The Head and the Heart : Music

When I saw that these guys were coming to town in support of Dr. Dog, and on February 15th, I knew immediately what to get J for Valentines Day.  It was supposed to be a surprise, but a momentary schedule misunderstanding forced me to let the cat out of the bag.  The Head and the Heart has been the dominant soundtrack around these parts since I got turned onto them by Amy, my sister in law.  If you've been enjoying the recent surge of neo-folkyness such as the Avett Brothers or Mumford & Sons, I suggest you check these guys out.

I was initally worried about bringing my camera.  Februrary in Vermont is not a time to stash a camera in your car unless you want your LCD to explode.  So I gathered a little gumption and emailed the press contact for the band, to ask permission.  I got a quick and enthusiastic reply and as a result, I got my very first Photo Pass.  Hopefully not my last.  And perhaps in the future I'll bring more than one lens.  I didn't get quite the photos I had hoped, but it can be hard when your busy groovin and singing along.

B is for Bobbin

My Sunday was spent with these lovely ladies (and one handsome dude) photographing the handmade fashions available at The Bobbin in Burlington, VT. The space was just what I love.  Gritty and funky, full of stage props,  cast offs from abandoned art projects, and your basic hodge podge of good ol' junk.  Perfect for a rock n' roll meets vintage vibe. It was a thoroughly DIY affair, from the repurposed handmade clothing, the hanging of the B, to Bobbin owner Gyllian posing in her own creations for my camera. Another "work with what you got" aspect,  I must admit, was my lighting.  I am not a "studio" photographer, and my lighting set up usually consists of, well...the sun.  I prefer natural light and only employ a flash when absolutely necessary.  And unfortunately this space, with it's high painted metal ceiling, didn't give me much in the way of diffusing or bouncing the flash.  And without diffusing, you end up with that stark, flashy snapshot effect.  Not really what we were going for. But being the thrifty and resourceful people we are, we made do.  The lone bank of windows provided a gorgeous moody light. Lightbulbs from Lowes and an amateur model/electrician and viola! some stage lighting was quickly rigged up. And  lastly, we headed out into the elements.  Where else would you take photos of faux and recycled fur? Thanks to Emma, Scout, Christina, Jason and Gyllian.  Together I think we more than made do, with some seriously awesome results!