photography | photography by elisa sherman

Bat for Lashes in Black & White

…Simple, stark, a bit grainy, dramatic…

I think this describes her music, the show, and the final images, processed here to black & white…

I don’t do a pure b/w process much these days…but it seemed more than called for, to illustrate Bat for Lashes…a literal lack of light…lot’s of grain…at first I thought, the images were trash…

Don’t get me wrong, the show was interesting, packed, sweaty, and pushed to the max…but the images…just weren’t wow, on initial review…

Then, a bug in the ear, re: black and white treatment, and I am like, you think? I try not to use black and white as a crutch…but sometimes, it’s just the right thing…

Bat for Lashes by Elisa Sherman | photosbyelisa.com

For more…flickr set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emswazzu/sets/72157622048735393/detail/

LiveDaily selections in color:
http://www.livedaily.com/photos/?p=two+suns

For more on Bat for Lashes:
http://www.myspace.com/batforlashes
http://www.batforlashes.com/

Some fun gigs coming up in September – http://photosbyelisa.com/upcoming-concert-shoots

~Elisa

The Spectacular Flaming Lips

The Lips…The Flaming Lips…wow…who knew????

LOL…well plenty of folks did…I had never seen them live, so I was, to put it mildly, taken a bit by surprise by the sheer “spectacle”…not to mention the the excess energy of their mosh pit–again, who knew???

Ok, let’s be honest, the concept of the name, “The Flaming Lips”, to most people is blatantly obvious…but honestly, and I almost am embarassed to admit it…I never thought about it…but the opening sequence of images on their massive light screen back drop left NOTHING to the imagination, with the glowing, ie “flaming” hotspot between a legs splayed female form……yes, those “lips”, lmao…I guess you just have to hit me over the head with such…and well, they did…not to mention the massive ball of madness that Wayne (lead) enters the opening fray via…………

The Flaming Lips by Elisa Sherman | photosbyelisa.com

The “spectacular” that was The Lips show, was “Flaming” as it were…lol…well maybe excess is a better description…streamers and confetti…and balloon/balls everywhere…

…the entire show…massive light backdrop…

…there was not a let up in the entire evening…not even the more somber version of Taps (yes, the funeral anthem) played in tribute to still passing soldiers…….the spectacular, was unending…The Lips seem a neverending band of bang on energy…perhaps despite the latter day, hippie vibe…or maybe because of it?

The herbal scent was heavy…and much commented on from the stage as well…the fog floating throught the air was not just from machines……just saying…

Altogether a glorious perfect night at the gorgeous Marymoor Park Amphitheatre…with…THE FLAMING LIPS…

Images FEATURED on LiveDaily.com:
http://www.livedaily.com/news/19937.html

Some more of my favorites:

Most notable, perhaps…were the fans…dedicated to the point of face painting and costumes…

Concert goer at The Flaming Lips by Elisa Sherman | photosbyelisa.com

And totally rapt:

Crowd at The Flaming Lips by Elisa Sherman | photosbyelisa.com

Highly recommend joining the madness and catching this tour if it hits your town…

Flickr set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emswazzu/sets/72157621995774573/detail/

For more on The Flaming Lips:
http://www.flaminglips.com/
http://www.myspace.com/flaminglips
http://twitter.com/theflaminglips
http://www.facebook.com/flaminglips

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August 3, 2009 by elisa sherman

Crue Fest 2 at 300mm…

Yep, you read it right, 300mm…read, SOUND BOARD shoot…

I rented the luscious 300mm 2.8 and toted along a monopod for the festivities…I think in all it was pretty successful! I threw on my shorter lenses for a few contextual wide shots…and there you have it…

In all musically, all the acts rocked the gorgeous Amphitheatre down at White River (Auburn, WA)…bands featured outside the main venue on the “Monster” stage, and the Main stage, where the headliners etc, inclusive but not limited to the name sakes, Motley Crue…

Select images are FEATURED on LiveDaily.com
http://www.livedaily.com/news/19770.html

Bands Featured in my frames are:
Motley Crue
Godsmack
Drowning Pool
Charm City Devils
Theory of a Deadman
16 Second Stare

Here’s a few of my faves:

Motley Crue - Crue Fest 2 - photos by Elisa Sherman

Flickr set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emswazzu/sets/72157621761718987/detail/

For more on the event also read/check out some of the images from my fellow photogs covering the event:
http://www.mvpcompany.com/?p=82
http://www.myspace.com/savoiaphotographylive – Motley Crue
http://www.myspace.com/savoiaphotographylive – Crue Fest – other

Fun, if a hot scorcher of a shoot!

