Asbury Park Music & Film Fest Part 1: Breaking On Through

APMFF_Photo Pass_2018

Remember how I said at the end of the last post that it was going to be a busy weekend?

Well, it was. On Saturday, after coaching my boys in their Little League game in the morning, I gathered up all my charged batteries, lens, camera bodies and media cards, and headed down to Asbury Park for Asbury Park Music & Film Festival 2018.

First stop was the House of Independents to catch a panel discussion featuring The Doors drummer, John Densmore, as well as the Justin Kreutzman, director of the documentary, Break On Thru: A Celebration of Ray Manzarek and The Doors.

John Densmore of The Doors

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John Densmore, center, Justin Kreutzman, right, director.

I find shooting panels challenging yet uninteresting. Hard to get an interesting shot, so I started to try to incorporate the lighting a bit. Of course, that sacrifices any close up shots.

And even though I was shooting for the APMFF, some other gal on the APMFF staff said they didn’t want photographers down in the lower level of the House of Independents to shoot the panel. They wanted us to stay stage left, on this catwalk of sorts. Because, yeah, you get great looks way above the panel, looking down at the panel.

Huh? You want us to get good photos but don’t want to give us access (this would repeat again later in the day.)

So, I got what I could where I was supposed to stay. But then…I saw the gal leave the venue.

Yes, I went downstairs and shot from there. I even hung around down there after the panel ended hoping I could get a portrait of John and Justin again this brick wall that has interesting light. Alas, no such luck. I got ushered out by security before they exited.

Ah well, I got what I could. The it was time to move on to the next event.

Tomorrow….Part 2 – Oh Danny Boy.

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