Favorite Photos - 2010-2011:
..Judas Priest ..Elton John .Def Leppard.. Kid Rock.. Foo Fighters ..
Britney Spears .Ted Nugent.. Scorpions ..Dream Theater
Dave Matthews Band.. Stephen Marley ..Lizzy Borden
Kumite Classic/FAST Expo ..Joe Walsh.. Paul Simon ..


Featured Photos:

In Flames/Trivium
House Of Blues
Cleveland, Ohio
February 13, 2012

A full house, featuring with two metal bands that I really like, made for one fun evening! This was an interesting show because, as I was shooting, I thought I was strugging and not doing very well. I never felt I was locked in my groove, like I do with many shoots. I was constantly makeing adjustments, the lights were full of reds and lots of fast strobes, which can make getting good exposures difficult. However, when I came home and started going through the photos, I was pleasantly surprised.

In Flames - Full Gallery
Trivium - Full Gallery

Trivium

Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye - 1/160 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800

In Flames

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800

Satisfaction
House Of Blues
Cleveland, Ohio
February 9, 2012

Satusfaction are one of the best tribute bands I have ever worked with. I would even go as far as to say that Satisfaction and WIsh You Were Here are the two best tribute band around today. I worked with Satisfaction in the summer of 2010, when they performed at Lock 3 in Akron. See my archives for those photos. Playing around 170 shows a year, these guys are road warriors! The singer is such a match for Mick Jagger, it is uncanny at times!

Full Gallery

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 - 1/160 sec, f/4, ISO 800


Grind
House Of Blues
Cleveland, Ohio
February 3, 2012

This band, from Columbia, South Carolina, is a GREAT representation of Alice In chains, a tribute to the music and legacy of the band. Having the freedom to shoot the whole show and use flash when necessary is such a blessing I had a great time, met some good new friends, and walked away with a killer set of photos! Win Win Win!

Full Gallery


Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 - 1/60 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1000

S.O.S.
Sly Fox
North Olmsted, Ohio
January 21, 2012

A lag in live shows around the holidays and the beginning of the year found me itching to get back into action. The Sly Fox is a great club in the western Cleveland suburb of North Olmsted. The minimal lighting at the Sly Fox works extremely well and makes photos look like they are taken from a much larger stage. My Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye loves The Sly Fox! It was fun to shoot my friends and long time Cleveland rockers S.O.S. They tore up the place and put on one intense show!

Full Gallery

Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye - 1/160 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800

Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye - 1/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800

Wish You Were Here
House Of Blues
Cleveland, Ohio
January 6, 2012

The annual holiday show from Wish You Were Here was sold out! The place was packed, the weather warm, and the band up to their usual standard of excellence. Even though it is hard to move around the venue when it is so packed, I had a great time shooting this show. After shooting so many shows at the Cleveland HOB, it is easy to lock into my groove and almost effortless to capture the vibe and atmosphere.

Full Gallery

Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye - 1/100 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1600


Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1000

Michael Stanley & The Resonators
House Of Blues
Cleveland, Ohio
December 17, 2011

Michael Stanley & The Resonators annual holiday show is one of my favorite shows to shoot. HOB was packed. I don't know if I have ever seen the place so jam-packed with people. I always enjoy the freedom of being able to shoot the whole show, as I can with this band and a few others. No pressure to catch good shots of everyone in the first three songs. I can take my time, concentrate on composition, and just have fun, which I did!!! Lots of it!

Full Gallery

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/160 sec, f/3.2, ISO 800

Nikkor 18-200 at 200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/5 sec, f/3.8, ISO 1600

Chris Cornell
Lakewood Civic Auditorium
Lakewood, Ohio
December 3, 2011

Being a huge Soundgarden/Cornell fan, I have to say that shooting this show was a dissappointment. I was regulated to a chair, next to the lighting board, for the first two songs. Since it was a solo/acoustic show, lighting was extremely low. I got a few good shots. It could have been so much better. I did get some really clean shots at ISO4000, which I rarely use.

Nikkor 18-200 at 200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/100 sec, f/5.6, ISO 4000


Paul Simon
E.J. Thomas Hall
Akron , Ohio
November 23, 2011

It was quite the thrill to get "official" approval to shoot the legendary Paul Simon at this sold out show. I grew up listening to him and never had the chance to see him live. At age 70, his voice was strong and his playing solid. Rules were to shoot the first two songs only, no flash, from the soundboard. Taken with the Nikkor 18-200 VR.

