Michael Bellar & As Is Ensemble * Oh No Oh Wow

<a href="http://michaelbellar.bandcamp.com/album/oh-no-oh-wow-2">Oh No Oh Wow by Michael Bellar & the AS-IS Ensemble</a>

Hey y'all - just a quick note this Sunday morning to let you all know that Michael Bellar's new album "Oh No Oh Wow" has finally released.  I've been waiting a long time for this.  Every time I've talked to Michael over the phone I've been hounding him about when this was coming out.  Well, wait no more.

You can stream it up above to give you an idea of how awesome it is.  Then, drop 10 clams for either the digital or a hard copy and grooooooove.

This is his best album yet.  I can't stop playing the CD.

Get it.  Got it?  Gooooood.

Folkapotamus

Meet Tony and Penni, aka, Folkapotamus.

These two have a special place in my heart because they are, so far, the last musicians to contact me because of seeing my work hanging at the old Studio 99.  They, in a way, signaled the end of an era in regards to me working with musicians who performed at Studio 99.  I can't not associate the two.  They came to me looking for images that they can use on their forthcoming cd.  I wanted to do some studio shots for them that they could use for album artwork and various gig flyers and posters as well as social media stuff.  I did these a lot, and I think they were just as happy with the images.

I like giving artists mock-ups of what their images look like if used for album cover purposes.  The above image is one idea I was playing with.

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I wanted to shoot just their instruments by themselves, so that it could be used as, say, the back of a cd cover.  The white space could be moved around and they could add song titles and whatnot to the image.

I've been obsessed with backlighting the last few years.  Some people feel I overuse it, but I love the look; light just blasting out everywhere and giving a real "stage" feel to the images, like they were getting ready to performing.  IN this particular image I was also shooting through a prism so that I was getting some crazy light refractions.  You can see it in the bottom right of the image.  I love prisms.  I love creating a front "layer" in front of the subjects.  As I shoot more and more I'm getting comfortable with allowing random happenstance into my images - like the way light refracts through a prism.  You can't control what the results will come out as, and have to be okay with letting it do it's own thing in the image.

I love the starbursts that the lights are creating.  Good stuff.  I love how the shadows in front of the guitars look like giant guitar picks.  Nice!

Make sure you visit Folkapotamus at their website and Facebook page.  Catch them at a live show.  Feel the power of the Folkapotamus.

Bryan Thomas Trio Live at Sid Ceaser Photography & Open Studios Event, April 26 2014

 

Hey-O!  Two most excellent things coming up on the same day in the same building!

FIRST, we've got the Picker Building Spring Open Studios event.  Come visit the artists of the Picker Building; four floors of creatives getting their creative jiggy on!  With Mothers Day right around the corner, maybe one of our fabulous artists has something for YOUR Mommy dearest.  This is from Noon to 5pm, right here at the Picker Building, 99 Factory Street Extension in Nashua.

THEN, grab your folding chair and get your butt to Sid Ceaser Photography on the 4th Floor of the Picker Building as we happily host my buddies the BRYAN THOMAS TRIO! Live jazz by three friends who have been playing for years and years together.  They played a bunch of times at the old Studio 99, and their music is a great shot of energy as they rip into free-form jazz.  Space is limited, so make sure you come early and get ready!  A $5 minimum donation gets you into the studio and ready to have your face melted off with Jazz!  7:30pm.

A great day right here in the creative hub of Nashua.  If you've never been to the Picker Building before, this is your perfect opportunity to see all it has to offer.

Daft Punk in da house. Well, kinda. Sorta.

I love Daft Punk.  Love them.  I've been a fan since their fist album, "Homework" came out in 1997.  I was working music retail and I would play that album every chance I could while working.  Over the years I watched them develop into their "Robot" persona's.  Their helmets and presence have always been really cool.  They aren't the first musicians to hide behind helmets, but these guys have always just oozed coolness.  That is why when I discovered shortly before the release of their new album "Random Access Memories" that Japanese company S.H.Figuarts and Bandai were going to be releasing DaftPunk action figures after the new album came out.  I immediately jumped on Amazon and placed my pre-order for them.

