Kevin RC Wilson Photography
Music and Wedding Photography

I’m most known for my music industry photography, but also shoot weddings, and am an official member of the NYC Press.

My name is Kevin RC Wilson and I’ve been a photographer for the better half of a decade. 6 years ago I got my start into the world of music photography with the push from a friend of mine, Dave Navarro from Jane’s Addiction. Running out the gate with a band of this level pushed me to better myself with every shoot I got and in 2020, my work has been seen on album covers, magazines, DVD jackets, and countless media outlets. I’ve been blessed that I’ve become one of the go-to photographers in the rock and heavy metal world.

2020 was going to be the start of a great year, until the Covid19 pandemic struck instantly crippling the music industry overnight. Needless to say, I was one of the millions of people left without a job.

Since I live in NYC, I knew there was an opportunity I now had time for. To become an official member of the New York City Press. With the city on shut down and countless protests going on, I took my camera to the streets and started documenting the world as it was unfolding around us.

Your camera has the power to tell a story without words, and I wanted to document history in the making.

What’s a Good a Photo Tip?

The best camera is the one that you have on you. If you don’t have a DSLR, your cell phone camera can help capture that moment in time. BlackRapid makes a strap for both your camera or phone, so make sure you protect it from falling while in use!

Even a Power Outage Can’t Stop The Misfits

Back in 2015, I flew out to LA to shoot the Misfits playing two back to back sold out shows at the Roxy. Right as the doors opened, the power on Sunset Boulevard went out causing us to clear out the venue while the power outage was getting sorted.

Jerry and I walked up and down Sunset taking photos with fans and handing out at least 10k worth of merch to all the little kids waiting in line. I’ve never seen such a giving soul genuinely want to be out with their fans.

The power was still out well over an hour later so Jerry had the idea of knocking out some interviews in the dark with the help of our cell phone lights. I’m sure the press who were there will never forget their interviews from this night.

Once the power came back on, the band played for well over an hour and I was able to capture some amazing shots.

This night taught me a valuable lesson on how to modify and adapt to turn a negative situation into a positive. A motto I still use to this day.

What’s in Your Bag?

My bag usually consists of:

• Either my two Nikons or Leica’s
• The holy trinity of lenses (24-70, 70-200, and 14-24mm)
• My BlackRapid camo Sport X strap
• My BlackRapid Double Breathe Strap
• Batteries, memory cards
• A flash
• Rain gear
• My press ID
• Granola bar
• Aspirin with tiger balm for those long days of lugging around all my gear

Social media links/website

• Instagram – www.instagram.com/kevinwilsonnyc/
• Website – www.kevinrcwilson.com

The post BLACKRAPID SPOTLIGHT: Kevin RC Wilson appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

Keilen Photography
I’m primarily a music photographer, but I also shoot portraits, events/weddings, headshots, family, anything!

I first picked up a camera in 2008, shot my first concert the same year (Thanks to Bryce Avary from The Rocket Summer and his wife Tara). From there, I cold-called Rolling Stone Magazine in NYC until they gave me an internship. Moved to NYC and 2 years later, found myself in Los Angeles where Rolling Stone gave me my first gig.

Since then I have became the touring photographer/videographer for Incubus, work with AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys, am a house photographer for the Forum in LA and still shoot for Rolling Stone!

What’s a Good Photo Tip?

Always be researching and looking at other photographers work for inspiration. I have found that you should never become content or complacent with your work. Constantly be searching and evolving your style.

My first time photographing my favorite band, The Red Hot Chili Peppers

After 8 years of shooting concets, I finally got my chance to shoot my favorite band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Rolling Stone assigned me to cover the 2nd Will Ferrell/Chad Smith drum-off here in Los Angeles. The event was for charity and besides the drum-off, Devo and RHCP were slated to perform.

After Devo opened the show and Will & Chad had their drum-off “teams” peform (which included Tommy Lee, Taylor Hawkins, Stewart Copeland & Mick Fleetwood fyi) RHCP was a bout to start. Once they came on stage, everything kind of hit me….I was shooting for my dream publication (Rolling Stone) about to photograph my favorite band (RHCP) and when they started, they opened with my favorite song (Can’t Stop).

