Band promo Photography for the Rifffs

Band Promo photography for the Rifffs, taken recently in Valletta, Malta. These are just two of the many images taken. I will post more shortly.

The RIFFFS were formed in 1979 with Ray on guitar and vocals, Cooks on bass, Twanny (Najju) on drums, Humbalance on keyboards and Rayvin on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. After a succession of gigs a demo was recorded which was instrumental for the band to sign a recording contract in 1981 with an independent UK record company called ‘Alternative Music’ based in Bromley Kent. ‘Dance Music for the 80s Depression’ was chosen as the song to record and the band where booked into ‘Wave Studios’ on Hoxton Square in Shoreditch, London to the record the single. Gigs around London where arranged and the single was starting to gain airplay in the UK. The future looked rosy for the boys which at the time where all living in Camberwell, and after the release of ‘Dance Music’ in Malta thinks looked even better. The band returned to Malta and played a succession of concerts and made several appearances on TV. The single went up to No 1 in the Maltese charts and remained in that position for a number of weeks. Unfortunately back in the UK the record company was facing financial difficulties and eventually went bankrupt leaving ‘the Rifffs’ with just one record to their name and no one to distribute or market the single in the UK. Ray and Rayvin decided to stay in the UK to persue their musical career but unfortunately due to family commitments the rest of the band returned to Malta and that was the end of 'the Rifffs' that is until 25years later when Rayvin came back to Malta after living abroad for that period of time and contacted the boys to see how they would feel about reforming the band. The response was unanimous and plans where made to record all the old songs so that ‘the Rifffs’ can finally have an album to their name. The first recording session was made on the 22st March 2006 and 3 tracks were laid down. These were ‘Life of Crime’, a new song penned by Ray just after Rayvin met him again to talk about reforming, 'Little Girl' and ‘Who’s the Spy’ which were originally written and performed by ‘the Rifffs’ in 1980 and which still sounded as fresh and exciting as they did way back when the band started. The band played their first gigs after 25 years on the 29th and 30th of April 2006 at Tattingers night club in Rabat infront of a mixed crowd of people that remembered the band from the 80’s and youngsters who were not even born when ‘the Rifffs’ had their original success. Both concerts were a fantastic experience for the band members and crowd alike. 'the Rifffs' gave a show of a lifetime and the huge crowd present reciprocated by adding to the electrifying atmosphere with their dancing and singing along to their favourite tunes from the past and present.

Since than the band have released 3 singles. 'Life of Crime' was the first to be release in April 2006 followed by a period of rehearsing new material and playing more gigs. 'Jack the Ripper' was released in June 2007 which hailed the bands partnership with record producer Howard Keith. This collaboration plus the introduction of a brass section, reproduced the raw and energetic sound that the band have when they play live. The song was a hit and re-established the band after a bit of an absence. 'Monday Morning' was the last to be released in September 2007 and is looking like becoming another hit. Plans for the long awaited album are still in progress and hope to have the finished article by the middle of next year.

Copyright: Allen Venables. http://www.allenvenables.com



A couple of recent shots taken for The Rifffs in Valletta, Malta.

Music Photography

I was at Sky Club on Saturday night for the Colcci Fashion Party organised by G7 Events. This is one of the photos from the event - Lexter performing his smash hit 'Freedom to Love'. I left the venue at 4am and got absolutely drenched on the way back to my car, who said drips dont get wet!!!

Concert Photography Tips, tricks and tutorials part 1

I have been asked numerous times how to take good concert photography photos, so here are a few concert photography tips. I don't profess to be an expert, Iam definitely not a know it all, but I think I have learned a few things over the years shooting concerts that maybe of use to you all, so here goes:

1) If its your first gig... don't panic, don't machine gun the artist, relax, take time to watch the artist in action, watch the lights carefully and compose your shots, rather than just bursting off frames and hoping for the best. frame the shot, wait for the artists expression and most importantly make sure the spotlights are where you want them to be BEFORE pressing the shutter. Yes there's quite a few things you have to get spot on in concert photography in order to bag an outstanding shot. It may be difficult, but hey, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it!

2) Beware of microphone stands, microphones and monitors - nothing spoils a concert pic more than a microphone cutting right through the performers face. Try standing to one side of the main singer rather than straight on, that way the mic wont obliterate their face.

3) Equipment - try and use the fastest possible lenses you can get hold of. By that I mean f2.8 or faster. I use canon L series lenses and find the 70-200mm f2.8 IS and the 100mm f2.8 Macro (yes macro) hard to beat. I also use a 50mm f 1.2 and 16-35 f 2.8. I use a Canon Eos 1ds Mark 2 as a camera, I have never used Nikon in my life, although this may change with the introduction of the new D3 - especially if I win the lottery. I also use Lexar compact flash memory cards from 2gb to 4gb. If you can try and get the wa (write accelerated) ones I find these cards great and touch wood they have never given me any problems. If you can, try and invest in a portable storage disc, I use an epson P2000 - its perfect for transferring images from the memory card whilst still shooting a concert on another card.

3) Exposure, ISO and f stop - these are the settings I generally use - f2.8, AV Mode or manual if the lighting is difficult, ISO 800, speed depending on the lens you use is usually in the region of 125-200. As a rule of thumb make sure the shutter speed doesn't fall below the type of lens you are using. For example 200mm use a speed no slower than 1/200th, although the image stabilised canon lens lets you get away with a slightly slower speed sometimes. Spot metering mode, usually measured off the face of the artist.

4) Framing - try and be creative here - anyone can take a picture of a singer on stage, also if you are in the pit with a group of other photographers you need to make sure that the shots you get are not exactly the same thing that everyone else is shooting. Don't worry if everyone around you is in a frenzy firing off frames left right and centre, be patient, earmark the shot you want and wait for the singer or band member to get into position. Be very wary of facial expressions, there's nothing worse than thinking you've got the perfect shot, only to discover the artist has their eyes closed later on in the night when you download the images. The more you shoot the better you will get at judging the right moment. Especially if you know the band you are shooting. DONT I repeat don't be afraid to try something new, you may not bag it the first time, but this is what will make your shots stand out from all the others.

5) Lighting - I NEVER, repeat never use flash unless I absolutely have no choice. It kills the mood of your shots - unless for instance you are shooting dee jays in a club, where slow sync flash can give some really creative and interesting effects.

6) Most importantly enjoy the moment, concert photography is a very difficult beast to master, its not for everyone, but if you persevere its more than worth it.

Well thats about all I have time for at the moment folks. if you need any further information please drop me a line at:
mailto: av@stormcreativeservices.com. You can see some of my concert photography on my flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/allen_venables/

Band Promo Photography for Ira Losco & Band

Here is another photo from the recent Ira Losco & Band promotional shoot. Shot on the lawn of the Phoenicia Hotel in Valletta, using natural light and ringflash. Enjoy! And remember if you need music photography of any sort get in touch!

Music Promo Photography

A series of promotional images of Polish singer Paula Klupsch, who was in Malta recording her demo album. I wish Paula all the very best of luck - Iam sure she has a bright future ahead. Make-up: Nicola Powell. Hair: Clinton Attard - Hair Factory.

Ira Losco & Band Promotional Shoot 2008

Its been quite some time since I last updated my blog, and for that I must apologise greatly. Its been a very hectic and busy year and I will be updating this blog more frequently from now on. The above image is part of a promotional shoot I did for Ira Losco and her band earlier this summer. All shots were taken in and around Valletta, Malta. I will post more here soon and also look out for my redesigned website http://www.allenvenables.com which is currently undergoing a major overhaul.