Over a year later, the figures finally shipped, just in time for Christmas of 2013.

These little guys are pretty impressive.  They come with all kinds of articulation so you can pose them in all kinds of ways, and they come with extra various hands making different kinds of gestures.

I had picked up a new fog machine around the same time, so it went hand-in-hand that I did a photo shoot with Daft Punk here at the studio.  I love the smoke.  I love how it fills the density of the image.  It almost looks like the real Daft Punk could be at my studio.  I wish they were.

I played with some colored gels over the lights and took a few poses.  I used a clear hard plastic sheet on top of black paper to create the reflection on the "floor".  Just a little more to help create the illusion that they are real.

The fog machine has already broke, but once I get it fixed I'm definitely doing another photo shoot with these guys.  Maybe someday it'll lead to photographing the real guys.

Guys, seriously, if you are reading this, call me.

Whipped Cream & Other Delights

Herb Alpert is good for just about any occasion.

Ian Ethan • The Comforter

It excites me greatly to unveil the new music video for Ian Ethan's new song, "The Comforter" from his upcoming double-disc album.

Please do yourself a favor and watch this in 1080p high definition - the best and  only way to really enjoy it (along with your speakers turned up!)

After filming Ian's last video last summer at Studio101A, Ian contacted me about the idea of a new video for a new composition that would be on his forthcoming album.  Where the previous video was an example of his overall prowess with double-neck, fretless bass and looping ability, this new song was a bare bones double-neck composition and he wanted to showcase that.  When I first heard "The Comforter" a while back at one of his concerts, I absolutely fell in love with the melody and the gentleness of the song.  It's beautiful.  I immediately had some ideas on what we could do to help make a video for him.

We decided to film the video here at my studio.  After rearranging the studio a while back, we had the perfect spot for him to setup and play in.  I knew that I wanted the video to be shot in black and white.  It fit the theme and the feel of the song.  Color would be to distracting and visually take away from getting enveloped by the warm melody.  I wanted something light and airy and in monotone so that you could really just focus on the song.

I think it was a hard sell to Ian at first.  He had brought some colored LED lights, and he was really happy with the look of the last video, "Infinite Race", and he was seeing basically the same style of video.  I massaged him a little about feeling it should be in black & white, and then really started to push on him that monotone was the way to go.  I was convinced it was necessary and that color would really detract from the song.  I filmed a few takes in color, but there rest of the 11 takes I filmed in black and white.  I was committed.  I knew when Ian saw the rough footage he'd agree with me.

And, sure enough, when Ian looked at the rough footage once he got home, he was in love with the monotone look.  He was ecstatic.

We took about 11 takes that day of "The Comforter" and then we did another song with as many takes.  "The Comforter" clocks in at about 9 and 1/2 minutes, and the second song was longer, so we spent an entire day and evening filming and getting raw footage.

The next step was for Ian to master the recording.  Ian is meticulous when it comes to his compositions and sound.  He took those 11 takes and assembled one master take from all of those - adding one section here, another section there, and so on and so forth until he had the best version of the song assembled from all 11 takes.  It's very laborious and time consuming, but Ian is a perfectionist which is one of the reasons why I enjoy being around him.  He takes immeasurable pride in his craft and wants nothing but the absolute best.

After taking a few months to assemble the track, Ian finally contacted me a few weeks ago so we could start editing the video.  We blocked off a few Tuesdays and met at Studio 101A in Amherst NH.  Tom, owner of Studio 101A was more than happy to let us use the mastering room and his equipment to cut the video.  Thanks, Tom.

It took us two full Tuesdays to edit the song.  Ian had his master track of the song and had it color coded into sections.  Each section of the song matched up with one of our takes.  This helped give us a starting point for editing.  We would take a look at the coded audio, match it up with the corresponding numbered video footage and start from there.  If it was something we liked visually we'd use it.  If it wasn't we then started culling other takes.  I think we figured out it took on average about 1  to 1 & 1/2 hours to get a minute of cut footage.