The first few frames were shot through tears, I couldn’t help myself. At that moment I felt like the years of paying my dues and working so hard towards the goal of becoming a pro-music photographer had payed off.

What is in your bag?

• 2x Blackrapid Double Breathe Camera Harnesses
• 2x Blackrapid Cross Shot BK’s

Cameras

• Canon 1Dx
• Canon 5D Mark IV
• Canon 7D Mark II
• Lumix Gh5

Lenses

• Canon 16-35mm 2.8
• Canon 24-70mm 2.8
• Canon 70-200mm 2.8
• Canon 50mm 1.4
• Lumix 12-35mm 2.8
• Lumix 35-100mm 2.8

Flashes

• Profoto A1x
• Profoto B2

Social media links

• Instagram – @keilenphotography
• Facebook – Keilen Photography

The post BLACKRAPID Spotlight: Andy Keilen appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

Photo Bakery
portraits and commercial photographer

How A Stage Dive Convinced Me To Carry 2 Camera Bodies

I was shooting Lollapalooza 2010 with 1 camera body and 2 lenses, switching between them all weekend.  Green Day was one of the headliners that year.  At one point during the first 3 songs of their set, an audience member was invited to the stage by lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong, to join him in singing. The audience member had a flag with him (unclear why). He was peeled out of the front row of the crowd and brought on stage.

After singing for a bit, Billie Joe announced this fan was going to do a stage dive. The stage backdrop had a video of flames shooting up, the guy was going to fly off the stage holding his flag. This was going to be epic! Billie Joe was encouraging us to put down our cameras to catch him, but the potential collision of diver with photographers + gear didn’t sound good for anyone. Instead, security and others in the pit gathered quickly to catch the diver while photographers quickly moved away from the catching zone.

This setup all happened fast enough that I didn’t have time to switch the longer lens (70-200) I had on my only camera body to a wider one (24-70); I just wanted to get out of the way before he dove and make room for those who would catch him.  If I had time, I also hoped to get a shot of the jump. The pit at this stage had a long open area going from the stage back to the soundboard; I ran as far back up this open stretch as I could in the couple seconds I had, then turned around to try to get a shot off.

I was able to get 2 decent closely-cropped portrait-orientation frames off of the jump but missed the wide shot with a much better context to set the scene. The diver was caught safely and the show raged on. You can see the end of this play out in this YouTube clip.

My takeaway, immediately, was that I needed to start carrying 2 camera bodies to be prepared for moments when I don’t have time to switch lenses. When I got home from Chicago, I got a second matching camera body and have carried 2 bodies at the same time ever since. And, I’ve always carried both with a BlackRapid double strap (as you can see in my portrait below).

I have spent a year of my life outside of the US

Born in Detroit, live in Seattle.  I’ve shot for Getty Images since 2016 and for KEXP radio in Seattle since 2007. I occasionally contribute to Rolling Stone and Premier Guitar, shot for Corbis for years before Getty. I have contributed to Spin, Billboard, Kerrang!, MOJO and many others. Run house photo crews for Capitol Hill Block Party and Thing! in the Pacific Northwest. Work with Pearl Jam, Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, various commercial clients.

I hold patents in several countries for software designs from a prior life

And I am a certified ski instructor in the US. I have spent a year of my life outside of the US (UK, Europe, Iceland, and Asia) and another year sleeping outdoors in the US (split between trip leading and personal adventures).

Some of my favorite shots have a clear narrative

A moment at a live show when the artist has a visible intention, response, or interaction…a portrait that shows the subject(s) personality coming through…an image that really highlights what the subject is about. For these images, I think listening to/watching what’s going on is as essential as your physical position, camera settings, lens choice, etc. All of these elements are important, but when you snap and what you snap can make the difference between a nicely framed, well lit clear image and a story.

My suggestion is to form an opinion about the key dynamic in the room, or a great personality trait of your subject, or a detail of an object or situation, and strive to showcase that with your composition.

