Get Lucky brought the Freestylers, DJ Monk, and Nyx to Salt Lake City's annual St. Patrick's Day party organized by V2 Events. I was really excited about the lineup, and when I saw the big, bright projector screen, I was stoked for that, too.

One thing I wasn't thrilled about was that the DJ table was high up and far forward on the stage -- great for audience viewing from far back, but difficult conditions to shoot under. The DJ's were frequently hidden behind the DJ table due to their high position and the low angle I was shooting from. Getting back further, there's a big crowd to deal with and too much camera shake to get a clear shot.

Because the table was far forward and raised, it was also difficult to shoot on stage. My usual angles of attack were all blocked! No problem. Time to improvise. As a photographer, it's easy to get sucked into doing what works from tried and true experience. Situations like this force me to think outside the box, mix things up, and even change my shooting style.

I didn't want that bright, colorful screen to go to waste, so I was careful not to wash it out with my flash, and I found myself reaching for my 50mm f/1.8 a lot more frequently to let in more of the amazing light and color that was already there. Maybe you can't see my characteristic flash style as much in these shots, but sometimes you do what you gotta do to get the job done!

I was swimming in the technicolor fantasy visuals by VJ Berkely (Hallucination on Film), and I wanted to capture that sense of hyper-reality that I felt on stage at the event. I hope I've done a decent job of it here.

I really enjoyed the sets, but Monk really impressed me this time. I felt his set connected with the audience even better than the last performance I caught at Pioneer Daze. I got a kick out of Berkeley's video clips, and I think that the VJ performance engaged the audience every bit as well as the music did.

It's funny how much my own emotions effect my photography. I was really feeling all the light, color, and music associated with Monk's set, and it's reflected in the photo set. I think I took more pictures of Monk than anybody else at the party. When I'm having fun it's like my finger never leaves the shutter release. I hope the passion for the music and the excitement of the show are visible in the photography.

Labels: get lucky, nightlife, rave, salt lake city, slc, utah, v2, v2 events

Going to have an Easter meal with my mother in law this evening. I welcome the relaxation. I've been working too much lately. For example: Yesterday I was bombarded by emails and blog comments over a controversial post to my blog; trying to keep my head above water and make sure that my important work-related stuff wasn't getting lost in the sudden and unexpected tidal wave of attention.

Then I had to catch a short nap and head out to photograph a local radio dj in the studio for his winning feature in The City Weekly's Best of Utah issue. Sorry, can't say who, or what he won yet!

After that I was off to the rave ("1") to photograph a killer lineup -- incredible! Best display of talent I've seen all year, and I'm including the phenomenal Future Sound of Breaks Tour and the Paul Oakenfold show in that. I haven't seen such an amazing talent lineup since a human beat box went up against two of Utah's best turntablists at Man vs Machine back in December.

"1" was a PHENOMENAL SHOW! -- just one problem -- the promotions fell short and the crowd was very thin. It's a shame so many people missed out on such a great event. Hopefully there will be a lot fewer flops like that when the VIP Club promotions get into full swing. If you want to know what's going on in the SLC EDM (Electronic Dance Music) scene and have your chance to win free VIP tickets to all the best events - along with a lot of other great prizes, sign up now. If you're already a member, forward this to your friends!

This week I have a few more shoots for City Weekly (watch for them in the Best of Utah issue, April 3rd! I'm giving away two free tickets to a lucky VIP Club member for Nu Skool 3 (Solid UNDA Ground), interviewing applicants for my college credit internship program and compiling photos for an upcoming nightlife photography exhibit. Watch this space. If you think it sounds like I'm doing some cool things now -- you ain't seen nothin' yet... just wait until I tell you about the parties that are still under wraps!

Labels: diary, events, nightlife, parties, utah, vip club

Tommy Lee drops some electro house at The Playground in Park City, UT.

The gig was fun. I only had ten minutes to shoot while he was playing, so I only nailed a few really good shots. We were supposed to hang around after and get some more intimate portraits with Tommy but I guess he was having an off night. He hid in the green room after his set with his tour manager popping his head out every few minutes and saying, "Yeah, we're gonna do the photos", and then he'd vanish back into the room and close the door. After waiting around for about 30 minutes, the entourage comes out, makes a b-line to the door and into their waiting truck without a word.

