Holga + Kodak Porta 800 // Polaroid One + Impossible PX 680 + Impossible Silver Shade
iPhone + VSCOCAM app + AfterGlow app // Lomo LC-A+ + Fuji Pro 400H
A couple frames from Bolivia, the rest around the greater Seattle area
I’ve fallen in love with Impossible Project film, the punch of the Lomo LC-A+, and (again) with the simplicity of an iPhone (although it obviously doesn’t fit into the film category).
Railay Beach, Thailand – iPhone + vscocam – June 2012
Being invited to document love stories of the sweetest couples saying “I Do”, and playing sidekick for wonderful photographers during wedding season.
Traveling to Thailand, Bolivia, and starting Exposed Grace.
Taking in over 100 performances, snapping two large music festivals and meeting artists whose music has impacted my life.
Meeting my new baby niece Avery and watching Emily grow into an energetic three year old.
And the beautiful constant reminder of John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
2012 would mean nothing with out the people I met and those who have been beside me every step of the way: friendships that will last a lifetime, colleagues and creatives who inspire me, missionaries with giant hearts, and little girls full of light. Thank you for the laughter, encouragement, and awesomeness.
December is the month to gaze back over the year and compile “Best Of” lists. As a self proclaimed music junkie I’ve kept track of every show I’ve attended for the past six years, but this year took an interesting turn as I started photographing shows for press reviews, music festivals and live performances at a local radio station. It has been incredible combining two of my passions and so in leui of a photo list or Favorite Albums (See the bottom) I’ve decided to share what I’ve been up too when I wasn’t photographing love birds at weddings.
A big thanks to Lindsey Bluher, my music blogger in crime and now PR Director of SSG Music, who saw me at Pretty Broken Things and said “hey, can I use you your photos?” If you click on the reviews following the band names 80% of the words are written weilded by her keyboard while you’ll find photos I took from the shows.
Thank you to CultureMob, Neumos/Barboza, SSG Music, KEXP, Capitol Hill Block Party and City Arts Fest for getting me out and posting my work. It’s been a healthy mix of work and pleasure (okay, mostly pleasure) I’m looking forward to getting out again in 2013! I’m also officially launching Band Press Kit packages so keep your eyes peeled and email hello@amberzbitnoff.com if you’d like to make some magic together!
Key!
Bold Names = Band featured in the photo directly below the name
***s = Favorite Performances of the year
^ = Off Duty / Sans Camera
JANUARY
***17th – ^ City and Colour at Neptune Theater
FEBRUARY
17th – ^ Damien Jurado, Bryan John Appleby at The Neptune Theater
MARCH
26th – ^ Of Monsters and Men at Showbox Sodo
APRIL
***9th – ^ Radiohead at Key Arena
12th – Pretty Broken Things at Columbia City Theater – CultureMob Review
24th – ^ The Naked & Famous, Vacationer at Showbox Sodo
MAY
4th – Delta Spirit at Neumos – CultureMob Review
***7th – Father John Misty, Har Mar Superstar at Neumos – SSG Music Review & Blog
8th – The Black Keys at Key Arena
13th – Death Cab For Cutie with The Magik*Magik Orchestra, Youth Lagoon at The Paramount Theater
JULY
20th – 22nd Capitol Hill Block Party
Day 1: Father John Misty, Gold Leaves, Youth Lagoon, Thee Oh Sees, Allen Stone, Constant Lovers, Fitz and the Tantrums, Fresh Espresso – Blog & Allen Stone Review on CultureMob
Day 2: Nude Pop, Beat Connection, Hot Bodies In Motion, Twin Shadow, ***ReignWolf, Grimes, Aesop Rock, Major Lazer – Blog & Reignwolf Review on CultureMob
Day 3: The Lumineers, Blouse, ***Phantogram, Neko Case, Porcelain Raft – Blog & The Lumineers Review on CultureMob
25th – ^ Fiona Apple at The Paramount Theater
27th – Neon Trees, BattleMe, Penguin Prison at Showbox Market – CultureMob Review & Blog
AUGUST