What’s in your bag?

• Two Nikon D850 bodies w/ supplemental grip/battery
• BlackRapid Double Breathe strap
• Nikon f/2.8 24-70.
• Nikon f/2.8 70-200
• Nikon f/4 300
• Godox V1-N flash
• Lens cloth, ThinkTank SD card wallet w/ lots of 128gb hi-speed cards
• Custom earplugs, Sunscreen, Business cards & stickers
• Extra flash battery and charger
• Surface Book 2 laptop & External Solid State hard drive
• Remote triggers
• A very small tripod
• Advil, Snacks, Water bottle

To follow Jim Bennett

website | Instagram  | Facebook

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encourage . equip . empower

After being in the photography industry for over 2 decades, Nicole Elliott has become an award-winning Professional Photographer, Speaker and Designer; who’s work and writing has been nationally recognized and published. Her heart to encourage, equip and empower the next generation of photographers is the foundational principle of her business and her photography courses. This last year she has been working with BLACKRAPID on the design and development of a brand new camera strap for women. The Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID – Live the moment in Comfort and Style!

In her own words…

“I am a mother, a wife and a wild dreamer. As a 4th generation entrepreneur I come from a long line of dreamer women who had one goal in mind… to dare to push beyond their own limitations and make something amazing with what little they had. In doing so, they would leave a legacy that would empower the next generations to do the same. As a daughter of an immigrant mother who taught me the value of hard work and the belief that with God all things are possible, I have a burning desire to equip, encourage and empower other women to do the same. I don’t just want to create products – I want to create a belief system that gives voice to the undeniable hope inside each one of us. A God given hope that fuels us to change, create and move. Through my story and through the hope and grace of Jesus, I want to inspire women to dare to believe in greatness and challenge them to take the steps beyond their limitations and into the reality of their dreams.

Simply put – if I can push through the barrier of doubt, fear and uncertainty then you can too! I am no different than any other women out there. I just dared to believe I could accomplish something great. It’s amazing what we can do when we just do it. One of my favorite verses and the Truth that carries me on, every single time I want to quit – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”Joshua 1:9

Here’s to moving past the doubts, fear and uncertainty – let’s move forward in Strength and Courage!”

-Nicole

You can follow Nicole on Instagram @nicoleelliott.inspire, on Facebook NicoleElliott.Inspire and find out more about her on her website Studio Elliott. Get your own Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID camera strap at www.blackrapid.com/Nicole-Elliott-Strap-by-BLACKRAPID.

The post Meet Nicole Elliott, Designer of Our New Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID Camera Strap! appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

“BLACKRAPID introduces Groovy, our first upright camera strap line. We based it on the iconic fashion of the late sixties and early seventies where bohemian babes flowed with flower power and guitar straps rocked at Woodstock, and took inspiration from the timeless aesthetic of vintage film and polaroid cameras.

Taking cue from the photography industry’s gesture of bringing back retro cameras, we’ve designed two different guitar-strap-like patterns that are perfect for the photographer wanting a stylish strap with a positive vibe for their mirrorless, film, and vintage cameras. Far Out takes inspiration from extreme disco shades in blue and orange while the bold, hippy colors of denim flared with fire red and earthy green influence Peace.

Here at BLACKRAPID we wanted to bring back the feeling of
‘LOVE is my weapon MUSIC is my religion PEACE is my soul.’
(author unknown)

Get into the groove and #LiveTheMoment with BLACKRAPID’s new Groovy line.”

RON HENRY
Founder,
BLACKRAPID

Groovy is now available exclusively at BLACKRAPID.com. Order yours today!

FEATURES

• Classic neck strap for holding a camera upright.
• 2″ wide Shoulder pad: 100% polyester blend with cowhide full grain leather Black velvet backing
• 2”” Shoulder pad: Non-adjustable; with adjustable 10mm nylon webbing trim, overall length 64″ circumference
• Adjustable: up to 64″ in circumference.
• Plastic adjusters on the webbing trims.

