Wovenwar, Nothing More, and Periphery @ The Opera House (Feb 6th, 2015)

What a great show overall for both the bands and onlookers.  While I was happy to secure a photo pass (thanks to Adrenaline PR) for the show, I was equally excited to hear Wovenwar & Nothing More for the first time.  I've got a few Periphery shows under my belt but was also eager to hear some of the new material from their double album "Juggernaut".

So the first band of the evening was Thank You Scientist.  While they were both intriguing and entertaining,  did not have enough battery life (and space) to shoot these guys.  Better luck next time.  Then moving onto the former members of As I Lay Dying.  With the addition of new singer Shane Blay, the group changed it's name to Wovenwar and releases their debut album in 2014.  Check out the shots below.

Wovenwar

Other than some hiccups with the sound leveling, it was a great performance.  And you can tell I have been listening to their album for some time now since I was singing along to almost every song. haha

Then we move onto the guys who brought "energy" to a whole new level.  Based out of Texas, the four piece group has been signed to Eleven Seven Records for five albums.  I guess the label thought these guys were worth holding onto for some time.  And it paid off!  Their debut album was a great success and the guys put on one hell of a show.  They brought all the bells and whistles.  There were drum solos, group bass sessions, and even welded their own equipment together for cinematic effect.  Damn!

Nothing More

Then we get to the main course of the evening.  Periphery is no stranger to Toronto and being this is this third full length album, the crowd was ecstatic when the lights went out and the rumblings of the bass tones started to shake the floor.  It's pretty easy to be a deer in the headlights with these guys.  Three guitarists (all seven string), a beefy low end bass sound (and also their producer), a vocalist hitting notes that will make your scratch your ears, and brought together by a madman drummer who makes the hardest of licks seem like the easiest of notes.

These guys have definitely made their mark on the music world.  With any luck, they'll continue to pump out quality albums and become a regular touring staple of North America.

Periphery

*** I wanted to give a quick shout out (if you happen to be reading this) to all who made my evening smooth and headache free.  Thanks to Natalie of Adrenaline PR, Jeanette LeBlanc of The Heavy Press, the ladies from Live Nation working the front door (making my entry possible), the coat check ladies at The Opera House (for holding my camera gear and allowing me to enjoy the show after shooting), and the bands for being photogenic and also approachable after the show!

*** For this show, I used a Nikon D3100 body, a Lexar Platinum II 16GB SDHC Class 10 UHS-I Memory Card, a AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens, and a big smile!

Joe & Samantha Vassallo

So this was my first wedding shoot ever!  Even though I was given praise for previous photo work and was recommended by a bridesmaid for the job, I was sooooo friggen nervous to handle this job.  I mean, this is someones wedding for goodness sake!  This is something that is not only cherished by the wedding party, but is also something this couple is going to look back on for good memories.

I was told numerous times not to worry as the wedding party was very laid back and easy to get along with.  That statement was correct indeed.  Joey and Sam were very welcoming, very open to what ideas I wanted to try out, and was not disappointed when we couldn't get a few of the shots we hoped for.  The day was a very bright and sunny Saturday.  The weather was perfect, but unfortunately the lack of cloud made some unavoidable glare.  We worked with what we had.

Since I had no formal wedding photo training and not really knowing what to expect/recommend, I was basically learning as I went with regards to posing, angles, etc.  Basically, I made sure that both the groom and bride were happy with their shots and what they wanted to have included in their photos.  I was also very fortunate to have a bridesmaid who is also a photographer (thanks Tara!).

So I had the shoot broken down into four categories: Preparation, Arrival, Ceremony, and Celebration.  For the most part, I was trying to act like a fly on the wall.  I found that candid photos have the best results; when you see people's emotions without putting it into posing.  I knew that for some shots such as the "Arrival" part of the shoot I would be having people striking a pose, and in awkward situations at some points.  Sam and Joey did not really have a preference as to what poses they wanted but definitely wanted me to include some standard shots such as bridesmaids, wedding party, etc.  So once again, this was 'learning as we go' kind of mentality with whatever I have seen from past weddings I have attended.  Seems easy right?  haha

I have to commend both the wedding party and onlooking spectators.  I made it clear to most people at the wedding that this is my first shoot.  When they asked what else I have done, I calmly responded with "ohhh you know some heavy metal and rock shows".  That got some interesting looks that's for sure. haha

As for the wedding party, they were all very helpful, courteous, and gave me the heads up when they saw something I didn't.  Thankfully I had my friend Sarah as my assistant for the day (she did the guy's preparation photos and additional snaps during the ceremony).  Thanks again Sarah for your help!

Did I have fun shooting this wedding?  100% absolutely!  Was I stressed and had anxiety to get the right shot?  You're damn right I did.  Will I do another wedding in the future?  Most likely not.  As much as I was happy to be part of their special day and having some satisfied customers, I know there is the potential it may not go as smooth next time.  And I NEVER want to be responsible for screwing up someones wedding day.  That's just a personal choice.

After looking through them all once more as I type this, I am pretty pleased with the outcome (as well as the wedding party).  Maybe in the future when I have more shoots under my belt will I start looking into weddings once more.  I will agree that being involved in the wedding gave me a different perspective than an onlooker.