Out of the Blues

[Murray Foote]

I've finally gotten round to posting some of my live images. I thought about it when this sub-forum opened but never quite got round to it then.

I've been doing this sort of thing for about 30 years, on and off and it's a whole new world of different opportunities now.

First we have Diunna Greenleaf, from Texas, playing at the Narooma Blues Festival in October 2009.

This is Mal Eastick, a great Australian Blues guitartist playing at what was in effect a private Blues Festival in norther New South Wales at the beginning of the year.

Here we have Canadian guitarist Wolf Mail, caught in the moment at the Bateman's Bay Blues Festival just over a month ago.

Finally this is 18-year old drummer Callum Cramer, playing with West Australian band Blue Shaddy, also at the 2010 Bateman's Bay Blues Festival.


Regards,
Murray

 

[Asher Kelman]

Murray,

You have succeeded so well in such a difficult endeavor, finding moments that can be engraved in time for us. Each presents a crafted presence that immediately evoke hours of memories.

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Finally this is 18-year old drummer Callum Cramer, playing with West Australian band Blue Shaddy, also at the 2010 Bateman's Bay Blues Festival.

Murray,

Drummers are perhaps the hardest to capture as they are surrounded with a battlefield array of gear and often to one side and less well lit. You have found a rare point of view and composed an image that put's us next to you in that beat and frenzy. How you caught the tip is remarkable! It seems like the very end of a stick!

Then I realized it was only a symbol of a tip, the edge of a cymbal! That's how fiery your picture is!

Asher

 

[Murray Foote]

Yes, Asher, drummers can be difficult. Often they're obscured behind the band as well as behind their equipment. Finding the right moment can be counter-intuitive because you usually have to photograph against the beat to get their drumsticks in the air.

Getting the right balance of shutter speed can be tricky, too. Too fast and it may look static; too slow and everything may be blurred. The image here looks like a really slow shutter speed from the hands and sticks while his face is both animated and reasonably sharp. The reason for this is that the shutter speed is not all that slow and he's going for it like a hummingbird on steroids.

Regards,
Murray

 

[John Angulat]

Very nicely done Murray.
Looking forward to seeing more!

 

[Charlotte Thompson]

Very cool- all of them
my favorite is the first- wow!


Charlotte-

 

[Murray Foote]

Thanks very much, John and Charlotte

Regards,
Murray

 

[Asher Kelman]

I've finally gotten round to posting some of my live images. I thought about it when this sub-forum opened but never quite got round to it then.

I've been doing this sort of thing for about 30 years, on and off and it's a whole new world of different opportunities now.

First we have Diunna Greenleaf, from Texas, playing at the Narooma Blues Festival in October 2009.

Murray Foote: Diunna Greanleaf
The Naroona blues Festival]
October 2009​

Murray,

This picture shows her humanity and straightforwardness as a human being and singer. You have made a good portrait.

She reminds me of Bessie Smith, one of the great icons of blues music. What songs did Diunna sing? The blues for blacks in the USA was a genuine grass level movement representing the uphill climb against the powerful forces of poverty, inequality and the struggle to find a mate honest, sober, free and good enough to cook the turkey and stir the beans!

Bessie Smith and Leddy Headbetter, Leadbelly where some of the most important influences for all blues singers who followed.

I have heard some of her work on You Tube and she could benefit from a great mixing studio to get her voice stronger above the musicians behind her. I'll have to find a recoding.

Asher

 

[Murray Foote]

Asher

She's a great performer, with the sort of natural charisma that commands the whole audience. I don't remember what songs she was singing, the image is from last year's Festival not last month's. Also, although I have access to the edge of the stage this shot (as with many others) was taken from in the crowd. The best place to come in and get an image is often in front of the speakers, where the crowd is thinner for obvious reasons. This in turn requires wearing heavy duty customised ear plugs so the ironic thing is that although I'm there because I appreciate the music, concentrating on the images and wearing earplugs much of the time means I don't appreciate the music as much as I might.

I presume you noticed the link I included for each musician. Diunna's goes to her "Music" page though I didn't appreciate how brief the clips are there. On her "Products" page there are links to two of her CDs.

Regards,
Murray

 

[Rachel Foster]

Great photos! My husband love the blues. I just bought him tickets (front row!) to see John Bonamassa in March.

 

[Murray Foote]

Thanks very much, Rachel.

I hadn't encountered Joe Bonamassa though I just listened to a couple of clips online.

Regards,
Murray

 

[Rachel Foster]

He's supposed to be a real legend in the making.

 

[fahim mohammed]

I've finally gotten round to posting some of my live images. I thought about it when this sub-forum opened but never quite got round to it then.

I've been doing this sort of thing for about 30 years, on and off and it's a whole new world of different opportunities now.

First we have Diunna Greenleaf, from Texas, playing at the Narooma Blues Festival in October 2009.


Regards,
Murray

Murray, enjoyed the entire series. This one really stands out.

Excellent.

Regards.

 

[Murray Foote]

Thanks very much, Fahim.