PRODUCT SPECS

• Care: DO NOT WASH. Spot clean with damp cloth only.
• Strap length: 64″ (162.5 cm) fully extended total circumference
• Shoulder/pattern piece length: 2″ wide, 36″ +/- 0.25″ (including leather ends)
• Adjustment length: adjustable nylon webbing trim- 14″ fully extended (14″ each side of the shoulder strap).
• Non-adjustable shoulder pc material: 2″ wide shoulder pad made of 100% polyester blend with cowhide full grain leather, black velvet backing
• Non-adjustable shoulder pc width: 2″
• Adjustable webbing material: nylon
• Adjustable webbing width: 10mm
• Product weight”Peace”: N.W 3.2 ounces , G.W. 3.8 ounces
• Product weight “Far Out”: N.W 2.5 ounces , G.W. 3.2 ounces

MEDIA:

Images and one-sheet for media are below. For more information, email social (at) BLACKRAPID (dot) com.

The post Introducing Groovy, our first upright camera strap line. appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

Hi everyone! I’m Stefano, I’m 26 and I’m an Italian photographer. I’m here to talk about my photography and share some experiences and shots I took during my trips.

I LOVE NATURE AND I LOVE THIS PLANET.

My goal is to make people aware about the beauty of nature, capturing it through my photos. I want to show people how wonderful the world is, and how important is to protect it.

I LIKE TO CALL MYSELF A LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER,

although I do not mind making portraits of the people I meet during my trip. Nature is my inspiration, anyway.

I SPEND MY TIME AND MONEY TRAVELLING, ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS.

Because of this, I need to be light, avoiding too much weight on my backpack: I just carry with me my camera hanging on the incredible BLACKRAPID Curve Breathe. This strap allows me to have my mirrorless constantly ready for taking the right shot, in a very handy way. I carry it during my hiking even under the shoulder pads of my backpack, with no problems. I have a micro 4/3 mirrorless Olympus with the 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro (which is 24-80mm on a Full Frame) and sometimes I use my girlfriend’s Canon 1000D with 10-24 mm Tamron when I need a wide angle: the Curve Breathe strap is perfect for both.

FURTHERMORE, I LOVE ROCK CLIMBING.

When I climb, I hook my camera to the BLACKRAPID Curve (through the LockStar and the FastenR system), hanging it with a carabiner to my harness. Then? I just climb, with my camera safe and fixed behind my back. So when I’m on the top, I just bring ahead my camera and I start taking picture of the view I’ve just conquered. I’ve never done it before having the Curve Breathe! This is how the BLACKRAPID Curve Breathe changed my photography.

PEACE TO EVERYONE!

Stefano Bonetti is a traveler, climber, and photographer. Find out more about him on Instagram @telecasteph_photo
.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by Stefano Bonetti | Traveling and Rock Climbing with the Curve Breathe appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

BLACKRAPID HAS HUNG AROUND MY BODY IN SOME WAY ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF MY PHOTOSHOOTS FOR THE ENTIRE TIME I’VE BEEN SHOOTING PROFESSIONALLY.

I was working side by side with Peter Treadway when we discovered these awesome straps and although I’d patented (lying) a ‘death grip’ method for securing my regular stock strap to my arm, these things just took the lead and I haven’t stopped using mine ever since.

THEY’RE GREAT FOR WHAT I DO – I OFTEN FIND MYSELF WALKING LONG DISTANCES IN MY SEARCH FOR LANDSCAPES AND SCENIC VISTAS.

On one occasion however, I required my BLACKRAPID strap whilst being taken to the vista by another means. The safety brief was pretty straight forward: – Make sure everything in your hands is attached to you, and don’t stick your head out! One out of two isn’t bad, right?

THE REST OF THAT BRIEF WAS COVERED BY THE STRENGTH AND SECURITY OF HALF OF MY BLACKRAPID RS-DR1.

I was very excited by the prospect of a helicopter ride, especially as I’d had some awesome flights before and I’m so into drone photography that I’m forearmed with the knowledge of what works and what doesn’t with aerial photos. The other thing I had on my side for this amazing experience is my passion for aviation and experience of flight, meaning I have an absolutely zero chance of getting motion sickness and I’m quite comfortable hanging out of a helicopter despite having a pretty knee-trembling aversion to heights!