Maybe he wasn't feeling it. Maybe he was in a bad mood (though if he was, it didn't show -- he was friendly in a very detached way, smiling and waving). The opening DJ, Skeet Skeet was really cool. He grew up with The Cobra Snake -- probably in the top 5 most famous nightlife photographers. We talked a little about him, and shared stories about going days without sleep while working back-to-back nightlife gigs.

The crowd was terrific. Some of the most friendly people I've met, and very diverse. The electronic music nightlife scene in Salt Lake City is pretty incestuous, as a rule, and most of the people here already know who I am and where to find my photos... at this gig I gave out over 100 business cards, which is a rarity these days, because I frequently try to hand somebody my card and they're like, "dude, I know who you are, I look at your photos all the time!"

It was cool to meet some new people who'd never heard of me. Refreshing and really fun. I almost felt normal again. I haven't really experienced that since last October. I generally feel a bit awkward when people know so much about me and I have never met them before. It's kindof weird. Truthfully, I wasn't prepared for all the scrutiny I've had in recent months, it kindof hit me unawares.

One day nobody knows my name, and the next, I'm surprised to meet somebody who doesn't know who I am. I always feel guilty when people are like, "Hi Eric!" and I don't know their names or recognize them at all. I feel like if they know me, I should know them, too, and if I don't, I've somehow let them down...

So it was cool not feeling that at all tonight. I didn't realize how much that was messing with my head. It was a breath of fresh air. I wonder how it must be for somebody who really is famous, and then I am a little more understanding about Tommy bailing out on the photos. It would have been nice to actually talk to him a bit and get some pictures of him just being a regular guy, but over all it was a great experience, and I'm looking forward to my next chance to meet him.

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Labels: celebrity, gallery, nightlife, park city, party, photography, the playground, tommy lee, utah

BT was scheduled to play this event at the Sundance Closing Weekend Music Festival in Salt Lake City's Hotel / Elevate (a KickAss Entertainment production). Unfortunately, he was forced to cancel, so KickAss brought in Second Sun to play a live concert full of electro house floor smashers.

It turned out to be a great party, after all.

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Labels: afterparty, club, elevate, film festival, hotel elevate, night club, nightclub, nightlife, party, rave, salt lake city, second sun, sundance, sundance film festival, utah

The closing weekend of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival was capped off by a DJ performance by the legendary Paul Oakenfold. hosted by V2 Events at In the Venue, the performance featured the local talents of Brian Blurr and Loki.

This performance was one of the stops on his Greatest Hits & Remixes album tour. I got a copy of the album as soon as it hit the streets. I'm listening to it as I write this. I was surprised by how current and relevant everything on the album sounds. I was expecting some of the classic cuts to sound a little dated now, but I'm enjoying them again as if it's the first time I've heard them. There's also a lot of great new material on the album. Some of my favorite cuts include the remix of "Everything in its Right Place," by Radiohead, "Missing," by Everything But The Girl, and "My Love," by Justin Timberlake, though I must admit trouble picking just a few cuts to mention. The album as a whole sounds very cohesive and I have found something to love about every track.

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Labels: club, dj, film festival, in the venue, nightclub, nightlife, party, paul oakenfold, rave, salt lake city, sundance, sundance film festival, utah

Model Utah is a contest being hosted anonymously on MySpace.

1. To participate, you must live in Utah, and you must be friend of Model Utah on MySpace.
2. Models submit high resolution photos to modelutah@yahoo.com. Include your MySpace name, and the name of the photographer.
3. All entries must be submitted before the first of the month to be included in that month's contest.
4. Model Utah will pick 15 models from the contributed entries.
5. Winners will be determined by the number of photo comments (votes) recieved before the 15th of the month.
6. A featured photographer determines the theme of the photo shoot for the month (i.e., artistic, abstract, fashion, glamour, fitness, lingerie, bathing suit, etc...). Model Utah encourages you to schedule a photo shoot with the featured photographer, but it's not a requirement.
7. Photos that do not fit the theme are disqualified.
8. The winner will win a free photo shoot with the featured professional photographer.
9. After the photo shoot, models should collaborate with the photographer to decide which photo to have featured on Model Utah.
10. Each year, monthly winners will automatically be submitted to a panel of unbiased photographer judges for voting. The annual winner will be featured in Rene Magazine.

