Brittverophoto's Blog

Well to say the beginning of 2011 started off sour is an understatement. I was in New York City as the ball dropped. Not in time square but very close, and very sick. I assume it was something I ate, or the mix between the food and whatever I was drinking but I was sick nonetheless. The year could only get better from there right?

And the answer to that was yes! Not only did it get better but it changed completely I was still attended University of the Arts, were you question your insanity on a daily basis, but I started to do something I love on the side. Something that made me happy, made me go back to who I was in the beginning of high school, were I attended concerts almost every weekend. I missed those good old days. And I have Buzznet to thank for that. In February of 2011 I became a Buzznet photographer! So here is a recap of all the concerts I have attended since I got that email welcoming me to the Buzznet community.

March 4 – The Pretty Reckless (A Thousand Horses)

April 12 - Hollywood Undead (New Medicine, Drive A, 10 Years)

April 22 – My Chemical Romance (The Architects, Neon Trees)

April 23 – My Chemical Romance (The Architects, Neon Trees)

April 26- Coheed & Cambria

April 29 – Bamboozle Day 1 (The Ready Set, Mayday Parade, Motionless In White, Boys II Men, Wiz Khalifa, 30 Seconds To Mars, Rad Bromance)

April 30 - Bamboozle Day 2 (The Movielife, Breathe Carolina, Circa Survive, Taking Back Sunday)

May 1 - Bamboozle Day 3 (I See Stars, Black Cards, Black Veil Brides, EATMEWHILEIMHOT!, Attack Attack!, Jack's Mannequin, Bruno Mars, A Day To Remember, Lil Wayne)

May 7 – My Chemical Romance (This Good Robot, The Architects, Thursday)

May 9 - The Airborne Toxic Event (Voxhaul Broadcast)

May 31  -  Matt & Kim (The Hood Internet, Reptar)

June 3 – Portugal, The Man (Telekinesis)

June 11 – Saves The Day & The Get Up Kids

June 23 – Owl City (Breanne Duren, Mat Kearney)

July 22 – Ludo (Stamps, Tommy And The High Pilots, Sparks The Rescue)

July 24 - Warped Tour (Asking Alexandria, A Day To Remember, Attack Attack!, August Burns Red, Black Veil Brides, Dance Gavin Dance, D.R.U.G.S., Enter Shikari, The Devil Wears Prada)

August 7 – My Chemical Romance & Blink 182 (Alkaline Trio)

September 9 – FBR15 (VersaEmerge, A Rocket To The Moon, The Academy Is..., Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship)

September 10 - The Early November (Into It, Over It, Man Overboard)

September 22 – Bring Me The Horizon (Deez Nuts, Of Broken Wings, Architects (UK), Parkway Drive)

September 23 – Silverstein (20 Days In, Sparta Philharmonic, 10 Gray Tuesday, Lieana, Conditions)

October 17 – Mayday Parade (The Make, There For Tomorrow, You Me At Six, We Are The In Crowd)

October 21 – Lights (Ambassadors)

October 26 – Circa Survive (Alright, Junior, Sleeper Agent)

November 11 – Manchester Orchestra (Maps & Atlases, The Dear Hunter, White Denim)

December 2- Fearless Friends Tour (Rivers Monroe, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, Tonight Alive, Motionless In White, The Word Alive, Blessthefall)

December 10 – The Devil Wears Prada (For Today, Enter Shikari, Whitechapel)

Great year full of great concerts! I got to see The Academy Is...'s last show & The Early November's reunion show, got to photograph Bamboozle and Warped tour, got to photography my favorite band 4 times, & got to meet some amazing people at these concerts. Hopefully 2012 will be full of just as many amazing shows that I get to photograph and I'll get to meet some more amazing people.

The Bamboozle festival is one of the most anticipated festivals of the year for most. I have been going to bamboozle for every year since 2006, you can say I kinda grew up with it. This year I wasn't really expecting to go, breaking my long streak of going to this festival. But as luck would have it, I'll be coving the festival for Buzznet with one of my friends, Becca (aka, GirlInTheRadioWaves). She's never been to Bamboozle before and we decided to do a little interview type thing for others who haven't been to Bamboozle either. 

