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I am officially a professional photographer.

My friend Josh released his first CD and his photographer for the release party canceled at the last minute. I happened to be going to his show anyway, so he asked me to take pictures of the event in exchange for money. For money! Can you believe it? I've hit the big time.

This was the first concert/show I'd shot, and it was fun to try out lighting effects, metering and exposure levels. I love the halo of light created by the spotlight behind Josh's head. And interestingly, because the guitar picks on the mic stand are translucent, they positively glow in this picture. I had initially edited them out, but I think I prefer them left in.

I must credit my friend Jessie for teaching me this technique. By using a slow shutter speed and zooming your lens halfway through the exposure, you can create this interesting blurring effect. The black background helps to define the streaks, and I ended up with a cool lens flare from the spot in the corner.

This one frustrated me to no end in post-production, but I am really happy with how it turned out. The shoes are the crisp and clean and stand out in the picture, especially in black and white. I probably edited this picture at least a dozen times before I came up with this version. In the end, so worth it.

18.10.08. Cropped to 3X5, increased contrast, slightly increased highlights.
18.10.08. Cropped to 3X5, slight colour correction.
18.10.08. Cropped to 3X5, increased contrast, reduced highlights, increased black clipping, sharpened clarity.