Labels: fashion, industry, model utah, models, utah

At first glance, you might conclude that the real fashion centers are Paris, Milan, New York, London, Tokyo, and LA. If you don't work in one of those cities, you're doomed to live on the periphery of the fashion world, where nothing exciting happens.

In my experience, though, there are some cool things happening in the periphery. I find that a lot of the fashion business going on outside these major fashion centers is more down to earth, grounded in the styles that people actually wear, and that is exciting to me, because I'm not simply photographing a designer's fashion art. I'm photographing practical fashions that are stylish and functional.

I get to see trends evolving on the streets, where it really counts... where the artistry of the fashion world is seen and admired during every day life, not just impressing people with a stunning example of beauty, but lifting up real people, helping them feel more confident in themselves, and helping them to express their personality: To convey a strong impression. Whether that message is all fun, or all business, fashion serves a real, practical purpose. Art meets real life on the borders of the fashion universe.

Another thing I get to see is the way that local brands take simple ideas and run with them, serving local needs, and niche communities. From the tongue-in-cheek "SL,UT" line that you can find at local boutiques and SLC Airport gift shops, to lines like Junglist Culture, serving Utah's underground electronic dance music community, the periphery is where fashion gets local, and connects communities.

In my experience, innovation can thrive in local communities. Take Utah's own Avidere, Inc., for instance. In addition to their very cool image styler cards (think Stacy and Clinton in a card form that fits in your purse), Avidere is teaming up with spas to provide styling education that spa customers can carry with them long after the spa glow has faded.

I'm hoping I can use this blog to uncover some of Utah's fashion treasures, and help the local industry professionals see what everybody else is doing. We can use it to network, collaborate, and thrive together. Who knows -- perhaps one day people will look to SLC for the latest fashion trends. Judging by some of the talents and innovations I've witnessed, I wouldn't discount the idea.

Update:

Avidere CEO, Roberta Hughes responded:

"I couldn’t agree with you more. Often times I am asked where I am from and people respond with surprise when they learn I live in Utah. Although I grew up in Oregon (childhood) and California (teens), I found my home in Utah. I have always had a passion for helping others express who they are through fashion.

"By the way, Avidere certifies professionals to enter the fashion / image consulting field and will soon launch an independent stylist program whereby individuals can call 1-866-4-Avidere to schedule an appointment with an Avidere stylist located in their city."

Avidere also provides local styling services in Utah. For more information, take a look at www.avidereimage.com.

Labels: avidere, fashion, industry, junglist culture, sl ut, utah

In addition to posting information about some of my photo shoots, I'm going to start using this blog to talk about some of my experiences with Utah's fashion industry. Collaborating with models, makeup artists, and hair stylists has given me a strong appreciation for style and fashion, so I figured I'd use this space to call out some people and companies who are worthy of mention.

Wilhelmina Urban is conveniently located right around the corner from my house, on 300 West just north of Downtown Salt Lake City. They have many beautiful, professional models who are as easy to work with as they are on the eyes. They do a fantastic job on the runway, too! Their staff is professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. Wilhelmina Urban is a licensee of one of the nation's top workhorse agencies, Wilhelmina Models, which is depicted in the VH1 reality television series, The Agency.

W Talent hosts frequent fashion shows at Fashionplace Mall, and their own modeling school campus on Highland Drive in Holladay (SLC Metro area). The W Talent campus serves as a training center for new models looking to learn the ropes and build a portfolio. They charge money for the variety of services that they provide, and there's no guarantee that you'll get work if you sign up. That said, some of Utah's best fashion photographers have done portfolio shoots for their models, including one of my favorites, Dave Tada (currently in LA). They also have one of my favorite models in their lineup, Sveta (pictured above). Models who turn to W Talent come out of their first year with some really stunning portfolio shots, and some actual experience walking runways at W and local malls.

Labels: fashion, industry, utah, w talent, wilhelmina, wilhelmina urban