PREPPED FOR THE FLIGHT, BRIEFED TO THE EYEBALLS, STRAPPED IN FIVE-WAYS, AND WITH MY PHONE AND DSLR TETHERED TO MYSELF, IT WAS TIME TO FLY!

Let me tell you this one important piece of life advice: – If you ever get the opportunity to fly in a helicopter with the doors off, do it! A helicopter ride is pretty cool in its own right, but take the obstruction out and have nothing much between you and the view and you’ve got a winner. Take a look at this: –

MIAMI WAS A WHISTLESTOP TOUR FOR ME ON THIS TRIP.

I spent just the one night there and so had limited time to soak up as much as I could that the party city has to offer. Bustling with art, culture, cocktails, music, food, and influences from all across the Caribbean and Central and South America, this place to me is what I envisage Havana to look like had their not been an embargo. When I visit somewhere so briefly I try to get the best view from the highest spot, spending a moment up there enjoying and capturing the vista or the skyline. This flight, it turns out, was the perfect replacement and was a fantastic way to get the feel of the city and the beach, and enjoy a little exhilaration with the sun setting behind downtown Miami.

Dave Williams is a travel photographer and social media influencer, writer, educator, and blogger, based in London, UK. His work has featured worldwide in renowned publications and campaigns, and customers including Time, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, The Times, Shell, Marie Claire, and many, many more.

Find out more about him on his website www.capturewithdave.com, and be sure to follow him on Instagram @capturewithdave and Facebook Dave Williams capturewithdave.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by Dave Williams | Photographing Miami From a Helicopter appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

HI GUYS!

I’m Alisha, a 25-year-old photographer all the way from Auckland, New Zealand and I’d like to share a little bit about myself and experience in the world of sports photography and beyond!

MY PHOTOGRAPHY WORK VARIES QUITE A BIT AND THIS AMAZING PART OF BEING A FREELANCER MEANS I NEVER GET BORED.

While the majority of my photography is in sports and fitness industries (from capturing actual sporting events to staged lifestyle work for sporting and fitness entities) I also capture events and weddings, which I approach the same as sports: you have one moment, don’t miss the shot! With my background as a Graphic Designer and Content Creator by trade, I’m somewhat a perfectionist who likes to take creative control and fulfill this with food, product, and lifestyle photography in the studio and on location.

SPORTS AND ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAVOURITE.

As an athlete myself competing in Track and Field in Pole Vault, sports has always been part of my life and will always be part of my identity so I’m very lucky to have it as part of my career too. Nothing beats that feeling when you capture the key shot that shows a split second of athleticism and/or emotion. Professional and amateur athletes put hours and hours of work into their sport and you can see it through their emotions when they succeed, which is what I feel and look to capture in sport. Participating in a variety of sports my whole life has helped me read the situation in photography; you have to think very fast and often make key decisions split seconds (which helps in many other areas of photography where you are working against time).

WHEN MAKING THESE DECISIONS, I TRY TO ANTICIPATE THE MOMENT BEFORE IT HAPPENS SO I CAN BE READY AND PLAN MY POSITION, COMPOSITION AND EXPOSURE.

Therefore my gear setup has to work as fast as I do. Whether there is plenty of space around you, or you are crowded amongst other photographers/people, the last thing you want to worry about is dropping your cameras when you change bodies. I used to fluff around with having two cameras on my shoulders, they always slipped off and to change camera bodies you had to either place the other one down, hold it between your legs, or chuck back on your shoulder; all things that take time, until I discovered BLACKRAPID double strap system. For any lens/body combo that doesn’t require a monopod I chuck on my Double Breathe, so now when I need to change cameras quickly, I literally just drop it (for a 70-200 2.8 and smaller, the 300 2.8 you need to place it down haha) and the other one is ready to go at my hip, no need to worry about where it is ‘cause it’s literally attached to me!

