Still the red headed step child.... so to speak

First of all nothing against red heads, my mother is one. Second of all the neglect continues. Which is quite sad frankly, seeing as how important social networking and blogging really is now a days. As a marketing tool more than anything. I even took on an ambitious attempt at Tumblring a photo a day and that was short lived.

But then I went on vacation and when I returned, got wrapped up in work. Heck I'm still wrapped up in work. It seems as if its never end and I'm paid far too little for it all. I also find myself with quite the insomnia lately. Maybe I'm just nocturnal.

Anyhow I discovered a video I shot on MTV.com today. No biggie it was on youtube and I shot it for a friend at his convention. But the fact its on MTV is pretty cool. Wish there was a credit on it though.

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/05/24/amazing-spider-man-stan-lee-cameo/

Anyway there's that. So what have I been shooting, well there was Katy Perry, Dolly Parton, Panic at the Disco, Marc Broussard, NKOTBSB, and Rhianna to name a few folks. I'm crossing my fingers to shoot Maroon 5 again this year, I'd like to shoot the Honda Civic Tour but not from back of the house. I mean come on Blink 182 you're not that egotistical right? I have also yet to shoot Taylor Swift since she performed at a Mall here back in 06, it would be nice to get some shots of her show.

Anyhow I think I'm going to leave you with that for now. I know its far less than exciting. If yall want to peruse the Tumblr its under the name RachelParker. Shocking right??

Later guys!

Daylights saving time = Crappy

Spring absolutely kills me with the hour we lose! It totally messes with my already ridiculous body clock. This past week has been pretty nuts. Lots and lots of shoots this week, including a friends wedding. Yes I'm still bitter it fell during SXSW film. I'm going to go down there one year and shoot away, I swear! It's almost blasphemous for me to claim to be a photographer from Texas, and never shot SXSW or ACL Fest.

However lots of great stuff coming up, DIFF, Nascar, Frightmare Weekend, Dallas Comic Con, which happens to also fall on the same weekend as Taste Addison, and Wild Flower Fest? WTF is that?! Why so much on one weekend.

I dont know that I really have any photos to post with this entry. It was really just me rambling a little and making myself feel like I'm actually kind of keeping up with the blog.

Alright I'm going to get back to work on everything, before it starts piling up!

Rachel

Serious Neglect

Oh blog how I've kind of missed you.. and seriously seriously.. SERIOUSLY neglected you. I mean its been practically a year since my last update. Of course I've still been shooting, and not just concerts, red carpets, events, a couple weddings (yes that's new), some engagements, and I've even dived into some video. So busy busy busy! Not to mention my abandonment of the blog means I was doing more non work related activities as well. One may begin to wonder when I sleep. Some days I wonder that as well.

Anyhow I've been trying to play catch up on my Flickr, which I also abandoned for a year. If you want to peruse what I'm putting on there, head over to this link, http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelparker/ That's my stream. I'm already up to August and it includes pics of Aerosmith, The American Idol Tour, Adrien Brody, Will Smith, Lady Antebellum, Good Charlotte, and a whole bunch of others. For good measure I will throw a few up on here. I mean it is a photographers blog after all. How disappointing would it be if I didn't.



Okay well there is that. In other subjects, I'm looking forward to checking out the movie Rango this week. I'm also going to get my fill of Jake Gyllenhaal this week, Love and Other Drugs comes out on BluRay today and yes I love him in almost everything he's in so I will surely go buy it. Not a fan of The Prince of Persia quite frankly though. I'm very curious about Source Code. Totally mad/bummed/sad I won't get to shoot him at South By Southwest Film. Not because I cant get access but because I have a danged wedding to shoot the day he's there!

But while I'm on the subject of movies, everyone should check out a locally made film called "Brotherhood." It's playing at the Angelika Dallas, it's really well made, and very intense. Directed by Will Canon (a fellow Arlington High School Graduate, go colts) and starring Jon Foster, Trevor Morgan, & Lou Taylor Pucci. Yes Jon Foster is Ben Fosters brother. Great movie, and most of you who frequent Central Arlington will recognize the house they shot in.

Okay I'm getting off my pedestal and am done with my ramblings and musings. Hopefully I can get back with the program and start blogging it up again!

Later yall!
Rachel

Wow its April?

Ok so I admit I've been a horrible horrible blogger as of lately. Truth is, not much has been going on really.

I did shoot Muse last month though. This month things are picking up with the Dallas Film Fest, and Nascar. So I figured I'd stop by here and grace you with a few shots from the film fest so far.