For what’s next, check:
http://photosbyelisa.com/upcoming-concert-shoots/

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August 3, 2009 by elisa sherman

Yosemite …for the first time!

oFunny enough, I JUST finally Yosemite…

This is notable as, my mom lives in Fresno, and I fly into Fresno-Yosemite International airport when I visit, lol…literally she lived about 90 miles…yet we hadn’t made it up there on my visits until now…

We went and had lunch at the lodge…a few images from our trek…and oh my, the high road is really curvy!

A few more at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emswazzu/sets/72157621939242368/detail/

Altogether, a gorgeous day!

~Elisa

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July 14, 2009 by elisa sherman

No Depression Festival 2009 – Live at Marymoor

“No Depression” hosted it’s first ever “No Depression Festival” this year over in Redmond, at the Marymoor Park Amphitheatre this past Saturday, July 11th, 2009…

It was a gorgeous warm day here in the greater Seattle area…and music lovers came out to celebrate and take in this talented line up brought by the folks at “No Depression”, Seattle Theatre Group(STG) and Live Nation…

Much fun, sun and music was had…

Headliners were Gillian Welch, and Sam Bean of Iron & Wine…Sam is a character…and Gilian is gorgeous, and closed the night with the crowd all coming up front to the stage to absorb the music up close and personal…

Marymoor Park is a gorgeous venue…trees in the background, and green all around…that is why we refer to hereabouts as the emerald city!

The show stealer was probably Justin Townes Earle with his southern charm and humor…skinny tall and animated, he was great fun to shoot!

A selection are posted at LiveDaily.com
http://livedaily.com/photos/?p=no+depression+festival

Here is a full set of images from the day…a slideshow so you can view the show as if you were there:
http://photosbyelisa.com/gallery/slideshows/music/live/No-Depression-2009/

Select images:

Artists covered:
Gillian Welch
Iron & Wine (Sam Bean)
Patterson Hood & the Screwtopians
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter
Justin Townes Earle
Jessica Lea Mayfield
No Depression – Seattle All Star Revue feat: Star Anna, Sera Cahoone, Ian Moore, Zoe Muth, Mark Pickerel, Kristen Ward & Members of the Maldives and North Twin backed by Jeff Fielder, Ty Bailie, Eric Eagle & Rebecca Young
ZEE AVI

http://community.nodepression.com/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/No-Depression-Festival/101818050897?ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/No-Depression/35556797522?ref=ts

More soon! Here’s to more fun in the sun!

xoxo
~Elisa

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June 29, 2009 by elisa sherman

Seattle says I DO – Pride 2009

Pride…a celebration of love and acceptance…here and wide…in Seattle this past weekend the yearly ritual outing of the out, the fabulous and the so dramatic, there are no words…reached it’s crescendo on Sunday with the annual Gay Pride Parade, and festivities afterward…through downtown Seattle they drifted, the politicos, the church groups (yes I said church groups), cheer squads, bag pipes(seriously these guys come out-lol-for everything), belly dancers, and for sure, the fabulously queer………..

This year was the second year I photographed the parade (still haven’t made it to the party yet! Maybe next year!)…and it was another scorcher…

The story I think some of my favorite images tell, is one that while joyous, also has purpose…I think the biggest theme I saw was the issue of gay marriage…To me this issue is really at it’s boiling point, nationally…brought very much to the forefront thanks to the recent California passing of Prop 8…

Without getting too much into my own political beliefs(you can imagine given that I so enthusiastically support such an event via imagery)…I will let the beholders draw their own conclusions…

Love baby love. It’s written all over your face…*
*nods to the lyrics from my favorite band: INXS

The preceding are just a selection, full set of 128 on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emswazzu/sets/72157620723129852/detail/

Shoutout to the seattle blog that linked back to my preview blog/photos:
http://www.seattlegayscene.com/

Happy summer!

xoxo
~Elisa

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June 29, 2009 by elisa sherman

Preview – Seattle Pride 2009!

edit: full blog post now up – photosbyelisa.com/blog/2009/06/seattle-says-i-do-pride-20…

Yesterday, I kicked(or clicked, lol) it in the streets amongst the emerald city of love………