Allow me to say right now what an absolute pain in the ass Final Cut Pro is when it comes to adding text to projects.  It took us longer to find out how to change a font color and add the titles than it did to edit clips together for this project.  Totally unintuitive.

We finished the edit of the video yesterday.  It was a fantastic co-editingexperience with Ian; we were able to bounce ideas and thoughts with no issues at all.  Plus, it's great to just be able to talk with him about music.  He has the perspective of a composer who speaks with audio.  I have the perspective of a craftsmen who speaks with visuals.  Perfect marriage, and I'm very happy to not only be working with him, but to also personally consider him a good friend.

I hope you enjoy the video.  Watch it full high def resolution at 1080p and make sure you have some good speakers hooked up to get the beautiful range of sounds coming from his song.  We're both pretty darn proud and excited by this project, and aside from a few novice learning steps (um, hello sensor dust on the camera.  Ack!!!) we both think it's a really beautiful project.

Please give Ian your love.  Check out his website and please see him live if you ever get the chance.  His unique style of composing and performing needs to be supported and championed.

The Comforter

Composed and Performed by Ian Ethan

Filmed by Sid Ceaser

Edited by Ian Ethan & Sid Ceaser

Edited at Studio101A, Amherst NH

Copyright 2014 Ian Ethan & Sid Ceaser Photography

North Main Music 2013 Recital

 

I got the chance to photograph North Main Music's 2013 Student recital's a few months ago, and I left very impressed with the amount of students and their dedication and levels of really superb performances.  The recitals are done at the Tupelo Music Hall in front of a live audience of family and friends.  I applaud every performer that got up on that stage and performed in front of a packed room.  It's challenging enough to perform things you have been learning, but to do that in front of a crowded room is another thing entirely, and everyone that sang or played; be it someone that was 65 or someone that was only 8 years old, really rocked the house and it was awesome.

I've been going to the Tupelo Music Hall since before it was actually the Tupelo.  It used to be the Muse at the Grey Goose, and back when I was in college a professor I had knew invited me one evening and I was blown away by the room and the performers who had performed there.  It fit in exactly with the kind of music I listened too.  I remember the first time I saw Joel Cage there - his guitar playing was spitting electricity all over the room.  And the first time I saw Vance Gilbert which made me an instant fan and someone I love seeing to this very day (and would LOVE to work with.  Vance, my man, you reading?).  Back in 2004 the building and venue was sold and it turned into the Tupelo, and more national acts started performing on the stage.  It's a very awesome place, and I'm hoping I can get to network with them more in the coming years, because some of my favorite musicians of all time perform there.

I met North Main Music's owner, Mike McAdam, through Studio 99.  He saw my work hanging on their walls and came to the studio for a head shot session.  When the time came for the 2013 recitals arrived, he hired me to photograph the event.  It was really well thought out, and it filled an entire day.  He really does have a fantastic roster of avid learners and it was really exciting to see so many people of all ages so dedicated to learning the craft of music.

If you are considering lessons for yourself or a loved one, give Mike a call and visit their shop.  It's never too late to create.

carolina chocolate drops, portsmouth nh

I got to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops a few months ago up in Portsmouth NH.  We have their records at home and play them on the weekends when we're doing our cleaning and chores.  Cornbread & Butter Beans.

We got a cool reserved blanket front-of-stage seating, and they were right in front of us.  It was fantastic.  Such style.  Such down home Americana roots music.  God bless them.

I don't like taking my camera to concerts, but I did.  Almost out of obligation.  It's an automatic reaction.  I usually have a hard time not taking my camera and gear everywhere with me.  But I'm trying to enjoy things without being behind a camera.  So I took it.   But I told myself I wouldn't take that many pictures.

I probably shot about 12 images, and then forced myself to put the camera down, and enjoy the unique experience of seeing these amazing musicians play and stomp and sing their hearts out.

Here is the only shot I kept and processed.  It works for me.  It comes in second to experiencing the concert fully, without seeing it with one eye through a tiny eyepiece.