Enjoy


Later Yall

Ok I guess I lied?

So a whopping 1 entry for the month of January.. great start to that whole "trying to blog more" thing. But in my defense I spent a good chunk of January under the weather. After the whole strep throat fiasco I was ok for a couple weeks, then I bought a new pillow for my bed and had an allergic reaction to the chemicals they spray on the dang thing. Breathing all that in while I slept = bad. I knew I was having an allergic reaction to something, but it wasn't till my face started to break out and have red splotches that I knew it was the pillow doing it.

So I've gotta say, seriously pillow making companies? I understand you spray them to preserve them while they sit in stores, but seriously? I didn't realize washing and airing out my pillow was a requirement before "maybe" being able to use it. I don't think the pillows would deteriorate if you didnt spray them with that crap. It was by far one of the worst allergic reactions I've ever had to anything in my life, and then I got to reading about how the crap they spray on it can have toxic effects in large quantities like formaldehyde for example. I got dehydrated beyond belief, my throat was really dry, runny nose, watery eyes, dry cough. So to the executives running the companies making products like pillows and mattresses that are sprayed down with formaldehyde and polyurethane, shame on you for being cheap and putting the public's health second to the dollar bill in your pocket.

Ok now that I have that off my chest! I'm feeling much better this week, and even while feeling like total crap because of allergies last weekend, I still got out and went to Dallas Comic Con, camera in tow of course. So here's a couple shots from the Q&A panels with Daniel Cudmore of Twilight & X-Men and Sean Patrick Flanery from Boondock Saints. I believe my friends over at RedCarpetCrash.com and Bigfanboy.com should have video up soon.


Ok later guys!
Rachel

A New Decade :)

Ok so this is my official first post of the Decade. Surprisingly there will be no Concert photos in this blog! Crazy... I know. But I said in my last post that I want to blog more. Believe me I have a few concert shots to come soon enough. However I just wanted to go ahead and kick off my blogging for the year and show you that I can shoot things other than concerts!

A couple days before new years it snowed here in DFW and I persuaded my brother to be my muse and let me photograph him. Quite the feat honestly. So I just wanted to share a shot from that shoot. It looks better bigger, so click it :)


I hope you all had a fantastic New Year. I actually got Strep Throat the first damn day of the year. How's that for kicking it off! I would have taken advantage of all the down time to get actual stuff done, but my body insisted upon using it for sleep. What is that?

Ok I'm going to stop rambling on! Later yall.
Rachel

Maroon 5 and Merry Xmas

Maroon 5
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever else you may celebrate. I ate wayy too much

Anyway onto the fun photos of Maroon 5 I shot in November. They rocked UTA and my gosh I wish there would be more concerts at UTA. That was a neat little concert hall. The guys put on a really energetic show and were more connected with the crowd vs in the larger venues.



Ok so that's really all for now. I did go to a few Kelly Clarkson shows when she passed through the great state of Texas. But I shot those on my point and shoot and haven't really delved into editing any of them.

I really want to make a better habit of blogging next year. I've kind of slacked off. I was thinking about vlogging maybe. Showing you lovely people who don't know me what I look like. I hate pictures of myself though! I think most photographers do though. What do you guys think?

Oh one more thing. A friend of mine had asked me if I could go through and find some photos I took of her friend's daughter Chandler performing with her band "The Bella Cullen Project" at Twicon. So I finally went ahead and pulled some shots and edited them.

Chandler's now gone solo, and I'm going to give her a little blog love right here cause she's got definite potential and mad songwriting skills, plus she's a fellow Arlington girl. So check out her music at http://www.myspace.com/chandlernashmusic

Later yall
Rachel

David Cook

David Cook
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

Last month I shot the fantastic David Cook at the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas. Let me tell you, I don't ever recall any guitarist/musician rocking out that hard infront of my lens playing it up that much. This guy was such a great shoot. Face melting, we're talking epic.

I have to say kudos to David for putting on one hell of a show and being so great to photograph. Oh and using spotlights! I was thrilled about that. I wish every shoot could be that awesome. :)

Here are some of the pics.


I have some maroon 5 shots coming soon :) So keep a look out. And probably some Kelly Clarkson from some of the Texas shows. I just shot it on my point and shoot cause I went for fun.. not work. :) But none the less got some stellar pics.