Full Gallery

Nikkor 18-200 at 200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 640

SImple Plan/We The Kings/Forever The Sickest Kids/
The Cab/Marianas Trench
Canton Palace Theatre
Canton, Ohio
November 22, 2011

Not a lot of room to shoot at The Canton Palace. I was glad to see the crowd get out of their seats and push towards the stage. I was right along with them and managed to get some great shots. Lighting was very good, all five bands were energized, and the crowd loved every second! This was a very enjoyable show to shoot.

Simple Plan - Full Gallery
We The Kings - Full Gallery
Forever The SIckest Kids - Full Gallery
Marianas Trench - Full Gallery
The Cab - Full Gallery

We The Kings

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400

Simple Plan

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/100 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1600

Judas Priest/Thin Lizzy/Black Label Society
Quicken Loans Arena
Cleveland, Ohio
November 15, 2011

Judas Priest was one of three bands that changed my life, when I was about 8-9 years old. I also was listening to Thin Lizzy as a very young child. "Jailbreak" was one of my first albums. I can't even put into words the thrill of being five feet away from my childhood heroes, blasting away with my D90l The lighting was brilliant, all three bands were on top of their game, and the show was one of the most enjoyable shows I have ever photographed. Long live the metal gods!

Judas Priest - Full Gallery
Thin Lizzy - Full Gallery
Black Label Society - Full Gallery

Judas Priest

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/160 sec, f/4, ISO 1000

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/200 sec, f/4, ISO 1000

Thin Lizzy
Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/80 sec, f/4.5, ISO 1250

Black Label Society
Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/100 sec, f/4.2, ISO 1000

Wish You Were Here
The Newport
Columbus, Ohio
November 12, 2011

Few venues in the country have a history as rich as The Newport. It is always a fun trip to Columbus with my good friends Wish You Were Here. A great fall showing and energized set was easy to capture. Having a crowd barrier and pit at The Newport for the frist time allowed me to get close to the stage, something usually not possible at this venue. Wish You Were Here LD John Middleton was on top of his game, as this was some of the best lighting I have ever seen at The Newport. If only the two hour drive back was a little easier!!

Full Gallery

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/160 sec, f/5, ISO 1600

Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye - 1/25 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640

Ace Frehley
House Of Blues
Cleveland, Ohio
November 8, 2011

I struggled shooting Ace Frehley and could never settle into a comfortable rhythm. Even after shooting for years at the Cleveland's House Of Blues, each show has it's own unique set of challenges. Bright red lights, high and above Ace, made sure everything was washed in red. The front of the band members (their faces) were dark. Very hard to work around, without being able to use a flash. This resulted in very few "keepers." Most of my shots, due to the red and pink lighting, were washed out and boring, with one of the few exceptions being the photo posted below.


Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/200 sec, f/5, ISO 1000

Schultz Wedding
Gervasi Vineyard
Canton , Ohio
October 29, 2011

What a great place for a wedding! Some of my best wedding pics ever happened this day. Gervasi Vineyard is an amazing place! The rustic environment and the perfect fall afternoon provided the backdrop for the absolute perfect wedding! I am very proud of these photos and had a great time taking them.

Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye - 1/800 sec, f/5, ISO 250

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/500 sec, f/6.3, ISO 500

Joe Walsh
State Theater
Cleveland , Ohio
October 26, 2011

It was a memorable night at the State Theater! After shooting Kenny Wayne Shepherd, I was called back stage to do Joe Walsh a favor. Dale Peters and Jimmy Fox from The James Gang were there and Joe wanted a pic with them. I went backstage and they posed for me for about three minutes. Joe is such a dymanic performer. With not much room to shoot I ended up on my knees in the center of the stage for the first few songs. Thanks to the two ladies that allowed my to crouch down in front of their seats!

Full Gallery

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/200 sec, f/5, ISO 800

Wish You Were Here
House Of Blues
Cleveland , Ohio
October 8, 2011

Performing the music of The Wall, Wish You Were Here again proved why they are the premier Pink Floyd Tribute band in the United States. The level of musicianship in this band is staggering.

Full Gallery

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/320 sec, f/5, ISO 640


Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/250 sec, f/4, ISO 1250

Dio Disciples
House Of Blues
Cleveland , Ohio
September 28, 2011

It was great to see my long-time friend Tim "Ripper" Owens involved with another stellar project. This line up is amazing and fully endorced by the camp of the late, great, Ronnie James Dio. Featuring former members of Dio's band, such as Rudy Sarzo, Simon Right, and Craig Goldy, this show was a fitting tribute to one of the greatest singers in rock history.

