Concert Photography: Opening Weekend At The Santa Barbara Bowl, Photographing Sigur Ros and New Order

Johnny Marr of the Smiths. Image by: JB Brookman

This past weekend, was the opening of the Santa Barbara Bowl season. I covered New Order (Joy Division members) & Johnny Marr (The Smiths) on Thursday and Sigur Ros, on Friday. I was photographing for two publications, which I founded: Santa Barbara Music News and Hollywood Icon Magazine. I try to mix in concert/celebrity shoots, between my Senior Portrait and Family Portrait Sessions.

The Santa Barbara Bowl is the coolest venue, in Southern California. Believe me, I have photographed in almost all of them! It is a mid-sized, historic venue, cut out of the SB hills. Back in the day, it hosted legends like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, The Clash and so many more! It holds about 4500 people and there is not a bad seat, in the house. The views of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean, from the venue, are stunning. As a photographer, you have to love the place! The staff is incredibly nice and supportive (they even hand out free ear protection, to us!), the shooting conditions are almost ideal and the location is pristine.

I am a really big fan of ’80s music… It was such a creative and groundbreaking decade of art! So, to photograph the bands behind hit songs like: How Soon Is Now, Bizarre Love Triangle, Blue Monday, Panic and Girlfriend In A Coma was really a blast! Here is a few images, from the night. The rest you can find, at the links above…

If you don’t yet know about Sigur Ros, you HAVE to check them out! They are an Icelandic, atmospheric sounding band, who is hard to contain, in words. If you have seen the latest Matt Damon/Scarlett Johanson movie, We Bought A Zoo, then you know their music. Their frontman, Jonsi, did most of the sountrack for the Cameron Crowe directed film.

Jonsi, from Sigur Ros. Image by: JB Brookman

Sigur Ros. Image by: JB Brookman

New Order. Image by: JB Brookman

JB BROOKMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Franklin & Spring Hill Senior Portrait Photographer

Also Serving Brentwood, Leiper’s Fork and the Nashville Areas

931.675.9039

“My name is JB Brookman. I’m a rock star concert photographer who grew up shooting the biggest stars in the world. The stages and venues of Hollywood and LA used to be my home, but now I have made a home in the suburbs of Nashville and Franklin, Tennessee. Shooting Taylor Swift, U2, Elton John and Ed Sheeran is great, but my true passion is creating highly stylized, authentic and modern portraits of High School Seniors, making them feel like they are at the center of the stage.”

Additional Portfolio at: Family, Children, Headshots, Sports, Landscape, Commercial Photography JB Brookman Photography

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