Urban Atlanta

I got a few photographs of downtown Atlanta this afternoon. The area is actually just a few blocks from the famous Martin Luther memorial but it's a pretty run-down and neglected part of town.

Here's a shot from inside a road tunnel that passes under the rail tracks...

I'm a big fan of trains, so here's a picture of one!

Walking back to my car, a local cycle club passed by. Here they are passing by one of the graffiti'd local buildings..

More Mandroid Academy

A great shot of Alpharetta's very own Mandroid Academy taken outside the Masquarade last Sunday just before they hit the stage....

Sugar Hill Cars

We took advantage of the sunshine today and headed to a local classic car show.  The focus of the show was old VW's but there were also some beautifully preserved classics on display. Here's a couple of pictures...

Old cars weren't the only things on display...

Mandroid Academy at The Masquarade

The Masquarade is a decaying old mill close to downtown Atlanta that has been converted into the city's best rock music venue. It's still a decaying old mill that looks to be in danger of collapse at any moment but for the purposes of hosting the best in hard rock and heavy metal bands it's perfect: a fitting combination of grime, graffiti, and grunge...

Last Sunday night, Mandroid Academy (a band that includes my son, Christopher, on guitar) were on the bill opening for Swedish metal gods Sabaton. So, of course I took the opportunity to get some shots of the band in action...

The lighting was a challenge since the opening bands weren't afforded much use of the headlining band's rig: so all they got were some red spotlights. However, the venue has some excellent vantage points that made up for the awful light. I've desaturated most of the color from this shot and quite like the finished effect...

Here's one of the Ian, the vocalist, in full growl...

I also got some great pictures of the band together outside the venue before the show which I'll share some time later.

In the meantime, if you're a band in Atlanta looking for somebody to take some decent photographs for publicity or other purposes then drop me a line!

South Eastern Railway Museum

The South Eastern Railway Museum in Duluth near Atlanta contains a great collection of rusting, decaying, old rail cars. It's great for photography and I've made a number of visits to try out different lenses and techniques. 

These shots were taken today using a Sigma 70-300mm lens. The lens was a recent purchase from Amazon and while not as sharp as some as some of the high-end lenses that I've tried out it's great for getting in close to objects and also to nature; since trains are not the only things at the museum. My son spotted this grass-hoper and I used the macro setting on the lens and a manual focus to get in close to it...

The decaying rail cars have great texture and character. Hopefully some of that is captured in this next shot...

My favorite of all however, is this one...

Opeth in Atlanta

I harbor a secret desire to be a concert photographer. I've made a few attempts at various gigs played by my son's band and learnt that a) you need a good camera with a fast, wide open lens and b) you need to be standing in the right place. Since being in the audience will probably afford you neither of those requirements I gave up some time ago trying to take anything more than the odd snapshot with my little Samsung HZ10W at rock concerts. The low and dynamic lighting coupled with fast action makes getting good clear pictures a matter of luck at best. Here's a lucky shot from last night's Opeth concert in Atlanta. I got a few of the band but this is my shot of the night!