Later yall
Rachel

M is for Miranda Lambert & Metallica

Miranda Lambert
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

Nobody hair whips quite like Miranda Lambert. I was lucky enough to get to shoot this Texas talent again in October. Yeah I know it's December and I'm just now blogging it.. I'm horrible. Miranda put on a fantastic set, featuring several songs off her latest release Revolution. She also mixed a little Kings of Leon into one of them.

Miranda is one of those artist who I never get tired of photographing. I don't think her mom ever gets tired of watching her either because I stayed and watched the rest of the performance and her mom was jammin' out near us. I think she's her daughters biggest fan.

Anyway here are some shots from the performance


Earlier in October I also got to shoot Metallica. It's the first show that I've shot with a square stage in the round where we were given freedom to move around the entire thing. However the band seemed to be pretty active to the west side of the stage so running around became almost pointless.. well unless you wanted to escape the horde of photographers shooting on that side. I guess they are liberal with passes cause that photo pit was packed.

None the less I got some pretty cool stuff. I think all the boys from my high school would be jealous I shot this one. Here are those shots.



That's all for now!
Rachel

Pink!

Pink
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

So I got to shoot another person on my list of "people I have to shoot." And let me just say 2 songs was not enough! I mean I got great shots in those two songs, but the show is so colorful and active I wish I could have shot way more. Kudos to Pink for wanting to still put on a full on pop show, with dancing, and costume changes and an elaborate stage, oh.. and then having the vocal chops and to back it all up. Not to mention she was performing with a strained shoulder. They should give her some kind of entertainer of the year award.

So in short the show was incredible. A must see for everyone, hopefully she will do another round in the U.S. for the folks that missed it. For the shooters lighting was quite good, lots of spots. You're restricted to a limited area up front, which means you cant run around, oh and you have to watch out for her video guys. They move swiftly and for the most part aren't in your way but there are the few instances where they needed to get in for a shot.

Here are some of the shots


Also to come soon is Metallica! Oh and Miranda Lambert is playing the State Fair this Saturday, who else is excited about that? Heck yeah, should be a good one after the Red River Rivalry. Go UT by the way.

Later Yall

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

OK I know what you're thinking.. another Kelly Clarkson show? But she's my favorite. We had a blast at this one last month, and tonight is opening night for her "fall" tour. If she's coming to a town near you, I suggest going, you'll have a great time and be nothing less than impressed with her vocal skills.




Anyway here are a few shots I took, please don't steal them.



I have some shots from Pink to come soon. I shot Metallica this week as well. One Republic will be in studio at Kidd Kraddick on Monday, be sure to tune in.

Later
Rachel

Glee!!

Glee
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

So the Gleek Tour stopped by the Galleria Mall earlier this month. And if you haven't seen the show Glee what on earth are you waiting for?! It's absolutely hilarious. Sure there is the occasional musical number that seems a bit off, but most of the musical numbers are great. Dont believe me, just google "Glee Push It." That one deserves an emmy.

Anyway I had the pleasure of getting to shoot the kids at the Galleria that afternoon and a few of them at Kidd Kraddick earlier that morning. All of them very nice, not to mention Cory and Mark both were very easy on the eyes.

Anyway that's enough of my babbling about this. Here are a few shots from through out the day. Check out more on my Flickr!




Ok that's all for now. There's a handful more on my Flickr if yall want to check that out!

Later
Rachel

Twilight.. twicon.. twi stuff

Twicon
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

OK I know it's been like a month. So firstly I apologize for the neglect. Things have been a little hectic.

At the end of July beginning of August Twicon was held in Dallas. While there were good aspects of this event, most press was treated rather poorly unless you were MTV or Reelz channel. Nothing against those awesome networks they're great. But the event organizers could have been way more accommodating to actual local media. I watched them tell a major news network they couldn't get a video shot of the actors signing autographs. News networks syndicate to their affiliates around the US all the time, so that's a big no no. You just said no to lots of free press. It all seemed a bit unorganized. However I think the biggest thing saving the conference was a group called The Hillywood Show. They have some pretty amusing parody videos on their website, and not just of twilight. So check them out.

Anyway here are some shots of the actors doing their Q&A, the only thing we were allowed to shoot the actors doing.....



Ok so that's all for now. I have the cast of Glee soon, and there's a possibility of some Kelly Clarkson photos. Not many.. but a few. :) I just shot Drew Barrymore, there's lots of folks in at Kidd Kraddick next week. I am hoping to shoot Pink next week, but I'll settle for Blink 182. ;-)


Later yall
Rachel Parker