OFTEN IN SPORTS YOU HAVE TO QUICKLY GET UP AND MOVE, SO WITH MY BLACKRAPID DOUBLE BREATHE I CAN JUST DO THAT AND KNOW MY CAMERAS ARE ATTACHED TO ME RATHER THAN HAVING TO PICK THEM UP AND WASTE TIME.

It works well when you are also carrying a larger 400mm because you can just grab it and leave the other bodies at your hips. When you see a key moment or a potential angle, all you are thinking about is how you will capture it. Thus, you can often see me climbing a tree, in a ditch, jumping the fence, etc. so I rather not have to worry about holding my cameras! When I was the Nike + Auckland photographer I used to push scooter with my gear to get to various spots and it also made it possible to bring out a snack very easily which is very important, haha. Another plus is that I get to hug my fellow athlete friends on the track without worrying about smashing or dropping my gear in the heat of the moment.

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY MIGHT BE A PREDOMINATELY ‘MAN’S GAME’ BUT BEING A FEMALE DOES HAVE ITS ADVANTAGES.

Due to my smaller frame I am often or not chucked in the more unusual spaces for assignments like being on the back of a motorbike, on a small inflatable boat to capture sailing/ocean swimming, or photographing a race by being harnessed to the top of the bridge looking down. I feel as a female I have a naturally different perspective to sports as I’m sensitive and intuitive to the raw emotion sport brings out in people. Sports photographers have the power and responsibility to not only create a story but to illustrate the strength of ALL athletes. My hope is to inspire other females to take up sports photography to create a more diverse range of powerful sporting and help illuminate the strong female athletes in sports and beyond!

COMMENTS LIKE ‘THAT IS HEAVY GEAR FOR A LITTLE GIRL’ HASN’T PHASED ME BECAUSE I KNOW I’M REALLY LUCKY IN MY EXPERIENCE.

Whether in London, Australia for the Commonwealth Games, or in my home country of New Zealand for national and international events, I’ve had a far greater positive experience working alongside very experienced male photographers from all over the world who are nothing but supportive, friendly, and encouraging! So I encourage any other young girls out there that it’s a pretty cool world and there are good people around! (Here I take the opportunity to thank all the experienced male photographers I’ve met from New Zealand and all over the world, who showed no judgement, treated me as equal and only judged me on what images I produced rather than my age or gender, so thank you!)

MY LAST BIG TRACK AND FIELD EVENT WAS THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN APRIL WITH MY ASSIGNMENT TO PHOTOGRAPH THE NEW ZEALAND ATHLETICS TEAM IN ACTION.

This was an incredible experience to not only be in the thick of an international game getting the shots of my friends in action, but to also capture the moment they received medals for their accomplishments. Currently, I’m working on a few little assignments that aren’t sporting events like projects with Hey Girl, a wellness and health hub targeted at Women, and Parafed Auckland showing athletes as strong and how they use their disability positively. I am also working on a series of product and lifestyle work and of course, personal projects discovering new boundaries of creativity with my talented friends.

I ENJOY GETTING OUT THERE, SHOOTING FOR MYSELF, AND EXPLORING NEW IDEAS AS YOU NEVER STOP LEARNING AND PUSHING YOUR CRAFT.

Peace!
– Alisha Lovrich

You can see what Alisha is up to on:

www.instagram.com/alishalovrich
www.facebook.com/alishalovrichphotography
www.alishalovrich.com

Alisha’s sport photography highlights:

IAAF World Athletics Championships in London 2017
FIH World Hockey League, Women’s Final in Auckland 2017
World Masters Games in Auckland 2017 photographing Athletics, Mountain Biking, Sailing, Volleyball, Weightlifting and Swimming.
Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018

Alisha’s current gear getup:

BLACKRAPID Slim Double Strap (For my small frame)
Canon 5DmkIII
Canon 7DmkII
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 II USM
Couple of Canon Speedlights I use on/off camera for events/creative work I can knock around.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by Alisha Lovrich | Photographing with the Double Breathe Slim in New Zealand appeared first on BLACKRAPID.