Becca: First question is - do you have anything to say before I ask any questions?

Brittany: Be prepared.

Becca: Alright. Be prepared, how? Like how would you prepare to go to Bamboozle.

Brittany: Check the weather ahead of time. Check the times to figure out which bands you wanna see if you have to pick between two bands. Be warned that sometimes they might change the times of the band, but you can sign up for updates, I think. Does Bamboozle do that, too?

Becca: I’m not sure.  That might be something to look into, though.

Brittany: Write down the times for each of the bands and what stage they’re going to be on. And print out a map of the place before going so you have a good view, so you know where everything is.

Becca: Alright, so in terms of the weather, what happens if it rains? Could you bring an umbrella or a poncho should you need to?

Brittany: You can bring a poncho, I’m not sure about umbrellas.

Becca: Okay

Brittany: It rained, was it last year? I dunno.

Becca: How’d you handle that?

Brittany: It was cold but if it stops raining make sure to take off your jacket to let it dry, because that’s going to make you colder if you keep it on.

Becca: Are you allowed to bring sunscreen in?

Brittany: Always bring sunscreen!

Becca: Do they not allow any kinds of sunscreen? Because I know some places are like “well, you can’t bring aerosol.”

Brittany: Well, they sell little packets of sunscreen that’s like, it’s not in a tube - well I think they have tube ones, too - but they sell little packets at CVS and stuff, traveling sunscreen. I would get that. Don’t get spray sunscreen so that you can use it on your arms and on your face.  Make sure that the sunscreen you put on your face won’t make your eyes tear because you will be sweating and you might sweat off the sunscreen. Always keep extra sunscreen with you so you can reapply.  First Aid usually has sunscreen if you’re in really dire need.

(One of the types of sunscreen you can get)

Becca: Alright, in terms of packing - the difference between overpacking, underpacking, and packing just perfect.  Like when do you know that you’ve packed too many little gizmos and gadgets and little stuff that you think you might need?

Brittany: See it depends, because I usually don’t bring a bag, but you don’t really need your ipod. Just stick to the basics like a cellphone, money, wallet, if you wanna carry your wallet, ID, make sure you have your tickets, sunscreen, small camera, set times, and a map. I mean, you don’t really need to carry that much. Maybe sunglasses.

Becca: Would if be a good idea, if you needed to, bring a pen and paper maybe?

Brittany: Yeah, people in bands walk around all the time, if you wanna get autographs, it’s a quick way.

Becca: So that means maybe you should bring a sharpie, too?

Brittany: Yeah, a sharpie. I mean, most people carry sharpies if you don’t have one, so if you really want to get signatures, bring a sharpie. Bag wise, I wouldn’t bring too big of a bag.  The drawstring sports bags are usually a good bet. They’re cheap and easy to fold up.  And fanny packs are making a comeback because they’re easy.

Becca: That’s what she said.

Brittany: Purses, go with one that can go across you. I know people that have had their backpacks stolen off their backs.  Don’t know how that worked but you just have to be careful.  If you gonna go into the crowd, don’t bring that big of a bag.

Becca: How much money should you bring?  How much is a good amount, do you think?

Brittany: It depends, because food is kind of expensive, if you plan on eating, which most likely you will. Make sure you have enough money to be able to cover yourself all day.  Drinks, you really need to be hydrated.  If you wanna buy stuff bring extra money.  Always bring extra money because you never know when you’re going to need it. Fifty dollars, for the whole weekend maybe.

Becca: Fifty for a whole weekend?

Brittany: Maybe.

Becca: That’s not including merch?

Brittany: Yeah, not including merch. Fifty for three days maybe? I don’t know. I don’t really buy that much when I’m there.

Becca: In terms of the crowds there, what are the crowds like?

Brittany: Smaller stages, it’s rough. It’s like Warped tour, it’s rough. Smaller stages, I means if the band is bigger, like a big band on a small stage the crowd will be packed. If it’s a very unknown band, you might not have to worry. [It] might just be a couple of people, not that many.  Towards the end of the night when the headliners are on, there are, the crowds are really bad because everyone’s at the main stages.