***8th – Sigur Rós, Julia Holter at The Paramount – SSG Music Review & Blog
12th – Twin Shadow, Poolside at Barboza – Barboza Photo Set
15th – Cold Specks at KEXP – KEXP Blog
20th – Three Mile Pilot at The Tractor Tavern
***27th – Minus The Bear, Helms Alee at The Comet – CultureMob Review & Blog
SEPTEMBER
3rd – Bumbershoot Musical Festival for KEXP: Seapony, Reignwolf, Noah Gundersen, Ty Segall, M83, Bryan John Appleby, LIGHTS, Passion Pit, Skrillex at Seattle Center – Blog
***5th – Purity Ring at Neumos – Neumos Photo Set and Blog
6th – Silversun Pickups, School of Seven Bells, Atlas Genius at Moore Theater – SSG Music Review
21st – Father John Misty at Neumos – Neumos Review & Blog
22nd – ^ Cold War Kids, Portugal The Man at Redhook Brewery
24th – Zambri at KEXP
25th – Sera Cahone at KEXP
26th – Alt-J ∆, GroupLove at The Moore Theater – CultureMob Review
OCTOBER
3rd – Beach House at Showbox Market – CHBP Photo Set
6th – ^ The xx at The Paramount
***9th – Ben Gibbard at the Smith Tower
16th – Grimes at Neumos – Neumos Photo Set
17th – 20th City Arts Fest in Seattle: ***Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, Pollens, ***Ghostland Observatory (Laser Dome and Showbox Sodo), Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, Lemolo, Land of Pines, DeVotchKa, Motopony, ***My Goodness, St. Lucia – City Arts Fest Facebook Page
21st – Lord Huron at Barboza- Barboza Review
***22nd – Lord Huron at KEXP – KEXP Blog
***22nd – ^ Ben Gibbard at KEXP
27th – Daughter at Barboza – Barboza Review
NOVEMBER
21st – SSG Black Party with The Tempers, blackdiva as La Tigre, Two White Opals at The Crocodile – SSG Music Photo Set
30th – Deep Sea Diver, Wild Belle, Pretty Broken Things at Neumos – Neumos Review
DECEMBER
***8th – ^ Sufjan Steven’s Christmas Sing-A-Long Tour “Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice”
13th – Lavender Diamond at KEXP
17th – Alt-J ∆, Wildcat! Wildcat! at the Crocodile – CultureMob Review
21st – The Comettes at KEXP
21st – ^ Noah Gundersen Family Christmas at Fremont Abbey
22nd – The Comettes at Barboza – SSG Music Review
22nd – Black Hills, Black Whales at The Comet
31st – ^ Pickwick at Showbox Market
If you are curious what my are my Top 10 Albums of 2012, you can check out my list on the KEXP blog: http://blog.kexp.org/2012/12/19/kexp-staff-volunteers-interns-top-ten-albums-of-2012-part-2
Nima, Holga / Carly, Holga / Odd Fellows, Holga
Autumn Burn, Wide Instax
Lord Huron at KEXP, Holgaroid / Ben Gibbard at KEXP, Holgaroid
I’ve been toting around my holga and a few toy cameras lately and oh, it feels so right. The last photo was actually a malfunction that printed on the negative instead of the paper and caused the wonderful effect mixed with my original double exposure. It cements why I love my holga beast even more – it gives me happy accidents like these.
The last two photos are shared courtesy of KEXP.
At the end of my time serving in Thailand I took a longtail boat out to Railay Beach in the southern Thailand for a couple of days. I watched the sunset each night, slept in the heat, and took a tourist packed boat out to picture perfect sandy white beaches and turquoise waters.
While I was there I had one of the most amazing days of my life to date. Spontaneously I hiked through a jungle past monkeys and up sketchy ropes to swim in a secluded salt water lagoon that was surrounded by vine covered cliffs. The lagoon is only swimmable at high tide and I happened to arrive at the right time. Looking upward the sky resembled an eye and I floated around while chatting with fellow hikers from Colorado, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Toronto, and England. We joked that there was a small international summit in the middle of a Thailand jungle. It was truly one of those “I’ll never forget it ever” moments.
Lessons learned: be brave, take chances, and always remember that adventure is out there.
(iPhone mixed in with the Nikon deluxe)
Seriously Amber, your music work is killer. Such a beautiful collection of your stuff right here in this post.