Full Gallery

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250

Foo Fighters
Quicken Loans Arena
Cleveland , Ohio
September 20, 2011

Shooting arena shows is such a rush. There is nothing like the energy of 10,000 fans, combined with the power of a band like the Foo Fighters.

Full Gallery

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/125 sec, f/5.3, ISO 1250

Rock Allegiance Tour
Papa Roach
Buckcherry
Puddle Of Mudd
Red
Classic Park
Eastlake, Ohio
September 17, 2011

The one and only time I had been at Classic Park was about 2003, when I recorded Gator Country, featuring founding members of Molly Hatchet and Paul Chapman, of UFO. It was great to return for this festival show. The weather was great, lighting kicked, and I had a great time. This was my third time shooting Buchcherry. I was very impressed by the band Red. Very strong material, plus a energized performance, made them my favorite band of the evening.

Buckcherry - Full Gallery

Papa Roach - Full Gallery

Red - Full Gallery

Red

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/800 sec, f/9, ISO 200

Buckcherry

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/200 sec, f/4.5, ISO 640

Honda Civic Tour
Blink 182
My Chemical Romance
Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
September 13, 2011

Another really fun shoot at Blossom! Blink 182 was energized, being away from the stage for something like five years. Combined with the power of My Chemical Romance, this was one electric show! The place was packed, the crowd rabid, and both bands were on fire! As usual fr shows at Blowwom, where the state is deep and high, the Nikkor 18-200 was perfect.

Blink 182 - Full Gallery
My Chemical Romance - Full Gallery

My Chemical Romance

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/160 sec, f/4.5, ISO 1600

Blink 182

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800

Elton John
Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
September 8, 2011

What a spectacular evening. To be 10 feet away from someone I have admired and listened to since early childhood, well it just doesn't get any better than this. Taking my mom to the show and seeing her have such a great time made a fantastic evening even better. Photographers were allowed to shoot two songs; one in the pit and the other behind the front section of the audience. Total shooting time: 8 minutes. Since I was so close in the pit, I used the Tamron 28-75 and swapped out to the Nikkor 18-200 for the second song.

Full Gallery

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/320 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1000


Heart & Def Leppard
Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
August 24, 2011

It is always a great day when I can travel to my favorite outdoor venue, Blossom Music Center, and shoot two bands I have loved since Childhood. I didn't know I was shooting Heart until the day of the show. Being regulated to the soundboard, for only two songs, meant I had to rely on my Nikkor 18-200. While the 18-200 did perform very well at it's limit of 200mm, it was a bit too short fort the job. I was bummed I didn't have time to rent the Nikkor 400mm f/2.8, which I used with great results shooting Britney Spears. If only I had 7k to buy one of those beasts! For Def Leppard, being in the pit for the first three songs was magical! Capturing the vibe and atmosphere of the performance was almost effortless, as I zoned into the music and was swept into the energy of the performance.

Def Leppard- Full Gallery

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800

Michael Stanley & The Resonators
Pat Travers
Clay's Park - North Lawrence, Ohio
August 20, 2011

It had been quite a long time since I had pointed my lens at Michael Stanley and the band. It was good seeing my long-time friends. Being the second show I have shot at Clay's Park this summer, I knew what to expect and am very happy with the MS&R set. It was difficult getting some varied shots of Pat Travers, as no lights were on and he was pretty much stationary in front of his microphone, for his entire set. I had seen Pat live about 20 years ago, at the long demolished Front Row Theater (one of my all time favorite venues). Seeing him again was a thrill, as he doesn't make his way to NE Ohio very often.

Michael Stanley & The Resonators - Full Gallery
Pat Travers - Full Gallery

Michael Stanley & The Resonators

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/320 sec, f/5, ISO 1600

Pat Travers

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/400 sec, f/5, ISO 320

Queensryche & Cellbound
House of Blues - Cleveland, Ohio
August 18, 2011

Queensryche have been one of my favorite bands since I was a teenager. I shot them at HOB back in 2009 and was very happy to do it again. As usual for HOB shows, the Tamron 28-75 is the perfect lens in the pit at HOB. The high drum riser, and huge toms, positioned very high, made any shots of drummer Scott Rockenfield impossible. My good friends Cellbound played a show at the HOB Cambridge room two hours earlier and tore up the place with their energy. This was the first show I have shot in the Cambridge Room, after shooting what seems like hundreds of shows in the main hall. I love the House Of Blues and Live Nation staff in Cleveland. They are really great people.