Here’s a preview of the over one thousand frames shot…

Preview - Seattle Pride 2009 by Elisa Sherman emswazzu.com, on Flickr

I have gone through about 80-90 percent of the frames…and while shooting I was lamenting that maybe they weren’t as good as last year…But you know what, I need to remember to be happy with the shots I DO get, not the ones I don’t, the ones I miss, the one’s I needed another lens on for…the magic is in what is there at the same time…and on review, I am very happy with what I clicked…the story will just be different…but I think equally as compelling:)

More very soon!

xoxo
~Elisa

P.S. a shout out “back” to linking blog: http://www.seattlegayscene.com/2009/06/images-from-seattle-pride-parade.html

edit: full blog post now up – photosbyelisa.com/blog/2009/06/seattle-says-i-do-pride-20…

Archives

June 16, 2009 by elisa sherman

Don't shoot the bass player…Noise for the Needy 2009

That’s right…don’t shoot the bass player…this was the edict on the headliner for the first of 2 gigs I shot this weekend, both at Neumo’s supporting the Noise for the Needy 2009 Festival…

The request was an odd one, security crossed it’s eyes! but alas pretty easy to accomplish as she was stage opposite of most all the ‘togs…though I think she may be in the back ground of one my images of the lead guitarist…

Altogether it was lots of fun, met some interesting people…this was the second year in a row I shot some of the Noise for the Needy shows; last year as a volunteer for the NFTN group, and this year covering it for LiveDaily.com…It’s for a great cause and it’s great to see all the people in the Seattle music scene and beyond, coming out for it!

For more on NFTN, visit:
http://www.noisefortheneedy.org/

This year the festival benefits “Transitional Resources”:
http://www.transitionalresources.org/

You can see select images FEATURED on LiveDaily.com
http://www.livedaily.com/news/19429.html

And a set of my faves:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emswazzu/sets/72157619719609359/detail/

Here’s a few of the images from the weekend…

July 13th headliner, Art Brut…

Supporting band “Hey Marseilles”…

July 14th headliner, Constantines

More supporting bands from the weekend…

I Was a King

Crystal Antlers

Black Night Crash

Miike Snow

Images by band:
Art Brut
Constantines
Hey Marseilles
I Was a King
Crystal Antlers
Miike Snow
Black Night Crash

Band myspaces:
http://www.myspace.com/artbrut
http://www.myspace.com/constantines
http://www.myspace.com/HeyMarseilles
http://www.myspace.com/crystalantlers
http://www.myspace.com/iwasaking
http://www.myspace.com/bla

cknightcrash
http://www.myspace.com/miikesnow

See y’alls out there! Here’s to a great summer!

xoxo
~Elisa

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June 12, 2009 by elisa sherman

Kate Voegele visits the Emerald City!

Our city is now sparkling in the sun…and a bit warm! Kate Voegele and her band of talented musicans visited Seattle on her “Lift Me Up!” tour supporting her CD “A Fine Mess”…

All the squeeing girls – her music’s demographic were out, early and lined up…very excitable…I was surprised! and old….likely the oldest non parent in the crowd, err…

Anywho, Kate, a frequent guest star on the popular drama “One Tree Hill” is on tour, and hit our city during a bit of a hot streak! It was more than a bit warm at Neumo’s, the venue where she played…but alas, the crowd, with all of it’s youthful energy, triumphed over the stifling heat…As did Kate and co…

She is a gorgeous young woman, and a pleasure to capture in frame…

Selections are posted on livedaily.com
http://www.livedaily.com/photos/?p=A+Fine+Mess

Here is a fullscreen slideshow of the set…followed by a few of my favorite images from the night…
http://photosbyelisa.com/gallery/slideshows/music/live/KateVoegele-Seattle-06112009/

Kate Voegele performs at Neumo's in Seattle June 11, 2009 photo by Elisa Sherman

Noise for the Needy’s weekend shows at Neumo’s coming up this weekend, and meeting for a Summer Solstice photo pass tomorrow AM!

See y’alls out for more fun in the sun!

xoxo
~Elisa

Archives

June 8, 2009 by elisa sherman

Weathered Roses…

This past weekend, was in Cottage Grove, OR visiting my Grandma…

She, at 89 still cultivates gorgeous flowers including roses…

I like to take pictures in her garden when I visit…she loves the perfect images of the rose as it is meant to be…I love the imperfect, the weathered, the wilted, the textures, etc, with the light hitting them just so…

Here are my favorite weathered roses…dreamy, creamy, blurry and a little bit like strawberry ice cream!