When we decided to add flickr streams to the Caught 8handed blog, Dan Banda Lee was one of the first people I thought to feature. A few months have gone by, and today seems like the perfect time to feature his intimate stream. I have to admit I have the softest spot for the kind of work that Dan Banda Lee presents. Taking us in on the most personal level, we see the evolution of a life, from the first photos that he took of his wife, to their new baby, to their kids, to some of the best christmas cards I've ever seen - all taken with a sense of humor, honesty and style. Oh, and he shoots tons of great band portraits, like the Pipettes and Fujiya and Miyagi. Definitely a flickr stream that always keeps it on the real... Enjoy.

 

Swann & The Mini

 

 

tatlana_NYC

 

 

swan_nightswimming

 

 

Dmitrich_tate

 

 

 

tatlana and brolley

 

 

Enjoy The Silence

 

 

Swan_Goggles

 

 

Dimitrich and Swan North_Norfolk

 

 

Dmitrich and Swan

 

 

The James Kendall

 

 

Auto Portrait for Christmas 1

 

 

To view more of dan banda lee's stream, click here.

 

All images are copyrighted with all rights reserved by dan banda lee.

Concert shots are tricky deal. It's so easy to take the cliche snapshot...and when i think about it, it's hard to do anything but. The artists are on stage, you're usually down below without a press pass. There's the de rigueur guitar strumming shot, the crazy drummer, the keyboardist looking pensive. We've seen it all so many times.

 

And, now please permit me a little aside. Not to sound like a back-in-the-day-things-were-better-person, but I have to say, back in the day, when certain things were better, only a special certain few were shooting shows. It was a bit more of a tricky activity, and once, I even got kicked out of the House of Blues for having a camera - appealing to Gwen Stefani to get the bouncer to let me go (she didn't, but let's not hold that against her)... Now, everyone and their third cousin has a digi cam or super phone at a show - and many seem to be a lot more into seeing what they shot, instead of seeing what they came to shoot.

 

BUT...I digress. This is all a precursor to my review of Owen Richards - a photographer whose concert shots are (finally) not run of the mill. There's a storm int all his shots. In a way the energy in all his pics remind me of the Van Gogh show from a few years back. There was this movement - even in his earliest paintings - that was consistent throughout his career. And that's the exact same trait I see here. Now Owen, don't let this get to your head. Just keep getting into the thick of things and do what you do... Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To view more of Owen Richards' Flickr stream, click here.

I love those days when you come across a blog that opens you up to a whole new world. Even better if that blog has a link to an amazing flickr stream of polaroids of all the bands I'd love to see, but just haven't been able to yet...

Well, for those in the know (and probably most of you are) I'm talking about the gorilla vs. bear polaroids from the legendary music blog. I actually got to the site through the 8hands blogroll (!!!) - and I have to admit that this blog has opened me up to a whole other world of sites that I've been enjoying all morning.

I feel especially honored to feature these amazing polaroids, in memory of a film that has no business being discontinued. Are all the amazing polaroid flickr streams really that much of an anomaly to the powers that be? I guess we really are a minority. But, I digress. Check out the gorilla vs. bear polaroids for an intimate look at your favorite artists of the now. Really great work. I'm officially jealous. Enjoy...

 

Angus Andrew of the remarkable foursome, Liars, had just finished soundchecking on the eve of Sunday the 17th of February.

 

 

St. Vincent outside the Mohawk after an unbelievable Hot Freaks! set

 

 

Jens Lekman, a sharp dresser, looks to his right after a winsome set at Dallas' own Granada Theater, 11/13/07.

 

 

jared swilley

 

 

Bill Baird of {{{Sunset}}} with Murphy's glasses, which he received received after a gentleman's exchange, a sunglass swap, and a fee to the tune of $50.

 

 

thefield_1.jpg

 

 

M.I.A. five seconds before her bumpin' set.

 

 

Kyp of TV on the Radio: Dallas

 

 

Panda Bear: Dallas, TX

 

 

Grizzly Bear's Dan Rossen tustles with brother Ed

 

 

To check out more from gorilla vs. bear polaroids' stream, click here.