Queensryche - Full Gallery
Cellbound - Full Gallery
Queensryche

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/200 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1600

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250

Kid Rock
Blossom Music Center - Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
August 16, 2011

For me, there is nothing like shooting at Blossom. Growing up about a mile from the venue, Blossom holds a special place in my heart. As a kid, I remember how the stage seemed so far away, sitting on the lawn, yet so much larger than life. To now be in the pit, an arm's reach away from some of my favorite performers, is like a dream come true. Since I watched videos from other stops on the tour, I knew lighting was intense. Knowing also that the stage is wide and deep, I slapped on the Nikkor 18-200 and and concentrated on capturing the action. The 18-200 is a very versatile lens andperformed nicely. Some of my favorite concert sets are from this lens.

Full Gallery
Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/200 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1250

Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR - 1/160 sec, f/4.5, ISO 1250

Ted Nugent
House Of Blues - Cleveland, Ohio
August 4, 2011

What a huge rush it was to shoot the motor city madman Ted Nugent! I have been a huge fan of Ted's since I was a kid. The "I Still Believe" tour features the return of legendary Nugent guitarist/vocalist Derek St. Holmes and drummer Tommy Aldridge! Seeing these two back in action was awesome. Track two, "Stormtroopin'" featured an extended and animated solo by Ted, resulting is some very nice shots. The bright and brilliant stage lighting made shooting this show a breeze. The Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 shined. It shoots like it was made for House Of Blues in Cleveland.

Full Gallery
Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/500 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1000

Britney Spears
Quicken Loans Arena - Cleveland, Ohio
July 26, 2011

I had a great time photographing Britney Spears at Quicken Loans Arena. This was the first show I have been regulated to shoot from the soundboard, so I rented the indredible Nikkor 400mm f/2.8.The DX factor of the D90, turning the 400mm into a 600mm, gave me the absolute perfect focal length from my location, in front of the soundboard (around 250 ft. from the stage) to Britney and her performers. The brilliant lighting of the scenes, combined with the exceptional image quality of the Nikkor 400mm, resulted in what I feel are some of my best concert photos ever! This amazing lens allowed me to shoot at low ISO, with very high shutter speeds, capturing the clarity of the action, clean creamy bokeh, and almost no visible noise! I am really proud of this set!

Full Gallery

Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 - 1/800 sec, f/4.5, ISO 640


Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 - 1/500 sec, f/4, ISO 640

Lizzy Borden & Shok Paris
Peabody's - Cleveland, Ohio
July 13, 2011

I have been a huge Lizzy Borden fan, since my teen years. I did some fun interviews with him, around the "Master of Disguise" tour, during my days hosting a metal show on WUJC 88.7FM. Lizzy & Shok Paris toured together back in the day, around the time of Shok Paris' "Concrete Killers" release, if I remember correctly. It was great to see them sharing the stage again! Lizzy's theatrical presentation was great and resulted in what I feel are some of my best concert photos, so far this year! The Tamron 28-75 and Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye were the lenses of the day, with the fisheye turning in some brilliant perspectives! Shok Paris blasted through what has got to be one of their best performances ever! I have seen the band many times over the years and while all their shows have been great, this one was found them as energized as ever. Another killer show in Cleveland!

Lizzy Borden - Full Gallery
Shok Paris - Full Gallery

Lizzy Borden
Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye - 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600

Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye - 1/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600

Rock The Resort
Clay's Park - North Lawrence, Ohio
July 9, 2011

I made it to the festival for the second and last day of the festival. The heat was extreme, humidity high and around 3,000 sweaty fans were ready for a great show. I used the Nikkor 18-200 for My Darkest Days, since the extreme sunlight, coming in at the perfect angle to hit the side of my eye, made shootiing the Saving Abel and the first part of My Darkest Days a bit fifficult. I slapped on the Tamron 28-75 for Three Days Grace. I had shot My Darkest Days about 6 weeks earlier at Rock On The Range in Columbus and Three Days Grace within the last year, at Quicken Loans Arena with Nickelback. See my archives for those galleries. Both bands are road warriors. They are two of the best live "new rock" bands currently on the circuit.
Catch them if you can.
My Darkest Days performs with Hinder at House Of Blues in Cleveland on July 25.

Three Days Grace - Full Gallery

My Darkest Days - Full Gallery

Three Days Grace

Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye - 1/15sec, f/4, ISO 1600


Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800

My Darkest Days

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 - 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800

I am turning the front page of this website into more of a photography blog, since photography has become my main focus over the last 3-5 years. I want to display photos that have never been published, recent photos, and talk of my experiences shooting them. I will still archive and display other media, but will focus on recent photo outings and getting all I can out of my new and expanding Nikon rig.

Hope you enjoy the new look! Free free to email with any comments or suggestions.

Joe