Spy Photography

Jen at Lansdowne Hotel, March 31. Was my first time taking photos of a live band in 6 months. After mounting social anxiety that started mid last year and slipping confidence in my work a panic attack a few minutes I was due to photograph Pennywise made me take a break from my photography. It was only meant to be three months and I was supposed to be back to take photos of Papa Roach and Thursday. That didn’t happen and it seemed like my photography was over forever.  But I decided to show up to Jen’s gig to see how I did and despite the usual social awkwardness and depression I think I did manage to do pretty well.  Am I back? I’m not sure but missing out on photographing Thursday made me realise how much I want to keep doing this. 

Sorority Noise and Oslow at Oxford Art Factory, Sydney 30/09/17.

Some shots of AFI live at The Big Top, Luna Park Sydney, 9/09/17 as part of their The Blood Album Australian tour. I’ve been a fan of AFI for almost 10 years now. Listening to their discography is like going back to certain moments in time. I used to be heavily into the emo scene. My mild teenage depression, brought on by confusion of how to connect with my peers and their rejection of me for being an undiagnosed autistic, always had a place there. Though many of the other kids were much cheerier than me. Listening to AFI certainly helped me through dark periods of depression, particularly when it got severe in my early adult years. It’s always good to have music to relate to, as long as it’s not too triggering.  I first took photos of AFI in 2010, which was not my best night. I had the first serious feelings of suicide. Every tour after that for 7 years I kept missing out on securing another photo pass, until I landed with Speaker TV. For many years I wasn’t able to photograph some of my favourite international bands that came here, just a few national acts that I knew. Unfortunately on the night I was depressed again but not to the extent I was before. I didn’t enjoy myself and I left early. I regret that now but I can’t control these feelings. I even thought none of my photos turned out but I suppose they did. I hope I’ll get the opportunity to photograph AFI again when I’m in much better spirits.  At least now I realise how much they mean to me.  Photos taken for Speaker TV.

You Am I part 2 and Hoodoo Gurus at Enmore Theatre, Newtown 13/08/17 as part of A Fist Full of Rock.

Photos from A Fist Full of Rock at Enmore Theatre, Newtown 31/08/17 Featuring Jebediah, Adalita and You Am I

My cat being a div. Taken on Canon 5d mkiii using Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. 

Some photos of the support acts at Pete Murray at Enmore Theatre, Newtown, Sydney July 29 2017

Pete Murray and his band played at Enmore Theatre as a part of his Camacho album tour. 

Mass Effect: Andromeda Loot Crate hoodie #masseffectandromeda #lootcrate #Bioware #EA #videogames #itme #hoodie (at Marrickville, New South Wales)

Grinspoon live at Enmore Theatre as a part of their Guide to A Better Living Anniversary album tour, July 2017.

Part 2 of my Double J’s 90s Party gallery. This is just a smalls election of my best images, for more make sure you check out https://www.facebook.com/spyphotographyevents/ and remember to ‘like’ the page so you can be first to see my latest galleries. A little birdy tells me I might be photographing Grinspoon next. 

Part 1 of my Double J’s 90s Party gallery. This was a fun night. To those who didn’t grow up in the 90s in Australia (or was already an adult) it was time of a booming national music scene and there was quite a lot of international acts I fell in love with that I still listen to. I can be caught on the street listening to my PUNKSTALGIA mix on repeat, which is basically punkrock from the 90s that I’m nostalgic about. There are a few Australian bands on that including Bodyjar and The Living End. I felt strange to me to hear the DJs (Ella Hooper from Killing Heidi and Myf Warhurt from Triple J/Double J) playing music that was popular in my school years. I’m still pretty active in the Australian music scene but I’ve never talked about the music I liked in the 90s. Usually, everyone in the Aus rock scene go on about music from the 80s which I have less knowledge about, so it’s good to see I have something in common with the older musicians who I mostly photograph. You Am I headlined the night and Kevin Mitchell (Jebediah/Bob Evans) joined in on a few songs, including a Regurgitator cover. Killing Heidi also played a stripped back acoustic set.

Some photos I took of Paul Dempsey and his band at Manning Bar, Sydney, June 2nd 2017.

More photos of Against Me! This time from their show at Manning Bar in Sydney. It was a far more energetic show than the one the night before. Despite me getting sick I had fun. 

I was stoked to have been given a photo pass to Against Me, but to have two photo passes during one tour - that is just amazing. I went 2 months without getting photopass so it was good to get out there again. It was bassist Inge Johansson’s birthday and I was happy to take some photos/videos of him to capture the special occasion.  These photos are from the first night at Wollongong University’s Unibar on May 10 2017. It was also The Night of the Barricades in Paris in 1968. I’ll er, throw up a scan of what that means later.  For now enjoy these photos and I’ll put the supports up next. 

More photos of Palm Sunday rally in Hyde Park, Sydney April 9 2017 including the guest speakers. Speakers included Sudanese and Vietnamese refugees, a journalist who went to Manus Island to talk to the detainees and told us what life is really like in there and unionists and politicians (from The Greens).

Palm Sunday Rally For Refugees April 9 in Hyde Park Sydney. Churches, teachers, nurses and everyone else got together to protest the inhumane treatment of asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru detention centres, and called for them to be brought to Australia.