Becca: So, when you’re tired and you just want to take a break, what are the best ways to go about finding a place to sit down and chill?  Do you just sit down in the middle of everything - well not the middle, but are there grassy plains to sit down in?

Brittany: No, I think it’s all gravel, because it’s in a parking lot.  But last year, or the year before, the stadium was open.  You could go in. They had food inside.  They had restrooms inside.  I’m not sure about the layout this year so I can’t really say about that, but you could sit in the stadium last year. Just try to find shade, really. If you’re feeling dehydrated, get drinks and sit. 

Becca: And you said you could go to the first aid place...

Brittany: Yeah, I mean, if there’s something really wrong with you, I’d go to first aid. They’ll check you out. If you’re under 18, they’ll have to call your parent, though, before they look at you. 

Becca: Alright, so, you said it’s like Warped Tour. How is it like Warped Tour versus how is it not like Warped Tour?

Brittany: It’s not like Warped Tour in the sense that, it’s the only one, so there’s a lot more people there which means it’s a lot more crowded. I mean, the layout’s bigger than Warped Tour. There’s also carnival rides now!  I think they have games, too - I’m not positive about that.

(Photo of The Starting Line playing Bamboozle 2007, photographer unknown)

Becca: That would explain the clown face that they have!

Brittany: Well the clown face has always been on it, but now they’re having carnival rides and games.

Becca: Have you been on any of the carnival rides?

Brittany: I strictly go for the music. Oh! Walk around to the stands. There’s free stuff all the time.  Lot’s of free stuff. Go to the booths.

Becca: What are some of the sponsors that you’ve seen in previous years?

Brittany: Wonka candy sponsored one year, but that was just for that year. They gave out free candy.  

Becca: Because I know that Trojan sometimes sponsors Warped Tour and they give out free condoms.

Brittany: I can’t think of the sponsors!

(Some of the sponsors this year)

Becca: Alright, well what are some of the charity sponsors? Like Keep-A-Breast.

Brittany: Peta, Keep-A-Breast, the Fuck Cancer ones, I’ve seen that..., To Write Love On Her Arms.

Becca: Speaking of sponsors, what type of street teaming have you seen?  Is that strictly at doors?  How’s that work?

Brittany: You’ll see the typical person walking around to get people to sign up band names.  A lot of bands will come and promote themselves outside the venue.

Becca: Are they not allowed inside the venue to promote?

Brittany: Not unless they have a ticket, I don’t think.  People that are there with bands, they’ll have posters.  I’ve seen stuff written on the pavement. They have a lot of posters up that say the set times for bands because a lot of people advertise. Yeah, people put up signs a lot.

Becca: Now, you said make a list of bands you really want to see, what about “other”?  Are there other things you should check out while you’re there besides bands?

Brittany: The comedy tent. The hypnotist guy was so funny!

Becca: Do you think he’ll be back this year?

Brittany: He is!  I think he’s on the list.  The Uncensored Hypnotist.  The comedy tent is actually also a tent so it’s out of the sun - which is awesome. 

(Uncensored Hypnotist last year at Bamboozle, Photo by graceface2010)

Becca: Are there any tents that have air conditioning to draw people inwards, check out their wares?

Brittany: I don’t think there was.  Yeah, I can’t recall any.

Becca: Actually, I just remembered, how should you dress?

Brittany: Comfortable shoes. Something you don’t mind being sweaty in.  You’re going to be in close areas with other people.  It depends on the weather.  A sweatshirt if it’s cold.

Becca: If you were to bring a backpack, should you bring a sweatshirt?

Brittany: Yeah. It get’s cold at night. I, usually when it’s nice out, I’ll wear capris or shorts, sneakers, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt.  If it’s colder, I’ll wear pants. I mean, it really depends on how comfortable you are when you’re in crowds.  If you know you get hot in crowds, wear less.

Becca: How do you dress so that you dress “nice” but are still dressed for a festival?

Brittany: I usually just wear what’s comfortable.  I mean, if you have like a nice tank top, that’s fine.  I don’t know. I guess it’s your own style, really.  Just be you!

