Ten years after the release of their self-titled sophomore album, New Found Glory decided to throw an anniversary tour. Stopping at Chicago’s House Of Blues, they surprisingly played like it was released yesterday. They played an energetic set comprised of every song from the album, plus a five-song encore. Hardly any time was wasted once they hit the stage to bust out dangerously infectious pogo riffs. NFG was running around the entire stage with so much intense energy I was surprised when my three-song limit was up. I tried my best to grab shots of the entire band, but I couldn’t help but be drawn to the sheer photogenic energy of frontman Jordan Pundik.

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Alkaline Trio played a tight-knit set to a very enthusiastic crowd this past weekend at Metro, to celebrate the release of their new album, This Addiction. So many people were pumping fists and singing along, I felt sheepish that I admittedly don’t know any songs by heart (except for their cover of The Misfits’ “Attitude”).   You could tell that in addition to being Chicago natives, this band has a long, solid fanbase.

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Joyce works as a makeup artist, who had done a few stand-ins as a model, and so she approached me wanting to add a few shots to help build her modeling portfolio.   She showed me a few sample shots from Elle magazine, indicating she wanted similar magazine-style fashion shots.  That was nice, since that’s my favorite kind of shoot.  Perhaps it shows.

As a stylist, she was able to manage her own hair and makeup, and she offered many different poses, making for some well-rounded shots with plenty of captivating detail.

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So after some deliberation, I decided to post photos from the Switchfoot show of opening band Paper Tongues.  I had only managed to catch them through their last two songs.  However, they put on a solid performance, and I managed to grab a handful of cool photos anyway.  Why the guitar player was wearing that mask, I’m not sure, however it makes for some visually captivating shots…

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Alt-rockers Switchfoot played to a sold-out House Of Blues crowd last night in support of their new album Hello Hurricane.  They continually expressed love for the city of Chicago, even paying homage to Smashing Pumpkins with a cover of “Today.”  Lead singer Jon Foreman even joined the audience on several occasions, coming out to sing among them even from the far wing.  It’s almost no surprise that the band has such a huge fan base.

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So I happened to be downtown with my camera and nothing to do, when I noticed a large banner hung above the main entrance of the Chicago Art Institute that read “Free Public Admission February”
Taking a cue from Ferris Bueller, that seemed like a great way to spend a day off.

Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso are among the great artists displayed at the museum. If you’re feeling like you got nothing to do on a chilly day this February, I suggest imbuing yourself with a little culture. It’s free all month.

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You don’t have to sneak the booze into this prom!  Every year Flosstradamus sells out their annual Valentine’s Day party, and why not?  It’s a great excuse to dress up and drink and dance and flirt.  They invited me out to Lincoln Hall to set up prom photos, and I had fun taking pictures of people enjoying their night and looking spiffy.

Even Kid Sister made a special guest appearance, kicking out a few songs on stage with Floss.  And afterward she was nice enough to even jump in on a few photos with her friends and fans!

Click here for the full FlosstraPROMus gallery

And in case you missed the prom, here’s a Flosstradamus VDay Mix to give a spin:
http://flosstradamus.com/mixes/VDay%20Mix.mp3

If you’d like to buy prints of any of the photos, EMAIL ME the file number(s), size, and quantity.

So I’ve decided to write an addendum to my original post on getting great headshots. The first post addressed questions geared toward things to know before shooting, this next chapter addresses questions about what to consider after shooting is done.

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Saturday night hometown Chicago sweethearts The Academy Is played to a sold-out Metro crowd to celebrate their 5-year anniversary.  This band was all smiles as they played, happy to see so many fans crowding both main floor and balcony to help congratulate their 5 years as a band, and the release of their new album Almost Here.  I’m not sure I’ve seen Metro so packed — for a Chicago band at least.

Even the photo pit was mashed with people making it hard to get from one side to the other, but I persevered to grab some great shots anyway:

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I’ve been getting asked a flurry of questions in regards to headshots lately, so I thought I’d post this as a sort of catch-all FAQ that I can point people to.

Hopefully this can help you understand more about the headshot process, and you’ll be more confident and prepared for what to expect.

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