hancock

For concert photography I have been favoring my Sony 50mm 1.4 lens quite heavily. It’s a fantastic piece of glass and the results speak for themselves. Last night I decided to break with the 50mm and work with my Tamron AF 28-75mm f2.8 XR Di while attending the Wayne Hancock show at Fitzgeralds.

Wayne Hancock at Fitzgeralds
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Wayne Hancock at Fitzgeralds
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As you can see, the Tamron did fine in terms of clarity and exposure. On top of that I was able to capitalize on the wider angle when framing up my shot.

I was still interested in close up work and the Tamron did not disappoint there, either:

Wayne Hancock at Fitzgeralds
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Wayne Hancock at Fitzgeralds
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But the true joy of this lens is the ability to shoot at a wider angle and from a greater distance so I am not having to crowd the stage…

Wayne Hancock at Fitzgeralds
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I am definitely going to experiment with this lens some more in the coming weeks.

Disco Expressions – Prom Night

The Disco Expressions show/prom night event last weekend was a huge success. Basically, it was a concert at the Houston Continental Club featuring 70’s disco and 80’s new-age/punk/pop and the audience was invited to dress in a prom theme.

Of course you can’t have a prom without adult supervision.
Meet Continental High School Vice-Principal Henkel

Opening act was Molly and the Ringwalds for the 80’s portion of the night.


Jennifer Ringwald


Carrie Ringwald

And a rare sight ladies and gentlemen. A candid photo of Dekan Ringwald!

That’s right, he’s not staring directly at the camera! This must be what those Planet Earth camermen felt like when they captured those rare images of the Snow Leopard in the wild.

Next up, Disco Expressions playing all your 70’s disco favorites.

It’s hard to tell if Jim is about to give me the OK sign, or if he’s about to flick me like a bug.

Paul was in rare form

All in all, another excellent evening. I wanted to shoot audience pictures to capture those in attendance wearing their prom dresses and tuxedos, but they didn’t come out so well. I don’t do well shooting with a flash and the club is too dark to shoot without one.

I did, however, get one outstanding shot.