Becca: Alright! Now we’re at the “do you just have anything else you want to say?”  Anything else you feel we haven’t touched on or you want to cover just a little bit more?

Brittany: If you see someone fall, pick them up.

Becca: So just be kind to your fellow human!

Brittany: Watch your surroundings because people do go down.  

Becca: So you’d be like a hero if you saw someone fall and you picked ‘em up!

Brittany: I’ve been on the ground and it sucks.

Becca: Well that’s a good word of advice! It’s like good karma, too!

Brittany: Yeah, just watch out for other people.

Becca: So you think you’re good?

Brittany: Watch for crowd surfers.

Just be careful, crowd surfing does happen like at any other show, just watch out. Wear something comfortable, it's an all day event. Drink lots of water! Sunscreen is always your friend. Most importantly, have fun, hang out with friends, listen to some good bands. Maybe even check out some bands you haven't heard of, you never know, you might come to find a new band to love!

If you're going to bamboozle and you see me or Becca wondering around, please come say hi! We promise, we are very friendly and love to meet other people on buzznet!

Some of you might ask, "Hey Brittany, so uh you don't post a lot on here, and when you do you just keep saying you are busy, what do you actually do?"

well... 

...I turn people into zombies.

But for real, I go to school to learn how to capture peoples souls with a magical box people like to call a "camera". For some reason people like to call this "photography" but I think that's just a bunch of jibberish.

ANYWHO, yeah I'm a sophomore at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and might I say it is very time consuming. I pretty much live in a darkroom or out shooting so I haven't really had time to just blog on here or anything. Hopefully sooner or later I will be able to start posting some of the stuff I have done or am currently working on here for you all to see and tell me what you think.

(Don't mind that horrible quality of the picture above, it was taken with my crap of a camera phone. But that is a piece I'm working on for my surface altering class, I'll be hand coloring it tomorrow.)

But yeah, that's what I do. 

The other day, My Chemical Romance released onto their store new jackets. These jackets are special edition Replica jackets based off of the ones worn by the band in their music videos for "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)" and "Sing".

I personally would love to get the Jet Star one. Wish I had $100 for it. :(

The Pretty Reckless posted a link to my gallery from their show on their website.

http://www.theprettyreckless.com/news/default.aspx?nid=34526

*does happy dance*

Thanks for everyone who checked out my photos, I would love to know what you all thought!

I feel like all I have been doing to photoshoots, developing, and printing for school. 

As soon as my school work settles down a little bit, I will be posting the picture from Alesana I took at their show I went to. I will also see if I can grace you all with some of my school work, but that depends if I can scan them or not.

School sucks... yet I love it. (I guess it's just the work load. It's killing me, I need to shoot something for fun soon.)

We were told to do portraits. So I'm doing them with her being from 3 different eras. One from present day, one from the 70s and one from the either the 30s or 50s.

She's being a good sport... Then I'm off to the darkroom again. 

Sorry for the delay on the Alesana pictures, they will be up soon!

I get a text from one of my friends this morning seeing if I was home in NY and wanted to go shoot a show because he had an extra ticket/photo pass. HELL YEAH I DO!

Now I'm trying to figure out train rides to get back up there.

Expect some pictures this week.

Well, this is my first post on here and I guess there should be a greeting of some sorts... so... Hello! If you happen to come across my little page then I hope you will come back and enjoy it once I post more, so bare with me as I get started.

At this point I should probably give a quick facts about myself.

• My name is Brittany
• I'm 20 years old
• I am a Photographer
• I'm currently resting my head in Philadelphia
• I was born in New Jersey but raised in New York
• I stand at 5'1" but don't let that fool you, I stand my ground
• I have attended way to many concerts I can't even keep track anymore
• At concerts I am mistaken in the crowd for a young one, mostly by parents that think I need protecting. 
• I love meeting new people, although I am shy at first I can warm up to you very easily
• I'm a nerd, I think that should be stated of the bat rather than finding out later.

So um yeah....

Websites of mine

Tumblr

Twitter

Photo page on facebook